 Rob Pittman | Robert Pittman March 18 2010 12:02:00 AMWholesale customers are the bulk of our customers at A Quality Plant. We want your business and will do what is necessary to make sure that the palms arrive in good condition and on time. Our wholesale customers can rest assured that we are going to provide quality palms at low wholesale prices. Wholesale discounts for high quantity orders are avialable on the palms we sell. Who is eligible for wholesale pricing? Landscapers, builders, landscape architects, developers and more. Call us today and we will be happy to help you in any way possible to make your next landscape job a success! A Quality Plant 813-645-4184 www.aqualityplant.com Robert Pittman March 17 2010 08:32:26 PMA dding the right palm will increase aesthetic and property value while planting the wrong palm can be a very expensive lesson. AQualityPlant.com has launched a free website with a comprehensive plant guide. Adding the right palm will increase aesthetic and property value while planting the wrong palm can be a very expensive lesson. AQualityPlant.com has launched a free website with a comprehensive plant guide. Palms are a beautiful natural symbol of the tropics and a favorite addition to private and public landscapes around the globe. To make the best decision also consider size, growth rate, cold hardiness, watering requirements, maintenance, salt tolerance and light requirements. Palms come in sizes that range from just a few feet tall, like the Bamboo Cane Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) or nearly two hundred feet tall, like the Wax Palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense). Some will max out at only a couple feet wide while others can grow to over fifty feet wide. It is important to know the mature size of a palm before making a selection. Palms also grow at different rates that are influenced by natures design, growing conditions and the care given by their owner. Tropical palms grow faster than those from desert or temperate regions. Palms like the Medjool Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) grow fastest in a desert climate where daily temperatures well over 100 degrees will suit them just fine. Windmill Palms (Trachycarpus fortunii) prefer a Mediterranean climate and can even tolerate temperatures near zero degrees Fahrenheit. Buyers often forget to check a palm’s cold hardiness until it's too late like during a major cold event. there are several varieties of cold hardy palms that can endure freezing temperatures for many hours. Some cold hardy palms can even withstand snow and sub-zero (F) temperatures. Popular choices include the Pindo Palm (Butia capitata), the Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunii), the European Fan Palm (Chamaerhopps humilis) and the Medjool Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera). The watering requirements for palms can vary greatly. Palms planted in fast draining sandy soil will require more frequent watering than those grown in clay based soils. Be sure to account for average rainfall amounts and watering restrictions during the selection process. Climate compatibility is less of a concern when native palms are used. These palms have garnered recent attention and are highly recommended in most municipalities. Many home owners have jumped on the bandwagon by choosing native palms for their landscapes. In Florida, palms like the Florida Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto), the Thatch Palm (Thrinax radiata) and the Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) have grown significantly in popularity. Contrary to popular belief, not all palms can tolerate full sun. Some even require full shade. Most common landscaping palms tend to be the full sun varieties like the Washington Palm (Washingtonia robusta), the Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), the Bismark Palm (Bismarkia nobilis) and the Pigmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii). Common shade loving palms include the Bamboo Cane Palms (Chamaedoria Species), Dwarf Sugar Palm (Arenga engleri) and the Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis). Salt tolerance of palms is an important consideration for landscapes adjacent to bays, gulfs or oceans. Salt spray can damage foliage while salt water flooding can contaminate soil for years. Storm surges in the Florida Keys made this apparent to many homeowners and municipalities. After having their roots submerged for hours, many palms, including native species, suffered. One palm that did surprisingly well was not native at all. The Medjool Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) was among the least damaged by the salt intrusion into the soil. It was noted by residents and has become a welcome addition to many landscapes in the keys. Some palms can have unintended consequences for their owners. Palms with large seeds like the Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) should not be planted where the falling coconuts can cause damage like over a driveway or walkway. Similarly, palms with extra large fronds planted close to your house could result in damage to the roof or gutters when they fall from great heights or get blown about in heavy winds. Consider that the fronds on Royal Palms (Roystonea regia) can way fifty pounds or more on taller specimens. AQualityPlant.com has a free database that consumers can use to review all of the characteristics of hundreds of palm species from the comfort of their keyboard. Most have pictures and detailed descriptions to make the selection process foolproof. It’s a great place to start when deciding on a new palm. Some maintenance will be required to preserve an attractive and healthy palm once it has been established in the new landscape. The maintenance plan should always include a trimming and fertilization schedule. Trimming should be done on brown or yellowed foliage. Trimming green fronds in an attempt to save time can prevent a palm from achieving adequate photosynthesis which can deter growth and fruiting. Some palms like the Royal Palm (Roystonea regia) and the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) are self cleaning. They don't require pruning. The fronds will brown and then fall to the ground within a week or two. Unfortunately for those in subtropical and temperate climates, self cleaning palms are not cold hardy. A palm fertilizer that includes a micro-nutrient package of boron, iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc and copper should be applied a minimum of twice per year. Once in the spring and once in the fall is sufficient. These micro nutrients are necessary for palms to grow healthy and strong. Fertilizing a third or even forth time will push rapid growth. This is common practice in the nursery trade to grow a sell-able plant faster. These micro nutrients are necessary for palms to grow healthy and strong. Choosing the right palm is easy when all the factors are carefully considered. Regardless on the unique landscaping circumstances, among the hundreds of palm species there are certainly several beautiful choices that will be a perfect fit.
Read more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/new-online-database-helps-choose,1162239.shtml#ixzz0iU4AE9tp
Robert Pittman February 6 2010 08:12:14 PMPhoenix palms are among the most popular varieties of palms in landscapes worldwide. Phoenix palms are either male or female and must be polinated by another Phoenix Palm. It is for this reason that so many hybrids exist. Seeds that are collected from palms outside of a varieties origin are much more likely to be hybridized. In order to understand the characteristics of the hybrid Phoenix Palms it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the potential parent plants. Palms included in the Phoenix family are: Phoenix roebelenii, commonly known as the Pigmy Date Palm  The Phoenix roebelenii is a single trunk palm. Multi trunk Roebelenii's are the result of multiple plants being grown together from an early age. The Pygmy Date palm is in many ways the perfect miniature palm tree, complete with a slim trunk and beautiful feathery leaves. The Pigmy Date Palm is more sensitive to cold than many of the Phoenix Palms and does not like frost. Phoenix reclinata. commonly known as the Senegal Date Palm  Phoenix reclinata or the Senegal Date Palm produces a large cluster of tall, slender trunks and a dense crown of elegantly arching leaves. The Reclinata is a very robust plant and will succeed in tropical to warm temperate climates and withstand moderate frosts. Phoenix sylvestris, Commonly known as the Sylvester Palm, India Date Palm or the Wild Date Palm  Phoenix sylvestris or Sylvester Palm has a tall trunk and is much more slender than Phoenix canariensis. The Sylvester's very full and dense crown has elegantly recurving, greyish, plumose leaves. The Sylvester Palm is as easy to grow as any Phoenix Palm and will adapt to temperate as well as to tropical conditions. Phoenix dactylifera, commonly known as the True Date Palm, Medjool, Zahidii or Deglet Noor  Phoenix dactylifera variety Medjool is widely used as an ornamental. Taller, thinner, and with spikier, bluish leaves than its popular cousin from the Canary Islands, the Medjool Date Palm is a handsome tree. The Medjool Date Palm's adaptability to a wide range of climates, excellent resistance to drought, salt spray, brackish water, and various pests, and its general robustness make it the palm of choice for dry climates, temperate as well as tropical. Phoenix dactylifera tolerates salt water intrusion and cold better than all the other Date Palms. Phoenix canariensis, commonly known as the Canary Island Date Palm or the Pineapple Palm  Phoenix canariensis, Pineapple Palm, or the Canary Island Date Palm is one of the most popular landscape palms. The stout form of the Canary Island Date Palm is a familiar sight in most warm temperate and subtropical countries of the world. The Canary Island Date Palm with it's stately appaearance spans nearly thirty feet on mature specimens. Hybrids are more strongly influenced by the female palm carrying the seeds. If you are looking for a thicker single trunked Phoenix Hybrid, you may want to have the female Phoenix Palm to be the one with the thicker trunk. The Canary Island Date Palm crossed with the Phoenix roebelenii will have different results depending on which palm carries the seeds. The "Fluffy" is a beautiful example of this cross. The Canary Island Date is the female and the male is the Pigmy Date Palm.  The Sylvester Palm crossed with the Canary Island Date Palm can lead to a highly desirable cross known as the blue headed Canary. The trunk of this cross is stouter than the sylvester. The fronds are long and arching. It is the blue color of the fronds that sets this hybrid appart.  Reclinata Hybrids are highly sought after. The cross with the Pigmy Date Palm has slender trunks with soft elegant fronds. The cross with the Sylvester Date Palm has thick trunks and can have blue frantic fronds. The cross with the Canary Island Date Palm has the thickest trunks of all the hybrids and massive green arching fronds. Most the hybrids are less clumping than the Senegal Date Palm and this characteristic makes maintenance less of a project.  Phoenix Palm Seeds collectected from landscape specimens are likely to be hybrids unless the parent plant has the same variety in close proximity. Phoenix Hybrids are crossing with other Phoenix Hybrids. This melting pot of Phoenix Palm Hybrids can make for some interesting results. Robert Pittman January 18 2010 10:57:34 PM
Phoenix dactylifera or The True Date Palm is an economically important tree and one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. Dates originated in Western Asia and North Africa over 5,000 years ago. Today they are cultivated commercially in Iraq, North Africa and in the U.S. in California and Arizona. Common cultivars of the Phoenix dactylifera used in cultivation are the Medjool, Zahidii and the Deglet Noor. The Medjool Date Palm variety is a common sight along roadways and adorning entry ways to exclusive developments. The trees are dioecious and often reach over 100 feet (30 m) tall or more with a gray slender trunk. The trunks can be trimmed with diamond shape leaf scars for ornamental purposes. The large greenish to bluish gray pinnate leaves often reach 18-20 feet (5.5-6 m) long. The canopy can be up to 40 feet (12.2 m) wide. Although they are very large trees, they can be grown in containers for many years before they get too large. Phoenix dactylifera is slow growing unless in a truly desert climate. Temperatures above 120 Farenheit will push this palm to grow faster (up to 3' of trunk growth per year). The True Date Palm will grow much slower in a Temperate or sub tropical climate (usually less then 2' of trunk growth). They are the most cold hardy of the Phoenix Palms and are hardy in the landscape in USDA zones 8-11. Robert Pittman January 18 2010 10:40:42 PMFamily: Palmae  Common names: Date-sugar palm, Indian winepalm, sugar palm, wild date-palm Phoenix sylvestris is gregarious in many parts of India. It is commonly found on low ground in the sub-Himalayan tract, along the Ramganga River in Rohilkhand and along river banks and on stretches of low ground in the Deccan and Mysore (Brandis, 1906). In Himachal Pradesh, it is found in all the districts in forests up to elevations of 1,350 metres. Wild date-trees are growing abundantly on the hill slopes at Jabli (17 km from Kalka towards Simla) and its adjoining areas where thousands of plants of this species can be seen. Morphology An unbranched, erect, tall dioecious, evergreen tree, 4 to 8 metres in height with large persistent leaves in a terminal tuft; stem clothed with persistent bases of leaf-stalks; root suckers, absent. Leaves, compound, 1.5 to 2 metres in length, green with a. few spines at the base, each leaf containing numerous (120), pinnae which are linear, 26.5 cm long and sharply pointed at the end. Staminate flowers, sessile, 7 mm long, 5 mm broad; perianth, 3, each 6 mm long, 2 mm broad, creamish; androecium, polyandrous, with 6 stamens; anther-lobes, about 3 mm long; filament, very short; anthers dehisce longitudinally, releasing white pollen. Pistillate flowers, sessile, 4 min long perianth green, circular, cupshaped, three-toothed, small gynoecium, with. 3 distinct carpels; style, curved and very small. Flowers, borne on a spadix covered by a spathe which is 29.5 cm long; the spathe separates into two boat-shaped halves, exposing the flowers at maturity; both male and female inflorescences, about 25 cm long, bearing about 2,800 flowers. Fruits, oblong, 1.4 to 1.7 cm long, 0.9 to 1.1 cm in diameter, weight 542 mg, volume, 447 microlitres, deep purple to black; a bunch of fruits weighed 1,321.5 g and contained 2,390 fruits. The flowering and fruiting season The flowering season of this plant was observed to be from the first to the third week of August in the case of plants growing around Jabli. The fruits take almost one year for attaining maturity. The ripening starts from the first week of June and continues till the middle of July. Yield A wild date-tree yields very much less than a cultivated date-palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). The trees of Phoenix sylvestris Roxb. under Jabli conditions were found to yield only about 7 kg of fruit. Medicinal properties The fruit is cooling, oleaginous, cardiotonic, fattening, constipative, good in heart complaints, abdominal complaints, fevers, vomiting and loss of consciousness. The juice obtained from the tree is considered to be a cooling beverage. The roots are used to stop toothache. The fruit pounded and mixed with almonds, quince seeds, pistachio nuts and sugar, form a restorative remedy (Kirtikar and Basu. 1935). The central tender part of the plant is used in gonorrhoea (Watt, 1892). Dessert quality The fruits are harvested unripe by removing the whole bunches. They are then kept covered with wheat straw. They ripen within two three days. The fruits are seedy, and the seed occupies more than half of the fruit. The fruits are sweet. The overall fruit quality is good. Utilization The plants growing in the plains yield a good amount of juice which is used for making toddy and jaggery. The juice, as such, can also be drunk. It is an ornamental tree and can also be used as an avenue plant.
Robert Pittman January 6 2010 08:08:44 PMFrost or Cold Protection To help protect palms against frost damage: 1. Make sure palm is hydrated. Water the ground around the palm early enough that it has time to soak up the water prior to frost. Do not keep foliage wet. 2. To help reduce leaf burn, spray palm with an anti-transpirant such as Vapor Gard. 3. Cover palm with a sheet or blanket and put a light bulb under it for heat. Be careful to set it up so it will not set anything on fire or become an electrical hazard.
Frost or Cold Damage To help palm grow out after frost or cold damage: 1. To prevent bacteria in the bud, use Copper Sulfate or Kocide101 to drench head and bud. 2. Fertilize in spring to get new fronds growing. Palm fertilizer can be purchased at a nursery or home improvement store. Rob Pittman [ A Quality Plant] Robert Pittman January 10 2009 10:35:05 AMThere are approximately 2500 different species of palms. The vast majority of these species can't be grown outside the tropics. Palms that can be grown in zones 6-9 are considered to be cold hardy. The chart below shows absolute lows. Average temperatures for a region are of little use when selecting the right palm for your zone. One night below the tolerance of the palms in your yard will mean certain death. Palms are monocots. They have no ability to sprout back from the roots. If the heart of the palm dies, the whole palm dies. Clumping varieties of palms like the Fishtail palm (Caryota Mitis), Dwarf Sugar palm (Arenga engleri) or the Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens) can come back from the root zone as long as the root zone was not killed during the cold event.
USDA Hardiness Zones and Average Annual Minimum Temperature Range | 6b | -5 to 0 F | -17.8 to -20.5 C | McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri | | 7a | 0 to 5 F | -15.0 to -17.7 C | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia | | 7b | 5 to 10 F | -12.3 to -14.9 C | Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia | | 8a | 10 to 15 F | -9.5 to -12.2 C | Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas | | 8b | 15 to 20 F | -6.7 to -9.4 C | Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida | | 9a | 20 to 25 F | -3.9 to -6.6 C | Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida | | 9b | 25 to 30 F | -1.2 to -3.8 C | Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida |
Examples of extremely Cold Hardy Palms:
Rhapidophyllum hystrix - Needle Palm Sabal minor - Dwarf Palmetto Trachycarpus takil - Kumaon Palm Trachycarpus latisectus - Windamere Palm Trachycarpus wagnerianus - Miniature Chusan Palm Trachycarpus fortunei - Chinese Windmill Palm Serenoa repens - Saw Palmetto Nannorrhops ritchiana - Mazari Palm Know your zone and the minimum temperatures your palms can withstand. Select palms that can handle the worst your area has to offer. On calm cold nights the coldest area will settle in the low lying areas. If you are at the base of a low lying area you may be several degrees cooler than higher elevations. The front of my main field is several degrees warmer than the back. The distance is is less than a quarter mile from the front to the back of my field. There are measures that can be taken to protect palms that are planted out of their zones. Measures like providing wind block and canopy are effective. If your palms are not too tall, covering them with fabric or frost cloth and supplying supplemental heat will help to hold warmth in and keep frost off. A low wattage lamp will work to provide the heat. Christmas lights wrapped around the palm can work on calm nights but help much less on nights with winds in excess of 5 mph. Rob Pittman www.aqualityplant.com Robert Pittman December 26 2008 03:36:42 PMWhen determining the frequency of fertilization applications you must first determine whether you want your palm to maintain a good appearance or maintain a healthy appearance and grow rapidly. A homeowner is normally concerned with the appearance of their palm. This can be accomplished with two fertilizer applications a year (one in the fall and one in the spring). Adding a third or even fourth application will push the palm to grow rapidly. This is done in the nursery and tree farm industry to make sellable palm trees faster. Fertilizer can be purchased through local chain stores like Home Depot or Walmart where palms are sold. Palm fertilizer will inlcude a "Micro Package". Palms require Micronutrients that other plants don't. Micronutrients palms require include Boron, Iron and Manganese. Rob Pittman [ A Quality Plant] Robert Pittman December 11 2008 10:49:00 PMPalm Trees need green foliage for photo-synthesis. We recommend that you only trim foliage that has begun to turn yellow or brown. The exception to this rule is if the palm is newly planted. Palms that are field grown and then dug up for landscape installations have lost part of their root system and may not be able to support a full canopy of fronds. It is common to remove a portion if the fronds to reduce the palms need for water. Sabal palmettos, Cabbage or Sabal Palm, typically have all the foliage removed at the time of digging. This practice greatly enhances the palms ability to replace cut roots and leads to much higher survival rates among transplants. Over trimming, trimming green foliage, can result in the decline of your palm tree. Signs of decline include the loss of trunk caliper which is often referred to as "Pencilling". Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are commonly over-pruned to save time and money. Some palms like the the Bismark Palm (Bismarkia nobilis) can tolerate over-pruning without showing signs of stress. Trimming of seed pods or flower stalks is fine and can be done prior to the opening of the pods or after the seeds have developed. The energy used for seed development will be diverted back to the palms foliage. Rob Pittman www.aqualityplant.com Robert Pittman December 9 2008 03:59:31 PMPalms can be planted any time of year. The care your newly planted palm will require will be based on the time of year you plant the palm. Other factors like drought tolerance, cold hardiness, soil conditions and lighting requirements will need to be considered too. The recommendations below are based on growing conditions in Florida. Palms planted at the onset of rainy season need less care than those planted at the beginning of a dry Spring. Plant your Palms between Memorial Day and Labor Day and very little suplemental watering will be needed. The rainy season typically starts by Memorial Day and lasts well after Labor Day. During this time the ground becomes saturated and palms have no trouble finding ground water. If you decide to plant your palms at the end of Fall or during winter, the palm will not need much water. The palm will be growing slowly and may even go dormant. Palms planted during this time will not have enough time to "root in" and find ground water prior to Spring. You must water the palm through Spring and can cut back on watering once the summer rainy season kicks in. You may want to wait on planting palms that are not completely Cold Hardy for your Cold Hardiness Zone. For Central Florida, this means witing until after the second week in March. Palms that have rooted in are much better prepared to take on a cold event than newly planted palms and will certainly recover faster from freeze or frost damage. Drought tolerant palms have the built in ability to handle less watering. Like all palms, they still require an establishment period. Follow the same guidelines for drought tolerant palms and you can't go wrong. Drainage is important to palms. Poor drainage due to clay soils or low lying areas will require much less water than sandy soils that are elevated. Adjust your watering to the the soil conditions. Water your palms with enough water to penetrate the soil completely. You can water your palm less often by watering deeply. Surfacew watering does little to benefit your palm as the roots designed to gather water are not at the surface. Palms that are planted from plastic or cloth containers are less likely to experience shock than field grown palms. Field grown palms have lost some of their ability to gather water and will nedd to replace the lost roots to be able to support itself. Field grown palms will need more water. Watering everyday in copious amounts during the spring will be required. Rob Pittman www.aqualityplant.com |
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