Howea, hardiness

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This area is for Reference and discussion of plant hardiness, overwintering methods and tips, and planr protection.
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wintomato

Howea, hardiness

Post by wintomato »

Hi
I am clutching at straws here, as i feel i know the answer, but in case anyone else hasn't noticed, there are some lovely Howea's for sale on ebay for £19.95 plus delivery. 1.5m tall, in colchester. I would love to get one, but don’t really have the space indoors, and it is the wrong time of year to be buying large non hardy palms!

I have a sheltered spot it could share with my Dicksonia, but even though the weather in East London is still really mild right now, I am sure the first sign of anything approaching 0 degrees would kill it off, even protected.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261347285715? ... 1438.l2649

Anyway, I am sure you’ll agree, nice specimens at a great price.
kata

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by kata »

Nice, not many palms for the garden would cope with low light.

I did ok with an Ensete last year indoors, In fact it went barmy.. :lol:

Good luck with the house palm.

icon_sunny
call

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by call »

a borderline palm in the south and needs a very sheltered position, but it should be ok with some fleece and a good microclimate icon_thumright .
wintomato

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by wintomato »

Thanks very much. I'll go along with that response, since it tells me what I want to hear!
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Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by Dave Brown »

Is cool hardy, but can't take frost on the leaves. I tried one outside in the warm spell (Late 90s) and frost of -1C damages the leaves, once the leaves have been damaged it becomes the slowest growing palm imaginable. Frost free should be ok if hardened off.
Best regards
Dave
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Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
billdango

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by billdango »

I usually stand one outside in my back garden from May till November and its in a very protected spot.

But to leave it outside through the winter without any cover would be impossible in the UK climate.

I have never tried to grow this palm in the ground and maybe it can be done along the south coast but without a heated cover just forget it.

As this palm grows well in Lisbon and slightly further north along the Portugeuse coast you may get away with it as long as you don't the temperature drop below+4c at its coldest.

I would love to give this palm a go down here in Southampton but I just haven't got the room to do so.

So I just grow 2 large ones in pots for now but maybe in the future........

billdango icon_sunny
wintomato

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by wintomato »

thanks for the responses. As you can see from the link above, these are some of the oldest/largest howeas I’ve seen on sale and at a price that makes it difficult to not buy 1. I have no room indoors, and a sheltered spot it can share with my tree fern in East London. It’s only been frosty twice so far here, the tree ferns leaves are starting to go dry/brown, so am wrapping it up this weekend, and would probably leave the howea in whatever wrapping it gets delivered in.
I know these aren’t outdoor palms by any stretch, but just looking to find reasons to justify getting one, at the beginning of winter! Timing not ideal.
If anyone looks, this seller seems to be clearing stock, some very large braheas, trachys are up for sale too.
billdango

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by billdango »

Buy those palms anyway and just try one and see how you get on.

Iff you decide next winter to make a cover just tie the leaves up into a tight umbrella shape and you can then make a tall thin cover.

How you will provide the heat I just don,t know but just try to keep the minima at about +7c if you can.

Another good trick is to grow the palm next to a house window and build a cover over and around that so the heat from the house may do the trick.

I have seen this done in the USA and it does work but make sure you don,t inclose any gas flue pipes during your work.

billdango icon_sunny
wintomato

Re: Howea, hardiness

Post by wintomato »

I should add that this will be staying in a pot. The rest of the garden, while sheltered from things like wind, is south facing, and gets plenty of sunshine in the summer, which would also not do the howea any good

thanks a lot
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