Hardy Tropicals UK

A big washy in London.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=darlas ... 35.63,,0,0

After last winter I bet its carked it by now.

Has any one checked it out this year as that google picture was from August last year.

If its still alive it will make you wonder how many more are there in London that we don't even know exist.

billdango

billdango wrote:After last winter I bet its carked it by now.

Has any one checked it out this year as that google picture was from August last year.

If its still alive it will make you wonder how many more are there in London that we don't even know exist.

billdango

Mine survived with just rope lights around the trunk, so in London would be fine.

Yes it's fine as is Peter Jenkins huge one in Middlesex! Peter actually spotted one several weeks ago by the River Thames that he says is fantastic and may be equal or even larger than his which is one that has yet to be photographed i think!
This does add weight to the theory that Greater London is the no1 spot on mainland UK for growing exotics, not that i needed convincing anyway!

We need to get a collection of photograths on this forum of all the decent size Washingtonias in London and other sites from around the UK.

Only mature specimens need to be considered as tiddly ones don't count.

Bigger ones have endured many hard winters and it would be of extreme interest to find out why these palms grow bigger every year while many forum members keep losing plants whenever they try to grow one.

That puts me in that catagory as well and I cannot understand why I and others who live in this City cannot grow a decent Washingtonia no matter how we try?

Could it be the soil down here or the general climate of Hampshire that is not suitable.

Answers please......

billdango

Is it a numbers game Billdango? Do you need to plant 4 or 5 in your best micro-climate(s) and then see which ones take well and then ditch the others. The problem is having the space and patience to do it this way and then to be ruthless enough to ditch any runts that haven't taken off within 4 years.

It is clear that in the UK they need to be in full sun and to not be subjected to really harsh frosts until they have put their roots down deep.

I believe that if you don't have one that really takes off it will look rubbish for 9 or 10 months of the year and is therefore unviable. The exceptions that do take off are always incredible.

So far I can't grow one successfully at my location without proper Winter protection every year. But I am going to try again though!

Daniel wrote:Is it a numbers game Billdango? Do you need to plant 4 or 5 in your best micro-climate(s) and then see which ones take well and then ditch the others. The problem is having the space and patience to do it this way and then to be ruthless enough to ditch any runts that haven't taken off within 4 years.

It is clear that in the UK they need to be in full sun and to not be subjected to really harsh frosts until they have put their roots down deep.

I believe that if you don't have one that really takes off it will look rubbish for 9 or 10 months of the year and is therefore unviable. The exceptions that do take off are always incredible.

So far I can't grow one successfully at my location without proper Winter protection every year. But I am going to try again though!

Thanks Daniel,

I will try again next spring and plant one next to my side entrance wall which gets full sun all year.

The old Phoenix canariensis_CIDP I had there died 2 years ago and as it is now rotting down I will dig out the stump in april and start off with a small Washingtonia.

The main problem in that spot is possible yob damage as it it only about 10 feet away from the pavement and i have had problems in the past with attacks on my Agave americana.

Another problem is my age so unless I can get a palm big enough I will be pushing up daisys before it gets to a decent size....

Anyway I will give it a go and keep the forum updated od its possible progress.

rgds billdango

Yorkshire Kris wrote:A big washy in London.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=darlas ... 35.63,,0,0

That's Wimbledon - zone 3 and surrounded by parks. Not the warmest area of London on winter radiational frost nights, although may get more summer heat and sun than the more built-up North.
Also last winter wasn't that bad, if it survived Dec 2010 then why not 2011/2012?