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Tropical Gardens with Hardy Plants |
Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Ontario, Canada
|  Posted: 2005-09-02 10:44 am Permalink
I've got a 5' banana(musa basjoo) I'm going to be planting this weekend.(anniversary gift - parents rock!)
Just for the heck of it I'm going to take before and after shots. Hope it doesn't rain! I've got a baby musa and a baby windmill palm to put in there too. Yahoooooo!!
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TIKIBOSKO
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 17, 2004
Posts: 298 | Posted: 2005-09-02 11:17 am Permalink
I’d like to quickly chime in on the growing coconuts in So Cal question. There is a mature (but not fruiting) palm on 101, all the palm guys I’ve spoken with attribute it’s survival on the “perfect microclimate”. The way it was described to me was; it is up against a wall were it gets radiant heat and its roots are going under a sidewalk/road (a lot more heat).
The problem with growing coconut palms here is our long winters, it stays cold for almost half a year, which slowly kills the plant and they need continuous heat. Some plants are able shut down and start growing again next spring but not this one, I have seen many people try and the plant always dies. They are truly a tropical plant, if you really have to have a coconut looking plant there are several species of palm which are related to coconuts and can make it in our area.
My very best Alohas
Bosko
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2005-09-02 11:25 am Permalink
It would be cool to have a removable greenhouse made from corrugated clear plastic. You could assemble it in the winter and remove it for the summer. Kind of a lot of work, but the palm might do well and eventually bear fruit!
A local fellow has been growing cactus up here using a similar method. In the winter our persistent rains penetrate the plants. The water freezes and kills the new growing tips. By making a little awning out of the same plastic you can keep them dry and alive. I may try this.
P.S. our palms rarely get taller than 25 feet, so I'm probably thinking on a much smaller scale.
[ This Message was edited by: Tikiwahine 2005-09-02 11:26 ]
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4815
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2005-09-02 11:30 am Permalink
<<Content Mutiny>>
[ This Message was edited by: Swanky 2005-09-02 21:01 ]
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3621
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2005-09-02 6:03 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-09-02 11:17, TIKIBOSKO wrote:
I’d like to quickly chime in on the growing coconuts in So Cal question. There is a mature (but not fruiting) palm on 101, all the palm guys I’ve spoken with attribute it’s survival on the “perfect microclimate”. The way it was described to me was; it is up against a wall were it gets radiant heat and its roots are going under a sidewalk/road (a lot more heat).
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Excellent idea! Maybe I'll give that a try - the winters did in both my coconut palms.
I can relate to the roots growing under the sidewalk. My non--fruiting bananas have ruined my sidewalk by seeking heat (and when my HOA finally learns of it, I'm also going to be in hot water).
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TikiJosh
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 01, 2005
Posts: 735 | Posted: 2005-09-03 4:05 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-09-02 11:17, TIKIBOSKO wrote:
I’d like to quickly chime in on the growing coconuts in So Cal question. There is a mature (but not fruiting) palm on 101, all the palm guys I’ve spoken with attribute it’s survival on the “perfect microclimate”. The way it was described to me was; it is up against a wall were it gets radiant heat and its roots are going under a sidewalk/road (a lot more heat).
The problem with growing coconut palms here is our long winters, it stays cold for almost half a year, which slowly kills the plant and they need continuous heat. Some plants are able shut down and start growing again next spring but not this one, I have seen many people try and the plant always dies. They are truly a tropical plant, if you really have to have a coconut looking plant there are several species of palm which are related to coconuts and can make it in our area.
My very best Alohas
Bosko
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I'm sure that's probably why my palm has survived and my Mum's did not. My balcony is covered on the sides, and has a roof. It receives a lot of radiant heat from the glass window/door and I leave the blinds open all the time, so more heat gets out of the house to the balcony during the winter. The tree that was at my parent's house was definitely too exposed. I thought the extra sun would help it do better, but once it got chilly, that's what did it in.
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Tiki Rotterdam
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 14, 2004
Posts: 116
From: Rotterdam, Holland
| Posted: 2005-09-04 04:30 am Permalink
Who needs coconutpalms anyway?
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Tiki Rotterdam
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 14, 2004
Posts: 116
From: Rotterdam, Holland
| Posted: 2005-09-04 05:26 am Permalink
p.s. that's not bamboo.
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SugarCaddyDaddy
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2002
Posts: 1500
From: Huntington Beach, California
| Posted: 2005-09-04 09:19 am Permalink
Quote:
| Tiki Rotterdam wrote:
p.s. that's not bamboo. |
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It took me a second to figure that one out since I was concentrating on the tiki in the background. Anyone up for a Holland Home Tiki Bar Crawl featuring Tiki Rotterdam's place? HAHA!
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RevBambooBen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7217
From: Huntikington Beach
| Posted: 2005-09-04 10:23 am Permalink
are they Japanese Elm ???
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4815
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2005-10-01 2:49 pm Permalink
Here are pictures taken at Pablus studio. These are some freakin big elephant ears!
I got my grow lights for the basement. Found the 2 4' lights and fixture on Ebay for what I would have paid for just the 2 bulbs. I am going to hang them and make a space for the tropicals to come into the basement for the winter this weekend. My indoor tropical gardens are in process!
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gonzo
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 06, 2003
Posts: 77 | Posted: 2005-10-01 7:31 pm Permalink
Quoted "It would be cool to have a removable greenhouse made from corrugated clear plastic. You could assemble it in the winter and remove it for the summer. Kind of a lot of work, but the palm might do well and eventually bear fruit! "
Your sliding down a slippery slope with this one!!
Many otherwise apparently normal people go mad on palm trees. Attempting to grow coconmut palm tree in south cal is the first symptom. Licualas are the second symptom.
Try slicing a large diamter plastic sewer pipe lentgthwise hinging the two halves. Then glue in insulation and snap around the trunk to protect from the cold. Electric heating cord wrapped around the trunk and also buried in the ground will also help.
In the end the long winter will get it almost 100% of the time
Good luck.
PS Kentias are your closest look a like. Chilean wine palm, jubeaopsis caffra, and parajubea coccoides are the closests relatives to the coconut.
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8FT Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 30, 2003
Posts: 1175
From: Kansas City, MO
| Posted: 2005-10-01 8:28 pm Permalink
Here's a picture of our Musa Basjoo banana which we wintered over outside last year here in Missouri. It is now even bigger than this! Just mulch it well and uncover it when it is warming up in spring. It is about 15' tall now and has 11 distinct shoots. If you are serious about growing this you MUST amend your soil with peatmoss, perlite and sand and feed with a high nitrogen fertilizer throughout the growing season. Water them a LOT.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4815
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2005-10-02 08:47 am Permalink
8FT, when did you get/plant it? Spring? Something to look forward to here in our 7 zone in TN.
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8FT Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 30, 2003
Posts: 1175
From: Kansas City, MO
| Posted: 2005-10-02 11:35 am Permalink
Swanky, we got this and planted it in June 2004. It will do fine as long as you mulch it very well for winter. Wait until the frosts have killed the current years growth.
Next Spring you may think it hasn't survived the cold but just be patient because it will come back and get bigger each year. If you have the space in your yard you really should get some of these! Here's some more pictures as it got larger this summer.
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