The Nerd That I Am

There are very few people who would get excited about this announcement, but I finally bought myself a digital, remote sensor thermometer and mounted it in my back yard. It records the high and low temperature for the year, so it’s just too cool. This purchase was mandated, inadvertently, by my next door neighbor who accidentally blew the old thermometer off the fence while pressure washing his back porch (we have very close quarters here in DC)

None of the palms in my outdoor collection need protection until the temps drop below the 20 degree F mark, but it will be fun being able to more closely monitor things this fall.

On another, and completely unrelated note, my S. Minors are blooming. It looks to be a good harvest of seed this year.

Additions to the Collection

A friend from Northern Virginia and fellow palmophile just wouldn’t let me go away from the plant tour of his property (very impressive) empty handed: I’ve added to my hardy palm collection two Sabal Louisianas and a young Windmill Palm. The Windmill palm is noteworthy because he manually crossed the well established (more than a decade old) male palm in his collection with a female palm from another local collector and produced seeds that might possibly have inherited some cold hardiness from their parent plants.

I will probably keep all three plants in containers for a few years until I can get some size on them and then transfer them into the yard.

Needle Palm

I thought I'd drop in a shot of my ever-expanding Needle Palm (R. Hystrix). I questioned its cold-hardiness after it suffered major burn the first winter, however it has never been protected and is bursting with vim and vigor: 3 new "pups" (new shoots) have emerged this year.

It's been in the front yard for 3 years now and really seems to be taking off (finally!!)

My Cup Runeth Over

I’m not quite sure what has triggered this, but the 3 S. Minors I have on site are planning on producing a plethora of seed this year. The specimen that was almost evicted by the DC Water and Sewer Authority is sending up 4 inflorescences (flower/seed stalks), its counterpart in the front yard is sending up 3, and the more feeble specimen in the back yard looks to be planning on a single.

I’ll be up to my eyeballs in seed this Fall, if any readers are interested. These Minors have really proven their cold hardiness. They’ve never been protected (not even mulched) are fully exposed to the elements – both full sun and wind – and have never shown any sign of leaf damage. That’s impressive given the on again, off again, severe nature of last winter here in the Mid-Atlantic.

And I think it’s now safe to report that the only confirmed casualty from this winter was a small windmill palm (T. Fortunei) in the front yard which was enduring its first unprotected winter in DC. In hindsight, I probably should have protected it until it put on more bulk. Live and learn, right?

Now That's Luck

As I last reported earlier this week, the S. Minor in my front yard looked like it was heading or an early demise. The four year old, productive and well established palm found itself directly in the path way of the DC water company which has been charged with removing the ancient lead water pipes which have provided this house with water for nearly a century.

I tried removing the Palm last Saturday, and ten gallons of dirt, and two broken shovels later, it wouldn't budge. I mean it was if it was cemented into my front yard. I surmised that it would take a lengthy crowbar and a whole lot of elbow grease to remove the plant, and in doing so, I'd likely kill it. So I left its fate in the non-English speaking water company workers.

Well, not exactly. I did leave them a message - in Spanish - explaining the predicament and the personal value I attached to the plant. And pleading with them to find some way around this palm.

Today was D-day, and much to my amazement, they were able to dig right up to the edge of the plant but it wasn't removed. It looks to be in fine condition, and the four seed stalks it's sending up remain in good shape.

I did however remove many of its fronds, reasoning that it would remove stress from the plant since it had endured some modicum of root damage. So the palm is trimmed, watered, and seemingly continuing to enjoy its prominent place in my front yard.

I was so thrilled with the workers at the water company that I slipped them a $20 and encourged them to purchase some good cold beers. They gladly took me up on my offer.

Windmill Palm Reveals Its Cold Damage

Pictured above is the heavily damaged, blackened and nasty – but still growing – central growth spear of my large (3 ½ feet) Windmill palm. About a month ago, I removed a completely decayed emerging spear, and all I could see was the frond that is emerging now. Make sure you note the other emerging spears that appear at least slightly cold damaged and burnt on the tops – but the operational word here is “emerging.” Indeed, the plant is alive, and hopefully, will be putting up some nice growth this summer.

I treated the entire crown yesterday with fungicide, hoping that any remaining fungal damage is addressed.

Today is my birthday, and to start the day off, I set a new personal record in the gym this morning on the dumbbell press (using 115 lb. dumbbells – a 230 pound total press). Great way to start the day. What remains to be seen is what damage the water company has done to the S. Minor, pictured below with my geriatric mutt Ranger (14 years old). The water company has insisted that it has to be removed, so let's see what's left when I get home tonight. It was set to send up 4 new seed stalks this year, and now it will likely die. I'm sad. And on my birthday too.

A Ray of Hope: Signs of Life

Much to my chagrin, early this Spring I noticed that the central spear in my prize Windmill Palm in the front yard was moldy and rotten and pulled out with the slightest of ease.

So I’ve been on pins and needles wondering if this tree – which I thought had gone through its first unprotected winter unscathed – would survive. Yesterday evening, I noticed that the half-rotten remaining spear - which would not pull out but looked like a casualty – was pushing out to the top of the plant, and the portion of the leaf emerging seems to be in good shape. Additionally, I can see the tips of two new emerging spears. So, at this point, it looks like the palm has survived.

Here are the lessons I think I can draw from this experience:

1. Although Windmills are notoriously cold hardy, this particular palm is in the front yard, receiving a full sun exposure (south facing) all day. When the cold spell finally hit south of the Mason-Dixon, the 9 degree temps we experienced likely found this poor tree in the midst of a growth spurt. - magnifying the damage to the plant.

2. I won’t be so quick to write off palms that lose their central spears.

3. I still don’t have the patience to be a real palm collector.

4. I wasn't as ready as I first thought I would be to risk losing this palm. I might partially protect it a few more years until it's fit to go at it alone.

I plan on taking some close up shots of the emerging spears tonight and will post them tomorrow.

No Dice

The fate of the S. Minor in the front yard - which finds itself in the path of the DC Water Department - remains in question (shown below, sprouting out of my head)

Now mind you that this is a rather large specimen, but I fully expected that with a combination of brute strength (I am afterall a competitive powerlifter) and the right tools, I'd be able to dig the plant out before the work crews arrive on Monday.

10 gallons of dirt removed and one broken shovel later, I decided that perhaps the palm should stay where it is, and I'd try my luck at trying to convince the water-pipe replacement crew to dig their hole elsewhere.

I am truly amazed by the size of the plant below the surface of the ground. (I must note that the S. Minor is currently sending up news fronds and a number flower stalks) and this plant is anchored in my front yard like it has been cemented in. Even after digging down 12 inches on all sides, it wouldn't budge. Even broke my shovel.

I know I could have eventually gotten it out of the ground, but I'm convinced I would have killed the plant in the process. My fall back position is to hope that (1) the city can dig around it, or (2) if they have to remove it, they'll have better extrication tools than I do.

If it survives this process, It"ll put up some impressive growth this summer.

Evicted!

While the saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining might be true, so might be the opposite. The darker side of that old saw became abundantly clear to me recently when I realized that the City’s decision to replace all of its 100 year old lead water pipes with new copper ones meant that a good portion of the palm collection in my front yard might be under the gun.

Now it’s really good news that they’re investing in the ancient infrastructure in my neighborhood, but after a number of conversations and some private investigating on my part, I discovered some very unsettling news about my finely landscaped front yard. Every plant – and anything else - sited between the main waterline in the street and the hookup halfway up the front yard would be removed, trampled or both by construction crews detailed to install the new water lines.

Unfortunately for the very well established and largest S. Minor (featured above, with a light covering of snow, on Easter day) on the property, its space is in the city’s cross hairs. The good news is that I’ll have 24 hours to get it out of the path of progress. The bad news is that I’m not the most patient person and often end up destroying plants I’m trying to move. I've noted that as a designated area of personal growth for me.

If all goes well, the palm will be removed, and then replanted within a 24 hour period.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.