Progress Report. Hardy Palms in Battleground, WA. 5.30.15

Trachycarpus fortunei palm, in ground one year.  5.30.15

Chamaerops humilis palm, in ground one year.  5.30.15

The two palms that I planted last summer, survived the hard freeze and the rest of the winter.

I'm not surprised that Trachycarpus fortunei survived.  I have one of the same species in Vancouver, that is about 25 foot tall in 14 years.    I bit more than one foot per year, with no plant food, no watering, no treatment other than cutting off drooping leaves.

Chamaerops humulis was looking worn, but survived the winter.  Despite the small size, the largest stem has a flower bud.  Good to watch for bee activity.  I don't know when the flowers will open.

Both have new leaves.  Both got the pee-cycling treatment, a thick layer of grass clipping mulch, and extra water today.

Neither needs deer protection.  They are too spiky.  Trachycarpus leaves rattle and quiver in the wind, sounding like rattlesnakes and looking like wild dancers.  Chamaerops carries inconspicuous sharp spines, that readily draw blood and curses when I attempt to weed it.

Here they are when planted, one year ago.  It takes looking at last year's photo to appreciate that there has been growth.  Especially the Chamaerops, the difference is subtle.

The same Trachycarpus, 5.25.14

The same Chamaerops.  5.25.14

Trachycarpus. Hardy Chusan Palm. 11.2.18

Trachycarpus at about 5 years.  11.2.18

Trachycarpus at about 6 years.  11.2.18

These palms are hardy enough to thrive in my part of the Pacific NW.  They had a set back two winters ago, when there were sustained temperatures down to 9F.  Part of the crown was killed, but enough survived that they came back.  Growth during the first year after that freeze was slow and new leaves were distorted and small.  This year, they are vigorous and handsome.  The tip of the vertical leaf tips is now about 5 feet.

I chose not to fertilize them this year, because I don't want weak tender growth going into the winter.  During this hot dry summer, I did not water them at all.

The 3rd photo is the same species, at 14 years old, in my old yard in Vancouver, WA.  Still going strong.

These go by various names, such as Chusan Palm, Mediterranean Windmill Palm, Chinese Windmill Palm.

Trachycarpus at 14 years old in Vancouver WA.  6.7.14.

14 year old Chusan Palm. 6.7.14

Trachycarpus fortunei.  14 years old.  Vancouver WA.  6.7.14

Trachycarpus fortunei.  14 years old.  Vancouver WA.  6.7.14

When we planted this tree, we thought it might not survive the winters here.  The coldest so far was last winter.  Coldest temp was 8F.   Didn't faze it.

Sometimes I trim the bottom leaves.  I don't like the trees with most of the leaves removes, so they look like a sick bird's tail.

This serves as a reference for the tree I planted recently at Battleground.  I like these trees a lot.

Chusan Palm is the same as Windmill Palm is the same as Chinese Windmill Palm.   It is one of the most cold hardy types of palm tree.

Puttering. 5.25.14

Ning's wildflower meadow.  5.25.14

Redmond Linden growth.  5.25.14

 Puttering.

The first of Ning's wildflower meadow gardens is blooming with the first of its flowers.  Pretty nice.  There are a few bees - bumblebees and honeybees - harvesting nectar.

Redmond American Linden is growing nicely.  I gave it some organic nitrogen this winter.  I tried not to overdo it.  There are flower buds on this, but not on the Greenspire European Lindens, even though they are much bigger.  The Redmond Linden has much bigger leaves, compared to the Greenspire Lindens.  The flowers, for honey, were why I planted these.

Deer have not eaten any of the lindens.  I have protected the bark from rabbits and gnawing rodents, using hardware cloth.

Redmond Linden.  5.25.14

Sourwood new growth.  5.25.14

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) has taken off and growing. I wondered.  The lower branches died during the hard freeze.  During Spring rainy season, the new growth developed what looks like the fireblight that appears on pears.  Now it's coming out of it and growing nicely.  Sourwood is not native here, and there aren't a lot of them.  So it's an experiment.

Tamara rose, grown from cutting.  Moved to Battleground in 2012.  Eaten by deer, and now surrounded by some sort of yellow flowering weed.  It's actually doing well.

Most of the top-killed fig trees are coming up from the roots.  I'm debating whether to give them some organic nitrogen.  I don't want them to grow to vigorously, and be winter killed next year.  I would like some decent growth.

I planted 2 new palms.  The first, Trachycarpus fortunei (Windmill palm), is a species I've had in my front yard in Vancouver for 15 years.  It's pretty hardy.  The label states hardy to 20 to 10F.  Last winter the tree in my yard survived 8F.    The second, Chamaerops humilis (European fan palm), is labeled as hardy to 6 degrees.  "Extremely slow grower".  This palm is more a bush, than a tree, with clusters of palms.  I read deer and rabbits don't eat them.  Battleground is a bit less gentle climate, compared to Vancouver.  If they don't survive, that's OK.  If they do survive, that's even better.  They will also provide something green to look at when the grass turns brown, and in the winter.

Sourwood new growth and some leaf damage.  5.25.14

I planted the Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash, and Scallop Squash, seedlings that I grew from seeds a couple of weeks ago.  There are some additional seedlings still to plant.

I mulched around the new apple trees, using newspaper and food package cardboard as the bottom layer - to kill grass - then covering with grass mowings deep enough that you can't see the bottom layer.  I cut fencing to complete the deer cages, but it started raining so I did not fasten in place. 

Smith fig regenerating from roots.  5.25.15

Trachycarpus fortunei planted 5.25.14 

Chamaerops humilis planted 5.25.14

Tamara rose amid irises and weeds

Sunroom nearing completion.  5.25.14

Trimming Trachycarpus Palms. 29 Mar 24.

 These are the two Trachycarpus palms.  I don't like taking off too many leaves.  I removed the bottom leaves to facilitate mowing, using a riding mower.

One winter (roughly 2014 maybe?) a hard freeze killed most of the growing point of the tree on the right.  I thought it was dead, so planted the other.   Sometimes life finds a way.  A new growing point emerged.  Crooked and one-sides at first.  Then it grew back to normal.

All it takes is a little breeze, and the fronds quiver and dance.  Same idea as quaking aspen, but these remind me of egrets dancing.

Trachycarpus in bloom

Testing the limits - Palms in Pacific Northwest

This beautiful palm is about a mile from our house. Only a couple of varieties of palm will survive here; this is a Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei). We have a smaller specimen of the same species - so far it's survived 4 winters, including 2 ice storms and a couple of snow storms.

If the world really is getting warmer, maybe we should be experimenting more with plants that need warmer and probably drier conditions. At any rate, it's fun finding out what will grow and testing the limit.