Lucky you Artie down here in Brissie we have had light drizzle for about 24 hours around 9mm so it is a little help, about the dry bit in Winter I really think that refers to potted plants as some people tend to keep watering the houseplants way too much, no I would not worry about the rain out in the garden the poor palm is proberly on its knees thanking Hewey for that Winter Bonus and may you get plenty more rain....MM.

It won't affect you in Rocky as it is not cold enough, we have been getting good unseasonable falls here too. Where it becomes a problem for tropical plants is in temperate locations such as Sydney and Melbourne where winter rain is quite often icy cold and present with very cold temperatures. Up here that just doesn't happen. Unless you are attempting to grow a Sealing Wax palm then I wouldn't be too concerned.

Andrew.

Thanks MM and Andrew - I suspected that it was nothing to get too stressed over, and the slope/soil at my place should ensure that I dont have a rootrot problem.

Andrew's point re the Sealing Wax (aka 'Lipstick Palm') is timely - one of the guys at the Rocky Palm Farm told me that he has one, and its very susceptible to cold weather (OK, even Rocky's mild version of 'cold'). I've only ever seen this species in Burke's Backyard, and I've certainly never seen one in a local garden. I think I'll stick to the more common species :)

BTW, a local gardening expert told me that one of the palms in my (new) backyard is a 'Queen' palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), and indicated that it wasnt one of his favourites. Whilst it certainly isnt as attractive as many of our native palms (to my eyes, at any rate), it doesnt seem overly repulsive. Has anyone had any experience with this species ?

Artie, Queen Palms are a bit of a nuisance aesthetically and environmentally. They are beginning to invade bushland throughout seqld and nensw and from evidence can distrupt the intestinal lining of fruit bats gut, their fruits are rather different to the native species.
They are additionally not self cleaning and their seeds cause a nuisance when mowing or near pathed areas.
I wouldnt plant any- Ive removed all the specimens that Dad planted years ago.
So many other alternatives.
From Kris

Sorry to hear that the Queen Palm is (yet another) nuisance - will have to add it to the Eucalypts and Melaleucas that I'm having removed in preparation for my new garden. Didnt think I'd ever remove an established native, but they are too big and in the wrong place : previous owners seemed to have planted whilst blindfolded.

g'day artie,

it's mostly been said now but reckon the palsm will do ok they will still have some growth happening as winter by and large has been quiet mild. when i lived in rocky i had sealing wax palsm in my agrden found they like to be watered just right once let dry they rarely came back after deep watering that was the only thing i recall and of course not much chance of growing them much further south than rocky i don't think unless inside or in a hot house.

len

Len,

You must have been lucky and had a warm position in Rocky to be able to grow them. I have known of them dropping dead in Townsville during cold spells. I have heard of one growing ok in Rocky but it would be interesting how long it survives.

Andrew.

g'day andrew,

yes our block was an eastern aspected block up high, in general i would say if you have a block that has the right micro-climate then you can pretty much replicate the growing conditions of particular plants you can have that something extra in your garden that others don't have.

i wouldn't even begin to toy with the sealing waxes when in brissy tho', but then if you get the right conditions and no frost it could be worth a go, me i never take what they say in books as gospel too much poetic license for me and too much author opinion hidden as fact.

len