Garden Update 13/4/12 - Trex+Chamaerops Cerifera

[greendragon]

Hi all, just planted my first tropical plants today, a Trachycarpus Fortunei and a Chamaerops Humilis.

The Humilis looks great but the Trachycarpus looks like it has adapted to shady conditions at the nursery and this has made the petioles extra long. The petioles look close to 5ft surely that isn't normal lol and the trunk curves slightly from 1/3 up. Hopefully it will be ok and newer leaves will have shorter stems. Has anyone seen one like this before and did it re-adapt?

Healthy Humilis(Since the picture was taken i surrounded it with slate chippings):


Leggycarpus Fortunei (I'm going to fix the back wall)


Both(I just got the house, this garden was oveflowing with various shrubs 3 months ago, I plan to make the right hand side border bigger, There is a huge box ball there which must be ancient):

[grub]

Welcome to the madhouse Green Dragon, they look okay and you're right the Trachycarpus is a little stretched , it'll be just fine and you never know your luck it might stay like it. Trachycarpus's are so variable anyway, if it does stay like it I'll join the queue for some seed now .
(Hmmm, if the forum has to edit my posts can it at least be grammatically correct; I mean 'Trachycarpus's, what the hell is that?)

[kata]

a Trachycarpus Fortunei

I luuuuuuuv you, its my most favorite palm.....welcome to the forum GD!

Its lovely. Keep taking the pics.

[davidjonesUK]

hey greendragon welcome to the forum , Where about are you form in Wales also that's a nice Chamaerops Humilis you have there how much was it if you don't mind me asking and what's the name of this nursery you got it from

[Yorkshire Kris]

Hi Green Dragon,

Welcome

The Trachycarpus will take about 3 years to look like a normal one again. In the mean time those extra long leaves will get trashed in windy conditions and winter storms etc.

The chammy looks good though.

[greendragon]

hey greendragon welcome to the forum , Where about are you form in Wales also that's a nice Chamaerops Humilis you have there how much was it if you don't mind me asking and what's the name of this nursery you got it from

Cham was from Palmcentre.co.uk and cost £64.95. Im from the Valleys in South Wales.

Thanks all for the kind comments.

[Trudytropics]

Welcome Greendragon, thats a good start , that is well stretched that Trachycarpus, but I quite like it, as Kris says is may get trashed in windy weather, I suppose it depends on how sheltered your garden may be.

Do you have a problem with rabbits or something?, noticed the chicken wire around the bottom.

[greendragon]

Welcome Greendragon, thats a good start , that is well stretched that Trachycarpus, but I quite like it, as Kris says is may get trashed in windy weather, I suppose it depends on how sheltered your garden may be.

Do you have a problem with rabbits or something?, noticed the chicken wire around the bottom.

I live in a dense urban area and there are alot of cats around. Unlike most people who have two neighbours I literally have about six around my back garden alone so there is alot of cat traffic. I feared that some of them may see the exposed trunk and decide to use it as a scratching post so I put the chicken wire around it to try and prevent that.

[Vagetarian]

Haha, good plan!

Welcome to the forum! Look forward to seeing some progress pictures with your garden.

[HarryandNess]

Green Dragon just happens to be the name of my favourite Inn in Yorkshire Welcome aboard and well done in your choice of palms. As others have said, the Trachycarpus will sort itself out

Ness

[GoggleboxUK]

Welcome aboard Green Dragon.

[Darlo Mark]

Nice pics. Sounds like you know what you are doing. You've gone for hardy palms that should thrive.It'll be intersting to ss whether new palm leaves stay that streched.

Welcome aboard

[Clive60]

It should look good when finished GD, I have just planted a Chamaerops H today which has been in a pot for 5 years, not before time!

[Delboy]

Welcome

2 good choices there. Although its very stretched that Trachycarpus actually has a nice look.....hopefully the wind will be kind to it.

There are some extremely stretched trunked Chamaerops on ebay that ive been tempted by, i dont know why but they look nice. Although given time the new growth will be much shorter.

Have you considered attaching screening to your wall to give it some extra height. you could cover it completely and maybe go a foot or 2 taller and it wont be strong enough for cats to walk along/climb over.

[Delboy]

Ha scrap the screening idea just spoted the other side of your garden is quite open lol.

We manage to keep cats out of our garden by owning a nasty vicious Tom cat lol. Any Cat within 10ft of our boundery 'gets it'. He spends all days walking along the fence on guard