question for the washie experts...

[Birmingham Chris]

2 years ago I bought the most magnicifent washie from Akamba - only about one foot of trunk,but 6 foot of petioles in a perfect dome (it was my pride and joy at the time(!) and all for £99!)

It lagged a bit, and then got totally decimated the winter before last. Last year it threw up three smaller plants from the base which I would like to remove and get rid of the origional rotted stem, as they are now about 1 foot high with 5/6 leaves.

(bearing in mind I had some serious back surgery last year so can't dig the massive rootball up), is it possible to remove these without digging the whole thing up, or do I need to enlist the help of the Polish football team to move the whole thing?

I am hoping that I can kinda 'slice' the new bits off whilst the dead 'mnother' is still in the ground.

any advice very welcome.

Cheers!

[jezza]

Washies don't just throw up new plants. Sure it's a washie?

[Birmingham Chris]

Washies don't just throw up new plants. Sure it's a washie?

hmmmm...I did 'till now! I will try and take a photo tomorrow. I'm pretty sure it is (it was sold as such). am I right in thinking that trachies don't make the 'dome' shape from floor up? what else could it be?

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

'dome' shape from floor up? what else could it be?

Butia perhaps. The arched fronds might look dome shaped

[Birmingham Chris]

definately not a Butia - I lost a £300 pound one last year! .....too much frost-based excitement for it, I expect!

[Nathan]

Are you sure it's not a Chamaerops? As has been pointed out Washingtonia don't produce 'pups'...

[Half Hardy]

Are you sure it's not a Chamaerops? As has been pointed out Washingtonia don't produce 'pups'...

I would say this is the most likely and the £99 price tag,sounds about right.
If it is a chamaerops,I had something similar happen to my c.cerifera.I have left the dead original trunk and let the, off shoots grow on, around it.They have carried on growing,slowly through winter,hopefully they will eventually clump up enough to hide the original trunk.I have heard of people removing the pups to keep thetrunk clear,but not to regrow the pups,has anybody had any success?

[Dave Brown]

Sounds more like a Chamaerops to me as well.

If it was 1foot trunk it will have mature armament.

Washingtonia teeth look like this

and Chamaerops thorns look like this

[derrick]

Chamerops on my road looked dead for 2years now has a new pup this spring

[Birmingham Chris]

yep - it's a chammy. I vaguely remember now - replaced a washie with it. Only 12 years into this tropical nonsense and I still lose the plot!

Cheers for the photo Dave, that was the clincher.

Okay - same question, but with a chammy, not a washy!

[jezza]

From what i've read in the past you cannot divide chammy pups. I had one do this and i cut off the main dead trunk and let the pups grow.

[JBALLY]

Jezza is right, the sliced off pups usually go into terminal decline or at least 4 out of 5 did on the one I tried it with years ago and the only surviving one stood still in shock for years before it started growing properly. You would get bigger plants sooner if you just grew some from seed, the only solution that I can see that might work (which I have also had to do ) is you get a small tree pruning saw and cut the large dead stump down as low as possible without damaging the pups to give the plant a better look and leave in situ and just let the side shoots take over, they should soon make an attractive looking busy clump.