UK Chamaedorea radicalis forest
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
UK Chamaedorea radicalis forest
I bought a small clump of Chamaedorea radicalis mail order from the Palm Centre back in around 2000. I grew it on and planted out in 2004.
Since that time it has grown slowly but has flowered and set seed twice. The first lot were mostly knocked off by strong winter gales, and so I only had a handful of ripe seed. I sowed these and all but one rotted, but I think I had them too wet. The one that grew was quite a robust grower. In 2006 the clump had 2 complete flower spikes which made it through the winter of 2006/7 without any fruit dropping.
one of the two branches of ripening fruit in May 2007
The fruit was harvested in early June and sown using the baggy method, but with a more open mix. They were just placed in an unheated prop, which fluctuated between 20 and 27C. To date I have had 76 of these germinate and have potted them on in small clumps of 5 or 6 per pot. This increases the chances of having both sexes in the pot, so they should be breeding clumps.
This pic is in mid August 2007 with the 2006 seedling palm (large one) together with the first of the 2007 seedlings. During the late summer and early autumn many more seedlings have emerged. Pic below was tsken 4th November. The large seedling (top right) in the 2006 seedling. The (top left) next to it is the Trunked radicalis given by GARYnNAT, but from Peter Richardson seed. This is clearly a more delicate slower growing form, as the two are roughly the same age within a month or so. To the front are the pots of 2007 seedlings. This palm would seem to be a good candidate for naturalising in the wetter parts of the UK.
Since that time it has grown slowly but has flowered and set seed twice. The first lot were mostly knocked off by strong winter gales, and so I only had a handful of ripe seed. I sowed these and all but one rotted, but I think I had them too wet. The one that grew was quite a robust grower. In 2006 the clump had 2 complete flower spikes which made it through the winter of 2006/7 without any fruit dropping.
one of the two branches of ripening fruit in May 2007
The fruit was harvested in early June and sown using the baggy method, but with a more open mix. They were just placed in an unheated prop, which fluctuated between 20 and 27C. To date I have had 76 of these germinate and have potted them on in small clumps of 5 or 6 per pot. This increases the chances of having both sexes in the pot, so they should be breeding clumps.
This pic is in mid August 2007 with the 2006 seedling palm (large one) together with the first of the 2007 seedlings. During the late summer and early autumn many more seedlings have emerged. Pic below was tsken 4th November. The large seedling (top right) in the 2006 seedling. The (top left) next to it is the Trunked radicalis given by GARYnNAT, but from Peter Richardson seed. This is clearly a more delicate slower growing form, as the two are roughly the same age within a month or so. To the front are the pots of 2007 seedlings. This palm would seem to be a good candidate for naturalising in the wetter parts of the UK.
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
Wetter, not underwater elegans is the Parlour palm and is quite happy in my unheated cover courtyard, but doesn't like frost. Radicalis is from mountainous areas and is reputed to be hardy to -12C. Mine has withstood -5C.Mark wrote:You mean Gt Yarmouth...Dave I had no idea it was that hardy. It is the Parlour palm isn't it ?
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Ive had C. radicalis in the ground for a few years, its fine with overhead protection, mine is in the form of the boos. The only time it got hammered was when it trunked up and poked its head up over the fence.
C. Metallica is no good at all outside.
I have C. microspadix outside too and that seems even hardier than radicalis but tends to be a slug magnet.
C. Metallica is no good at all outside.
I have C. microspadix outside too and that seems even hardier than radicalis but tends to be a slug magnet.
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
They can't be any bigger than 6" will you just lose them under any small weedlucienc wrote:My little pot of them are doing well Dave... currently having a luxury life in the conservatory, they have no idea whats instore for them next spring.
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk