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Lilith
10-17-2007, 08:41 PM
I have started a collection of mainly rainforest understory palms. This is my favorite one at the moment. Its a Salacca magnifica. It comes from Borneo, where it can be found in moist areas at the base of cliffs on the edge of the rainforest. Its become quite rare due to habitat destruction. Its an "entire leaf" palm and has really wicked spines. The individual leaves can eventually reach lengths of 20 feet. At the moment, mine are about 4 feet.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5531.jpg

Lard Greystoke
10-17-2007, 09:26 PM
Very nice specimen. I like the entire-leafed palms. I am growing Chamaedorea metallica and Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana, as well as some non-entire varieties. I grow indoors in Ohio where palms grow extremely slowly from seed.

jason
10-17-2007, 11:43 PM
I have started a collection of mainly rainforest understory palms. This is my favorite one at the moment. Its a Salacca magnifica. It comes from Borneo, where it can be found in moist areas at the base of cliffs on the edge of the rainforest. Its become quite rare due to habitat destruction. Its an "entire leaf" palm and has really wicked spines. The individual leaves can eventually reach lengths of 20 feet. At the moment, mine are about 4 feet.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5531.jpg
Hi very nice looking palm I live in Indiana zone-5 and have 8 foot tall teddy bear palm, 2 -6 foot red sealing wax palms, splendida stilt root palm wich is about 9 feet tall ,Aiphanes ruffle palm wich is about 7 feet tall with a trunk of about 6 inches around ,1 christmas palm wich is 10 feet tall and is planted as a double .2-8-9 foot foxtail palms a few other palms that are currently in 3 gallon. joey palm,coromo palm ,red flame thrower palm,1- 6 foot tall pygmy date palm triple,areca vesteria marron form about 5 feet tall and I think thats it for now,everyone tells me I need to move to florida!!!! I wish maybe someday!!! my next purchase is a carayota zebrina I found one in florida in a 25 gallon size it is 7 feet tall from soil line has 4 fronds and is 20 plus years old ,he only has 2 left,but they are very!!!!!exspensive!

Lilith
10-18-2007, 06:30 AM
Hi Jason, I have most of the palms you mentioned as well. Mine are not as old, I have been growing them only for the last 2 years and bought them as seedlings. I kinda prefer to grow things from the start and watch them develop, instead of getting something that is already grown, LOL. Its a lot cheaper that way, and for me more fun. I have 3 Caroyta zebrinas, they are growing well.

I'd like to see photos of some of yours, if you don't mind!

This is a new spear one of my my Blonde Flamethrowers:
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5525.jpg
These are a few Pinangas, "Sarawak Blue Seed" and "Thai Mottled"
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5541.jpg
And my baby Licuala orbicularis, an extremely rare palm:
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5542.jpg

Lilith
10-18-2007, 10:54 AM
Greystoke,
can you post a photo of your Vampire Palm?? I have never seen one.

Lard Greystoke
10-19-2007, 01:13 AM
Greystoke,
can you post a photo of your Vampire Palm?? I have never seen one.

Unfortunately I am not digitized. However you can find photos of this and other palms at www.plantapalm.com/vpe/photos/vpe_photos.htm.

My own specimen is very young and small, only 2 tiny leaves, just up from seed. If you stand about 4 inches away it's quite pretty.

Lilith
10-19-2007, 06:31 AM
I have seen photos of it, but never seen a live one. This is one I just picked up at a sale in Central FL, Licuala spinosa. I have over 10 species of Licuala, they are one of my favorite genus' of palm
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5502.jpg
This is my young Ruffle palm (Aiphanes caryotifolia) growing by the stream in my greenhouse. This palm is heavily armed and I have to be really careful around it (ouch)
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5547.jpg
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5545.jpg

Dean W.
10-23-2007, 10:54 AM
Great looking palms, gives me some ideas of what I would like to add to my collection.

I am currently growing:

1. Thrinax radiata - Florida Thatch Palm
2. Phoneix robelenii - Pygmy Date Palm
3. Heterospathe elata - Sagisi Palm
4. Ptychosperma macarthurii - MacArthur Palm
5. Adonidia merrillii - Christmas Palm

Dean

Lilith
10-23-2007, 12:20 PM
You might consider this one: Calyptrocalyx pachystachys, it stays pretty small (most Calypts have high houseplant possibility) and the new fronds are killer!
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5572.jpg

Dean W.
10-23-2007, 01:21 PM
Oh!!! That a cool looking palm!

Mark Hall
10-23-2007, 02:54 PM
Lilith is that an Ae Ae in picture 1 ? and also what is the large aroid leaf in the tiny Licuala picture ?

Sorry to go off topic

Lilith
10-23-2007, 03:35 PM
That's totally okay, Mark...a plant question is never offtopic to me!
Yes, that's my Ae Ae in the background. Its getting back into its old digs after a brief foray in the yard, LOL.

And yes, those ar earoids with the Licuala. The top (largest) leaves belong to Philodendron gloriosum. The green leaves with the feathery white pattern on them are Cercestis mirablis, and the quilted looking green leaves (woth the new red emergent leaf) is either straight Anthurium dresslerii or A. dresslerii x radicans, I can't remember off the top of my head which that is

JoeS475
10-23-2007, 11:43 PM
I have a large Bottle Palm (rare for New Jersey), a Flamethrower Palm, which I'm a little worried about since its new leaf will not open, a Mexican Fan Palm, a small Coconut Palm, and recently planted freshly collected seeds of a Christmas Palm, a Jelly Palm, and a large unidentified fan palm, which I'm hoping will germinate soon! Plus the usual Home Depot stuff...

~Joe

valerie@flower
10-24-2007, 06:26 AM
Lilith your plants are just marvelous !!!!!!!!
I also agree with you about starting out small to watch them grow.
Currently I have a few palms and cycads too.

1 King, 2 Pygmy date
3 Queen (1 sprouted in my yard), 6 Bottle (some variegated)
2 Foxtail, 1 Mediterranean
1 Fishtail, 1 Windmill
2 Majesty, 5 Mexican fan (all sprouted from yard)
1 Cat palm, 1 Parlor palm
1 Canary Island date, 1 Coconut
The only unusual to me would be my Panama Hat & Purple crownshaft

Lilith
10-24-2007, 06:48 AM
Valerie,
I'd love to see photos of your variegated Bottles! I have 2 (normal) bottles, one is about 4 ft, the other about 2 ft. I really like them.
I like fishtails (Caryota) too and have some small ones. I think I have 2 of the hardiest (Himilaya and Urens), when they get large enough I plan to plant them out.

This is my coconut palm. Its not too large yet, about 6-7 ft. I am keeping it until a friend gets permission to plant it out on the UF campus. It will be an experiment, in a very protected location.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/DSCN5369.jpg

This may be my most challenging palm, I just got it very recently. Its a Chamaedorea sullivanorianum. They are cloud forest palms, and from most input I have had from palm growers much more experienced than me, it may well be too hot in Florida. But I am going to give it my all because this is one of the palms I really, REALLY want to grow.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/plants%20and%20people/Csul10407.jpg

Please show me photos of some of yours!!

turtile
10-24-2007, 07:35 PM
My most unusual palm is Sabal sp. Birmingham:

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/7203/spbirmui4.jpg

I also grow many cold hardy palms (Trachycarpus, Sabal, Rhapidophyllum....)

valerie@flower
10-24-2007, 08:46 PM
OK, Lilith I will post some pictures when I get a chance. The only palm picture I have so far is my Canary Island date. It needs a good trimming but will be expensive since it is so big. It is the biggest palm I have and perfect for shade in the yard.

Valerie;)

jnstropic
10-24-2007, 09:49 PM
Many of you know that I have two Talipot palms in the front yard. Two years they were in bad condition suffering bud rot. It's a problem like frizzy top in fox tail palms. I was ready to rip them out until a friend told me to use potassium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. Now the look great.
I meet the head palm man from Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden at a palm program held by the Kampong this past week. I told him about my palms and he said they looked bad two years ago. He didn't know who owned the palms but he was concerned - not enough to stop and tell what to do.
I use both of these fertilizers (very small amounts) on my Ae Aes to make them more sturdy. It causes the green % to increase. More green means more growth. The white % comes back when I stop those fertilizers. I like it on pups and in the fall.

valerie@flower
10-24-2007, 11:18 PM
Hi, to everyone that loves their palms too.:03:
Whenever my palms look a little on the yellow side. I green them up with epsom salts which is magnesium sulfate. Regular fertilizers do not have enough of this trace element that they need. Every spring and late summer I sprinkle a 1/2 cup around the base and water it in. This is in addition to their regular food every 3 months. Potassium nitrate is something I will have to try out, thanks jnstropic.

Lilith
10-25-2007, 06:02 AM
Actually, its not as simple as magnesium. If a palm is deficient in Magnesium, its usually out of balance with Manganese and Iron too. Florida soils are notorious for this deficiency.
I use a product called Chelated Palm Nutritional on all of mine as a foliar spray (you can also use it as a soil drench) every 3 months when I fertilize. It has all the trace and minor elements palms need. It also comes in a powder form you can sprinkle around the base.
I also use this on Anthuriums, heliconias, gingers and other heavy feeders.

I tried a Cal/Mag fertilizer with K nitrate on my palms, and it burned some of them even at the recommended dosage. I use it on other plants now but not on palms

valerie@flower
10-25-2007, 07:07 AM
Lilith you are right the other two are needed as well. What brand do you use in the powder form that can be used as a foliar spray? All I find mostly is the granular form. Would you use the potassium nitrate, I have never tried it?

Lilith
10-25-2007, 11:02 AM
The one that I use as a foliar spray is a liquid concentrate made by Southern Ag. Its easy to use in an Ortho Dial N Spray.
The powder form is also by Southern Ag, but you can't mix it with water and spray it. You just sprinkle it around the plants and water it in.

The K Nitrate fertilizer I use is Peter's Excel Cal/Mag 5-15-5. Its a blue crystalline like Miracle Grow, you mix it in a bucket or fertilizer injector and spray it, but its a special order in most places. You want to get a nursery toorder it FOR YOU because it needs some sort of special permitting from the Dept of Homeland Security. Apparently, its on their list of potential problem substances. I had my local independent nursery order it and they had to fill out a form. I use this SPARINGLY, I burned a few palms with it.

valerie@flower
10-25-2007, 11:57 AM
Thank you Lilith for all of your useful information. I hope to get the pics soon of the variegated bottle and I'll get the fishtail one too for you.
Valerie;)

Lilith
10-25-2007, 02:16 PM
I've never seen a variegated bottle palm...I bet its GORGEOUS! I'll be out of town til Monday, probably with no computer access (ugh) but will look for it when I come back

turtile
10-25-2007, 07:59 PM
You can buy pure potassium nitrate from Ebay. I think its 13-0-48 (NPK). Its highly explosive (oxidizer).

Lilith
10-25-2007, 09:44 PM
I guess that's why the government keeps track of it, LOL

jason
10-25-2007, 10:57 PM
You can buy pure potassium nitrate from Ebay. I think its 13-0-48 (NPK). Its highly explosive (oxidizer).

Hi yeid makes potassium nitrate 0-0-24 and what your seeing on e-bay if listed like that is infact not what they say it is,cause the fertilizer that you use to be able to buy has been out lawed to sell many years ago ,it took effect shortly after the oklahoma bombing,sorry I know this because I work at a greenhouse with many different chemicals even the ones that are not avalible to the public.

jason
10-25-2007, 10:59 PM
Hi yeid makes potassium nitrate 0-0-24 and what your seeing on e-bay if listed like that is infact not what they say it is,cause the fertilizer that you use to be able to buy has been out lawed to sell many years ago ,it took effect shortly after the oklahoma bombing,sorry I know this because I work at a greenhouse with many different chemicals even the ones that are not avalible to the public.
oh and the reason their is nitrate in the potassium ,cause it acts as a carrying agent for the potassium.

jason
10-25-2007, 11:07 PM
oh and the reason their is nitrate in the potassium ,cause it acts as a carrying agent for the potassium.

And the ideal palm food in my veiw is 12-5-15 with all the minors .minor trace elements are more important to palms than you would think,palms biggest deficencey sorry probably spelled that wrong,,,is usually mag,and potta,,and the middle number in the n-p-k should always be as low as possible,,builds up in the soil after a while and starts to make the soil mix ,what we call to hot and will start to hurt the palm.

valerie@flower
10-26-2007, 03:22 AM
Jason that is neat that you work at a greenhouse. My friends at work think I should go into the growing business. They know I love plants and go to botanical gardens a lot. Have you ever used a product that is for evaporation? It is made from pine sap to keep the leaves from drying out in hot weather. I have found this only two times going all over the internet. So the 2nd time I found it I ordered it and it worked great. The only problem is there was no label or a company name on the invoice to order more. My full sun palms really love it in the summer.
Valerie;)

Lilith
10-26-2007, 06:51 AM
Jason,
the problem with using just a palm fertilizer that has all of the minors and trace is that it doesn't always work in Florida soils. If you are growing palms in containers in a greenhouse with a very nice artificial medium in the containers which will allow the palms the opportunity to catch more of the nutrients as they go by, just using slow release or granular fertilizers is great. But here, where the palms are planted into the ground, and the soil is little more than sand with a very small amout of organic matter present, or sand on top of a limestone or coral underlayment, where water can actually run off sometimes, or where it can drain through like a sieve, those fertilizers lose their punch very very quickly. That's why many people in Florida supplement with extras, and why we fertilize pretty routinely every 3-4 months even with ferts that are supposed to last a lot longer between applications.

valerie@flower
10-28-2007, 03:03 PM
://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6476&ppuser=1185]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6525[/url]url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6525&ppuser=1185]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6526[/url]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6528 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6527&ppuser=1185)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6527 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6526&ppuser=1185)







Lilith, here is the pictures you wanted to see. I also included my fishtail & angel trumpet. The bottle palm was in the shade for awhile so now I put in the sun to bring out the variegation, hope you like them.
Valerie

jnstropic
10-28-2007, 08:51 PM
Valerie your bottle palm is a Liliaceae (the lily family). It is Beaucarnea recurvata from Mexico and close to the yuccas. Most people call it ponytail.

valerie@flower
10-29-2007, 03:57 AM
Thanks Jason, I was calling it by one of it's common names. Sorry to get you excited, I forgot there is the true bottle (hyophorbe lagenicaulis).

southlatropical
10-29-2007, 06:39 PM
Is there a palm forum that any of you would reccomend? I've found the banana forum and bamboo forum, but still looking for a good palm forum. Thanks
Isaac

turtile
10-29-2007, 07:00 PM
Is there a palm forum that any of you would reccomend? I've found the banana forum and bamboo forum, but still looking for a good palm forum. Thanks
Isaac

http://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm

http://www.palmtalk.org