Re: Phoenix canarienses seedlings

marianoo@wanadoo.es wrote:
Hello everyone,

I have lots of palm seedlings growing all over the garden but in the
wrong places.  I have tried in the past to transplant with no success.
Is it worth the bother?  Of course, I could sow my own seed but that
takes time and patience!!  The seedlings are at various stages of
maturity from being a 18" high with 4-6 true leaves to little plants
with their first emerging leaves.

Sometimes I manage to get the deep root up intact but maybe it is the
aftercare that is the problem.


Maria
Though this palm is very well known here I have never had occsion to try to grow one myself.

However I have an ancient but most useful NZ book which is really useful for finding unusual propagating details and it has this to say.

"Plants are easily raised from seeds, stocks being usually grown in pots by nurserymen for safe transplanting. and get to three to five years old before occupying a 6 inch pot supporting 10-14 leaves. These older well-established plants are usually recommended for planting out".

The implication I take from this is that starting plants in pots is probably essential to achieving safe transplanting, though possibly one could lift and pot the very youngest open-ground seedlings successfully, which would doubtless save some time in what seems a pretty slow process.

What one evidently need anyhow is loads of patience!

Moira

PS It seems that it is possibly common for palms to be very slow to start. Our NZ native Nikau palm is certainly another one which is very slow growing in its early years.
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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