Livistona chinensis

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MonkeyDavid
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Livistona chinensis

Post by MonkeyDavid »

Just thought i'd pass on my experience of this palm, which is one of my favorites if in good condition. I have had 1 i bought from akamba 3 years ago (18" trunk). Each autumn i tie the leaves up a little as they are so big & i overwinter it in an unheated greenhouse,i have previosly kept the soil ALMOST dry but every now & then just dampened it a little as it was what i was told to do. By each spring i'd have a few damaged leaves which i would have to cut off as they look unsightly & it take's all summer to replace them. Last year i bought a 2nd chinensis (slightly smaller, 12" trunk) which had 75% off at a local centre as it looked a little tatty. Last winter they we're both kept in the same greenhouse, the smaller one at the back. They both came through the really cold spell in february(at least -7, probably a little lower) pretty well & when it warmed up a little (still single figures) i gave a little water to things including the larger chinensis. I couldn't reach the smaller one so it got nothing all winter. Within a week the larger one got some quite bad leaf damage & the smaller one was ( & still is) fine. The larger one has taken all summer to look half decent again, the smaller one is almost perfect. This winter i intend to give them both NO water & hopefully i'll have better looking palms next year
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Dave Brown
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Re: Livistona chinensis

Post by Dave Brown »

I am finding water is more of a deciding factor in overwinter damage or deaths, in plants generally, than cold on it's own. Do you insulate the greenhouse ? and do you get condensation drips which can also be a problem if dripping into the crown.
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MonkeyDavid
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Re: Livistona chinensis

Post by MonkeyDavid »

Dave Brown wrote:I am finding water is more of a deciding factor in overwinter damage or deaths, in plants generally, than cold on it's own. Do you insulate the greenhouse ? and do you get condensation drips which can also be a problem if dripping into the crown.

The greenhouse gets no insulation & does get very cold in a cold spell. I have noticed it's colder around the sides than in the centre so that is where i put my most valuable or treasured plants, the others just have to bear it. I do get condesation but not so much that it causes a problem.
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DiCasS
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Re: Livistona chinensis

Post by DiCasS »

A lot of the things I overwinter are in 2 litre deep pots and have had a few losses through thinking they need water. I've been surprised as the top looks bone dry, but when turned out of their pot, the mix is still quite damp further down even after two or three months. Lesson learned and none will be watered this Winter until I know they need it.

Di
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