Washingtonia? (No, Chamaerops)

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Chyaweth

Washingtonia? (No, Chamaerops)

Post by Chyaweth »

Hi,

I'm a complete novice with regard to gardening but am trying to get a handle on it icon_scratch

Please, is this a Washingtonia

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I need to move it from its current position and anticipate needing a mini digger. I've enough other uses for that to warrant a day's hire. Is this the right time to transplant it?
Other than those vicious thorns, is there anything else I should be careful of?
What sort of preparation does the new location need?

From what I've read here it looks like touch-and-go whether I can split the offshoots at the base.
Any tips?

many thanks in advance,

Derek
Andy P

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Andy P »

No It`s a Chamaerops .
dino

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by dino »

Nice looking palm and garden. Agreed it's a chamaerops and I'd probably leave til the spring now to move.
billdango

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by billdango »

Its a Chamerops Humilis and it looks great there so why move and risk losing it ? :(

rgds billdango
Chyaweth

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Chyaweth »

Ahh :>beard<:
Thanks guys.
The reason I want to move it that the picture is a relatively old one, before we moved in, when the garden was half decent.
When we moved in, and after clearing away a couple years of jungle, we found there wasn't any theme or focus in the planting so decided to have a dedicated area for all the hardy tropicals. the following image shows the layout we've done and the start of the planting. There's been more since,
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Due south is to the left of the image and we've laid out the bed on the opposite northern boundary. Behind it is a dense hedge at least 12 feet high.
The Chamerops Humilis is in the top left.
We had the driveway laid to make the bottom of the garden accessible, (out of picture), which has left the Chamerops Humilis in isolation. Oh, the old path to the left of it has been taken up, prep'ed and seeded to blend it back into the rest of the lawn. We'd like to move the Chamerops Humilis in with the other similar plants.
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Dave Brown
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Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Dave Brown »

Sounds like a plan to me icon_thumright

I would wait until late April to move, and get as big a rootball as you can. Treat with seaweed extract on the leaves and palm booster on the roots once replanted, to maximise establishment. Then protect with fleece next winter, as moving a palm affects it hardiness in the first winter. :wink:
Best regards
Dave
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Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Chyaweth

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Chyaweth »

Well I'm still going to hire a mini digger to play with :happy:
Just means I'll have an excuse to hire one again next April :wink:

Many thanks Dave icon_thumright icon_thumleft
Kerinsian

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Kerinsian »

That's a lovely big garden you've bought, congratulations on the move icon_thumleft

Keep coming here as there's loads of help and information, but do bear in mind that if you do you'll probaby end up catching the "bug" for tropicals and end up revising that plan to include a lot less grass and a lot more plants :wink:
Chyaweth

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Chyaweth »

Hi Kerinsian,

here's the whole garden :ahhh!:
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My wife is keen to enlarge our "tropical" area but I do need to justify the sit-upon lawn mower I bought and not lose too much lawn :lol:
greendragon

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by greendragon »

Chyaweth wrote:My wife is keen to enlarge our "tropical" area but I do need to justify the sit-upon lawn mower I bought and not lose too much lawn :lol:
You can still keep your lawn :P

Image
Nigel Fear

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Nigel Fear »

It's up to you of course, but I think it looks great exactly where it is, as a stand-alone clumping specimen palm.

You'd be taking a huge risk of killing it if you move it from it's established position, and at the very least it would sulk for a couple of years even if you didn't.
A Chamaerops that size would cost a small fortune to replace, as they're relatively slow growing compared to say, a Cordyline, or a Trachycarpus [non suckering palm], either of which could be sourced quite easily for less than the cost of a mini digger and planted within the 'tropical' area.

Great garden though, and I'm sure you'll get just the look you are looking for in time.

icon_thumleft
jungle jas

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by jungle jas »

Personally I would not try to remove the off shoots, the palm will be in enough trouble with out you hacking it about. Plus I have not heard of any one doing it successfully, however if it can be done I'm sure some one will tell you differently on this site. icon_thumright
Westport007

Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Westport007 »

greendragon wrote:
Chyaweth wrote:My wife is keen to enlarge our "tropical" area but I do need to justify the sit-upon lawn mower I bought and not lose too much lawn :lol:
You can still keep your lawn :P

[ Image ]
that looks absolutly fab!!!! :DD its like a picture from the indonesia or somewhere tropical.great stuff!!!
Conifers
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Re: Washingtonia?

Post by Conifers »

Westport007 wrote:
greendragon wrote: You can still keep your lawn :P

[ Image ]
that looks absolutly fab!!!! :DD its like a picture from the indonesia or somewhere tropical.great stuff!!!
It's somewhere in China.
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