What has been your best recovery so far.

13 years ago

I have two Bottle palms that I started from seed in the winter of 07-08 that had done quite well (despite last years crap summer). I had them out in the sun back in April on an 80 degree day and a HUGE gust of wind bent one of them over 90 degrees. It was bent over for sure and was very loose at the root level under the trunk. The base of the trunk was over the ground on both palms so this one just bet at the top of the roots. I put small rocks around the trunk to brace it upright. Even in May when it really warmed up before Memorial day it still was doing nothing. Finally in the beginning of June a new spear appeared and after 4 strait 90 + days it has exploded. It feels very firm in the soil as well. What has been the best "save" for you? Please share your stories.

Comments (6)

tropicalzone7
13 years ago
My best recovery of all my palms has to go to my Coconut palm. An entire winter in a very dry and warm room could have killed it especially after I took it outside in full sun and burnt most of its leaves. It sat there for 2 months with no sign of new growth and now a new spear is growing. It was very close to death but a little TLC and heat was all it needed. My bottle palm also was saved. It was just sick and losing leaves and it didnt grow at all this entire spring (also no water). Now it has water and its finally pushing a new leaf. Really close call for it!
wsg89
13 years ago
Not a palm but...My girlfriend now wife had a split leaf philodendron that was given to her, sitting in full sun dried out down to one six inch leaf. 10 years later it is 6 feet in diameter held back probably by just the size of its pot. My 5 foot Bismark blew over in the wind last year and lost all its fronds but one. It now has one full one half and a spear. My fingers are crossed... I've killed a Bottle and am too chicken to try a Coconut!...
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I haven't posted a whole lot here in the past few years. Mainly because I just don't post that much anymore, period. I only have 5 palms left now, including a 5 & 1/2 foot windmill, which I have had for about 5 years. I also moved to a zone 6B/7A in the mountains of far Western Loudoun County, VA. This winter has been harsh. 63.5" of snow on the year here, and many nights at zero F or below, and many days with highs of 5-12 above. The lowest we saw this winter was -9F with 10 nights below zero period, and many many more at 0-5 above. Today even, 3/26/14, after 3 more inches of snow yesterday, our high has been 27F. It should be about 55 by now! Suffice it to say even in its protected location on the south side of the house up against it in full sun, my windmill is FRIED, completely. However, the spear is still as snug as ever. If it has made it through this winter, it will be making a trip to Smithfield, VA to my partners mothers house and being planted there in her front yard. I suppose the next couple months will tell if it has in deed weathered what has been the harshest winter in 20+ years here.
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foxiekat_55
13 years ago
my best recovery was actually a dragon tree. it had the worst trunk rot and i cut the top off and actually have 3 now that are doing really well
jimhardy
13 years ago
I'd say this'un
andyandy
Original Author
13 years ago
Sounds like some good recoveries. I need to try a Trachy agian some day. I have an update on that bottle palm. I see now how much better summer rain is than tap water. We got a small soaking last evening and then it got up to 93 today before the REAL rain moved in. The new spear on this bottle that was about 7 inches long is opening up like a fan in just 24 hours. Right now it is 77, drizzeling with 90% humidity. Everything has grow more in the last 24 hours becuase of the rain then the previous 3 90 + days where I was watering everything thouroughly with the hose. With sun and mid-high 80s this weekend and everything soaked with rain water I expect it will continue.
softmentor
13 years ago
I have been working with 2 friends in AZ to gather and preserve several old varieties of date palm. One such palm was a Samany variety of Egyptian origin. The offshoot I got from the Ag. station was up high on the palm so it had no roots to start with. I planted it in May and it sat, and sat, and sat. Usually I figure if it hasn't started growing by the end of summer, it doesn't have much chance. But it held on to a little green and I would keep checking on it and kept water going but no sign at all of any new growth. After 16 months it finally got a small new frond started out from the middle. It then flushed out with 3 good fronds but then promptly choked and the next 2 fronds were very stunted and it stopped growing again. I feared it had sung it's last hurah. Still I kept working with it. Finally, yet another year later, it started some good fronds and has kept going. It was a 2 1/2 year project, but it is now at the 3 1/2 year mark, it is a healthy young palm. I'm hoping to start seeing fruit in about 2 more years.

What has been your best recovery so far.

Comments (6)

tropicalzone7

wsg89

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What has been your best recovery so far.

Comments (6)

tropicalzone7

wsg89

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jimhardy

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