Everything looks great! Your palms are really going to take off and so are those t. ferns! I cant wait to see how everything looks this summer. I love the agaves and yuccas and other succulents. They dont seem to mind being crushed.
Hopefully our butias start picking up growth this year. I think we have had them both in the ground the same amount of time (mine is going into its 3rd spring now). I have B. Capitata though.
Im so happy that spring is pretty much here! The trees are starting to go into bloom here (some are only a week away or less from opening their buds) and my hardy potted plants are outside again. Only 3 more weeks before I start putting the more tender plants outside, give or take some time depending on how the weather is. Another winter is behind our plants now! I cant wait until the really warm weather is here!
-Alex

Jim everything looks great. I cant wait to see it in summer. Jim What do you think are the hardiest cactus you have that can withstand winter moisture. All my cactus besides eastern prickley pear died even my agave.

When do your bananas start growing usually/

Thanks Alex

Yea,I think the Butia is poised to blast off this year.
It was really moving last fall.

Hard to say which cactus are the hardiest Dennis,
I think the Havardiana and Parryi would have to be
on the list though.
Many/all of the barrels really need to be bone dry-
I start covering mine Oct 1 to keep them dry....
never seems early enough though.

Dennis, my pink lace cactus survived the winter with no problem (I even planted it in horrible clay soil and in the shade). The blooms are really nice in the spring. My eastern prickly pear are in pots and they also survived but they look pretty bad when they are dormant unfortunately.
-Alex

Jim

Are the Havardiana or Parryi more tollerant of moisture than Agave montana which i lost this past winter.

Alex

What is the scientific name for pink lace cactus.
Do you give it any protection from moisture

Its a Echinocereus reichenbachii. I didnt give mine any moisture protection (even now with the 3+ inches of rain we have gotten in the past 2 weeks). They seem to stay pretty small so weighting a clear plastic container on it with a heavy rock should be a pretty effective way to keep them dry during the winter or really wet and cool weeks in the spring. They never will get taller than 6 inches or so and the flowers are always the largest part of the plant.
They would be great as groundcovers in front of other cactus in a cactus bed because during the spring their purple/pinkish blooms would dot the entire front of the bed.
Im also looking into getting some hardy agave. Although yucca faxoniana seems to be an awesome substitute for agave (I actually think it looks much nicer than many yuccas because it grows a pretty nice sized trunk with age). I've seen a few here and some are over 5 years old and a pretty nice size (with no damage from the winter cold or snow). I think yucca faxoniana would have to be bought at a large size though in order to make a statement.
-Alex

Alex is on to something with the Yuccas....

To my knowledge Havardiana is very moisture tolerant but it
may be our eastern climate is just to wet..combined with
moisture probably lowers the floor temps for these by 12-15F.

Mine are covered but they do(unfortunately)have water trip on
them all winter,I really thought the crown area would rot on
Parryi and Havardiana,almost looked like it was going to the
the first winter but they seem stronger now-next year I will
provide more insulation then the one layer of plastic,this
set up was planned to be opened often in winter but
the last 3 have been way to cold!

Those zone 4-5 Barrels have a unique water shedding
ability going into winter,they always look dead going into winter.

Here's a great seller for these,etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cold hardy cactus

Thanks jim ill try one of those agave if i see it locally.

Alex would you be intereted in trading some of that cactus. I can offer you some bulbs or plants of my giant canna

I'll definitely be willing to trade! I'll send you an email.
-Alex

Hey Jim,

Just wanted to say that im so impressed at looking at all of the great growth from all of your palms...you really have done a great job this past winter...especially since this winter has been a tough one for many of us...

I do have a question? Do you root prune your AGaves when you put them in the ground each spring? If so..do you make cuts (pie shapes) or do you just cut around the outer edge?

The big Daddy that i have in a container..really needs to be planted outside..even though im worried about letting it go..it means so much to me (sentimental reasons) but i know that i not helping it by keeping it in this pot...i do want to plant it outside..and i know that it is so root bound..that it will definetaly need some major pruning...

Any suggestions will be appreciated...

Hello to everyone...

Alex..i have one bloom on my Ca Sunset...the cutting is ready...question on when you want me to send..i think in a couple of weeks..but let me know... : )

Take care everyone!!

Laura in VB

Hi Laura. Glad to hear you have a bloom! Im sure its a beauty! I'll let you know about that cutting. Thanks so much!
-Alex

No Laura,I didn't really need to prune it....
just remove all the "suckers".

One thing I learned last year-when I dug it up-was, it was
so pokie,always threatening to saw my arm or leg off
or poke me a good one(-:

When I dragged it upstairs I trimmed all the horizontal leaves off,much easier to carry.

This fall I will cut those leaves before I dig it up!

By the time it's ready to go out again in spring they have
all dropped down and it looks normal.

You could always put a little effort into protecting it in winter,some kind of thick cover and X-mas lights should do it.

I would protect mine outside but I only have so much wattage I can pull out of my apartment.

Every year the enclosures get bigger,so I just use more insulation....you know theoretically,if you had enough insulation
you wouldn't even need heat!

Jim, everything looks well. The Butia Eriospatha especially did well. I am amazed it survived such a ground freeze and it was wise to keep it above 20 degrees. I am expecting my butia to take off this year too.

I have been hesitating on uncovering my palms just yet. March can pull a fast one. So far, our forecast is really good.

Yea ours is to Greg.

When I uncovered everything the ground temps were
around 39F I believe,today I pulled all the mulch back on the Basjoos..they are all fine,
surprisingly the soil temps were in the mid 40s.

Hey Jim...

I know what you mean about being "poked" i have had this Agave hit everyone in my family...LOL...i even cut the points off that are around the edge...

I do cut the outer leaves just to get the plant through the door opening...i then put the container on a beach towel and drag it across the room to get it in place for the winter...

I am going to put it in the ground this spring...so hopefully i have the strength to even get it out of the container...i probably will have to cut it out...

Hope all is well with you...

Thanks for the advice...

Laura in VB

(-:

This plant is my enforcer!

Wish I had a dozen to plant around my Colocasia(-;

Jim, I figured it was your secret weapon against plant theivery:) Especially planted by the sidewalk. Our neighbors by the Florida house had a big one and the points can become very dangerous if you bend down by the agave, please be careful gardening by it. They can cause bad eye injury. People down there in FL cut the points off, and in our case the neighbors actually got together to remove this monster because the spikes were so pointy and growing to eye level.

Luara, Hopefully someone can help you with your agave. Promise to make hubby or the kids a cake if they help:)

The agaves you gave me as growing just fine in pots.

Hey Greg,

I promise that i will have my hubby or my son help me!! LOL..Thanks for the advise...this bad boy is very huge...but i do want it in the ground...it has reached its growing potential...but will get much larger once in the ground....i think a cake for starters..then Dinner!!! LOL...i also have the new palm guys...(Justin and Jordan) to help me if necessary...they are great guys!!!

When i know my sch during the summer and i have an overnight in LGA..ill let you know..lunch with you and your wife and hopefully Alex would be a fun time..

Take care everyone...

Laura in VB

Greg

Eye protection(and possibly a suit of armor(-;)definitely a good idea with this one!

I got stabbed in the palm by it a few weeks ago,if not for all the muscle in that area
it would have gone through,felt like it went in a half inch.

I may end up trimming those points-wouldn't want some innocent toddler stumbling into it.

Jim, It got you already, that thing smarts. Good idea to trim the points for kids too, I struggle also with the whole plant stealing dilemma. I have had it happen and like you don't mind placing some thorny plants around. The agave though can cause permanent injury.

Hey try planting some thistle, it smarts and keeps theives at bay but doesn't injure.

Sounds good Laura, I reminded my wife and she likes the lunch there and is good with it. I haven't heard back from ALex but maybe he can make it. It must be really nice by you because we are seeing temps jump here into the 60s to maybe even 70 tomorrow.

Hey Greg...

Temps here yesterday hit 80..but the weeks forecast highs only in the 50's and lows in the 40's...i missed the great weather because of work..only to be home for the cool temps...i have decided to leave the plants in again for the week...dont trust our weather here!!

I had read that Alex likes July...let's shoot for then...
Sounds great!!

Take care everyone...

Here's to an early spring!!!!

Cheers!!!

Laura in VB

We also got to 80F here Laura (and upper 70s in the central park). It was beautiful and my plants loved it. It would have been much nicer if it was on a weekend, but at least we got that warm in March! This weeks forecast looks terrible. I think Im just going to try and ignore the outdoors until it gets warm again.
-Alex

Wow the Washys Look awesome. I may have to consider your protection method. I am planning to plant one this Spring.

What works best for them is a combo of a thermocube
and making sure the areas where the roots are stays well
above freezing.
I used 8" of mulch around mine,when I pulled it back
and measured the temp(4" deep) it was around 40F.