Queen in December

[Axel]

I planted this in March 2012. It grew some nice fronds after complete defoliation by the spring sun...

[Conifers]

It'd look better planted the right way up

[kata]

Yep, I don't do upside down,

It makes me feel disorientated like at the Knebworth park Queen concert..

It looks nice...your palm.

[billdango]

You will need to get that protection ready soon Axel?

Its hard enough getting my Syagrus through the winter and I am sure it gets a lot colder where you live.

Tie a nice hot water bottle near the growing point and wrap the rest of the palm esp when it drops below -2c and it might be okay.

I think that near Roscoff in Brittany France they [Syagrus Romanzoffianum] grow to a huge size with no winter protection as does Caryota Mitis.

rgds billdango

[GREVILLE]

How many leaves have opened on it since planted up?

[MikeC]

Here's mine taken a couple of days ago.

The wind and general lack of summer have taken their toll, but they are still alive.

[Axel]

Hi guys,

yes i will protect the main trunk soon with christmas lights and a wrapping.

There are three trunks in total and the smallest and middle both grew one frond and a small spear.

The largest trunk opened a spear in the weeks after i planted it and then grew one and a half new frond. The half frond might actally be near full size now because it developed completely in the outside conditions (after having grown in a heated greenhouse for 2 years). So that means the newly developed fronds outside will get shorter and shorter.

In short all the fronds you see have opened/grown in Holland (except the brown one on the left, thats a greenhouse frond burned by spring sun).
But, i have, every now and then, warmed the soil and trunks during the night with a heating cable.
Ofcourse there will be no fronds left after this winter so lets see if i can kick it back to life in March.

[billdango]

Mine here in Southampton has only grown 2 new leaves this year due to the cold sunless summer but seems okay at the moment.

I will of coarse be fully protecting it from tomorrow night onwards?

rgds billdango

[Axel]

Mike, are these 2012 fronds? The palm looks fine to me, just like a young queen would.

[Axel]

The trunks, im sorry about the picture.

[MikeC]

Mike, are these 2012 fronds? The palm looks fine to me, just like a young queen would.

Yes, photo taken just before the cold weather arrived. Currently they are wrapped in dust sheets.

Wind and lack of summer have made the fronds scruffy.

[MikeC]

Mike, are these 2012 fronds? The palm looks fine to me, just like a young queen would.

I just realised what you mean.

No they are last years fronds. Apart from the central spear growing taller and starting to open, no real growth this year.

I'm hoping for a mild winter followed by the longest hottest summer ever.

[GREVILLE]

Nice to hear of even a little royal movement

My queen is now in residence in the stately home with its 3m plus ceilings just accommodating the fronds until the Spring. I hope to keep it active as the only growth I managed this season was a barely visible spear opening to about 90% capacity. There is only one other leaf on it as high winds snapped two older leaves on it a few weeks after purchase the previous autumn

[otorongo]

The wind and general lack of summer have taken their toll, but they are still alive.

Yes, the wind and lack of summer are still alive

[jcec1]

Here are mine, they get no protection so look a bit scruffy. I got these last autumn and each put out one leaf each in a year The one with only one leaf had another but it snapped in last year's winter storms.