Hardy Palm Sprouts!

I was getting really frustrated with my palms so I went outside and dug them up. I was delighted to see that two species had begun to sprout! You can see the Trachycarpus wagnerianus on the right. One of the two sprouts has a bit of rot towards the tip but I'm hoping it will pull through. On the left you can see two Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera sprouts. I don't see any signs of rot. I expect some more sprouts so I'll keep checking. I planted about 10 seeds of each variety. I'll grow them indoors through the first winter under lights. Still no luck with the Jubaea chilensis but apparently they can take up to a year.

Now here is what my community plot looks like right now. Just planted the Musa basjoo (banana) as well as some calla lily in front and my 25 Trachycarpus fortunei palm sprouts. I've been told they probably won't survive the winter unprotected so I might have to erect a little structure. They're hard to see in the picture, just to the right of the tomato plants in the centre.

Fortunei My Lithops are Alright

Get it? What a great blog post name! I guess someone would have to be really creative to fuse two seemingly unrelated things into such a seamless title. That or just desperate for a post - erhum...


I was worried about my Lithopses because I forgot to take them in during a rainy weekend. Now I didn't think this would really be a problem but when I checked on them some had swelled to nearly twice their size! Like any concerned parent, I immediately brought my children inside to let them dry out a bit. Almost all of them ended up 'shedding' a skin and I only lost one. I had no idea they were so sensitive to moisture. You can see in the picture above what's left of their old skin.


The Trachycarpus fortunei palm seedlings have also done very well. They're about a month old now and kind of look like little green fan shaped sails. I thought they'd look much more grass-like. I think I'll repot them relatively soon and might even drop half into my community plot. I have about 25 sprouts so if I loose a few I should be able to make it through (eventually).

Palm Sprouts & Lithops

Adenium arabicum Flower Buds?

Could it be?  Is it possible?  I think one of my Adenium arabicum may have a bunch of flower buds!  I haven't noticed them on any others but unless the leaves have mutated I'm pretty sure these are flower buds.  It's on one of the more sickly plants but YEAH!!!  Click on the picture for a better view.  I took it with my phone and it doesn't have a macro.

I'll update as soon as one opens.  My Trachycarpus fortunei palm sprouts are also doing really well.  I'm up to 19 sprouts and the first leaves are starting to emerge!

This Dahlia is from Cottonwood Community Gardens.  It's nice, so here it is.

Quasi-Mega Plant Update

It's been a while since I've done a full on plant update so I figured it was about time!

I'll start with what I did today.  There is a large mulberry tree in Cottonwood Community Garden.  It's currently covered with mulberries.  James and I LOVE mulberries.  I noticed a branch that was hanging really low (into a hydrangea) and decided why not try some cuttings.

Apparently they are quite easy to start.  It's recommended to try in spring or summer but I figured why not try now.  You can see they are different sizes so hopefully the variety will end with something that roots.  Each twig has at least two buds in the soil.

I also ripped out my spinach and pak choi because they were covered with flowers.  Then I went to Plant Works expecting to come back with enough plants to fill the rest of my plot.  Nope.  Sometimes I forget how expensive things are.  Like when I think $9 for a shirt is ridiculously expensive.  I think I may be a bit cheap.  I ended up spending about $15 on some petunias and reasonably drought tolerant, discounted, slightly sickly looking plants.  I dropped them in the plot but forgot to take a picture.  Next time.

Now for the Trachycarpus fortunei sprouts.  I've counted a total of 14!  There aren't any actual leaves yet but I'm still excited.  They won't even have leaves resembling a fan for at least two years.  Some of the seeds were picked off a tree and the others were grabbed from the ground (probably one and two years old, so not very fresh).  I don't think I'll split them up until after the second leaves are out.

These are the Yucca rostrata that I started from seed.  I had three but left one at The University of Western Ontario Greenhouses.  The one of the right has started growing again and has produced several healthy new leaves.

My Musa basjoo has recovered.  This is the one that I chopped in half, destroyed the roots and wrapped in a bag.  Apparently they can put up with quite a bit.  All four pups even made it!  I probably won't split any of them off until next year.  I got this one as a 20cm plant at Home Depot.

BTW My landlords are gone so may plants are strewn across their yard.  You can see their children's toys randomly scattered in some of the pictures.

Here are my Stevia seedlings.  Only a few sprouted and they were growing really slowly.  In the last few days they've really started to pick up and have almost doubled in size.  I'm can't wait to try them as a sweetener!

I have my Adenium arabicum located in three different spots (two outside and one inside).  These are the saddest.  They were hit with a basketball and then attacked by aphids.  I was extremely angry at the time but now I'm just a little annoyed.  I figure the aphids attacked because they were stressed, as plants in the other location seem fine.  They'll be almost a year old at the end of August.  The other plants look much better (not pictured here).

I split my Moringa stenopetala between my community plot and these three pots in the backyard.  These ones were hit with a rather bad attack of aphids.  I think they were stressed because as far as I know aphids aren't very common for Moringa.  I sprayed them with a water/onion/garlic mix and I think it's been working.

I'll end off with my Brugmansia.  I started this one from seed in early spring.  It's the only one that I ended up taking across the country.  You can see from the trunk that it got a little bent during the trip.  There is a lot of new growth towards the top and offshoots along the entire stem.  I'm hoping for some flowers this year but don't expect to see any.

Hope you enjoyed this long and arduous post!  I've been a little MIA the last two months. ;)  I also got recognized today!  "Hey, aren't you the guy with the blog?"  Yeah!  I'm famous!  I've officially arrived!!!  If anyone would like an autographed seed packet, send money to...  :P

First Palm Sprout (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Today I noticed my first palm sprout!  It's a Trachycarpus fortunei and the seeds were harvested from near the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park.  There are two other seeds that have also sprouted that were harvested from the UBC Gardens.  They've put out roots but no upward growth yet so they don't count. ;)

It's towards the right side of the picture, just in the light and looks a bit like a sprouting blade of grass.  BTW my blogoversary was on July 5th.  I missed it!  One year old!

This was the fist batch of seeds I planted.  I'm glad that they are finally starting to sprout!  Now I just have to wait for the first of the next four palm species to come to life.  The coffee also hasn't sprouted yet but some of the stevia are out.

My community garden plot looks a little sad.  You'll see what I mean the next time I update.  I planted before the compost arrived and the soil dries out in about 30 seconds.  Needles to say, my leafing greens are not happy.

Jubaea chilensis Manual Cracking

When looking for information on germinating Jubaea I noticed to different groups of people; those who said sow as they are and those who lived by cracking them.  I decided not to crack them for fear of damaging the seeds.  Today I changed my mind.  I took a look and there were no signs of germination.

At first I thought a nutcracker would work.  I asked the landlord if I could borrow one.  There is no way that a hand-held nutcracker could ever open one of these things!  I thought for sure I was set and would have better control so I wouldn't damaged the seeds.  Nope.  Nothing.  I think if I kept trying the nutcracker would've broken.

Next I found a way that actually worked.  I set the seeds up vertically so that one of the pointed sides faced up on a brick walkway.  Then I grabbed a rock and smashed.  To my amazement the shell exploded like a bomb and the seed was completely unharmed.  Ideally your only suppose to do it in one blow to prevent damaged.

I cracked them all with varying degrees of success.  Some still have their entire shells, some half and others are completely naked.  They are more prone to mould this way but I'll check daily and take care of any that shows up.  I did split one seed.  I died a little inside but then remembered that they're edible.  They do look and taste like mini coconuts.  Just no coconut water.

I'm going to soak them another few hours then plant them in a mix of sand and compost/potting soil in 15cm (6") depth pots.  They tend to put out a deep taproot before showing any signs of top growth.  Hopefully it works!  They should be up within a month now (at least the first few).

I've been a little distracted lately so sorry about the lack of posts and commenting. Things are still a little crazy. Hopefully I'll be getting more settled soon. ;)

Cold Hardy Palm Seeds Arrive! Jubaea chilensis, Chamaerops humilis 'Cerifera', Trachycarpus wagnerianus

My final batch of seeds arrived this morning!  I purchased them from Jungle Seeds.  It decided to buy a second pack of Jubaea chilensis in the hopes that if one batch doesn't work out, the other will.  I also grabbed some Trachycarpus wagnerianus and Chamaerops humilis var. Cerifera.  Apparently a leaflet with special instructions was suppose to be included for the Jubaea.  I looked for about 10 minuets but it's definitely not there.  I thought maybe it slept out to I checked the floor.  Still nothing.  Fortunately I know the 'special' method used to sprout them.

I've also been introduced to a possible job and the University of British Colombia Botanical Gardens as a shop manager.  It sounds like a great position and I think I'm very well qualified.  The only negative is that I'll have to drive right across the city each day.  Fortunately, we were planning on moving the end of the summer anyway so we could just relocate closer.

Stevie from Garden Therapy also forwarded my resume to two companies which I really appreciate.  Thanks!

In the Community Garden, the seedlings are growing well.  Everything has sprouted.  I noticed a few dog treads crushing some of my spinach which pissed me off a little.  But then I took a few deep breathes and... everything was fine!  Now there was a rage blackout somewhere in there but I have no idea what happened or if anyone/thing was harmed.

I've also been asked to border a large plot with stones.  There aren't very many left in the area and Stevie pointed me to some large concrete chunks.  They actually look quite good and offer a home for what otherwise would be garbage.  They're a bit sharp though so if anyone comes to Cottonwood, make sure to wear shoes.

I would love to make a willow structure at Cottonwood.  Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations?  Maybe where we could grab some willow twigs?

I was too lazy to type out the germination info so I just took pictures.  In 5 - 10 years I'll have a jungle!

Cold Hardy Palm: Trachycarpus wagnerianus (Dwarf Windmill Palm)

Although similar to Trachycarpus fortunei, Trachycarpus wagnerianus is much more elegant with smaller leaves which are held upright.  This makes it more resistant to both the wind and cold.  In many ways this palm has a superior form to fortunei and will likely end up replacing it.  The source of the picture below is the Palm House in the UK.

From the picture above you can clearly see the upright form with smaller leaves.  Another thing that makes wagnerianus interesting is the distance between leaves.  They are far more spread out than a typical Trachycarpus and the lower leaves remain on the trunk much longer.

Although I have seen it rated for zone 8a and above, there are many people that have had success in far lower zones.  There was mention by one person in zone 6a of a wagnerianus surviving two winters with no leaf damage!  They were planted along both the south and east sides of the house.  Absolute minimum temperatures are said to be around -12C (10F).  From what I've seen it seems like it can withstand far lower.

This palm will grow to an adult height of between 3m and 6m (10ft - 20ft).  It will grow well in a moist climate and tolerates salt spray.  It is also suitable for dryer climates or areas with seasonal rainfall and a great choice for xeriscaping.  It will grow in a wide range of soils, but it may be necessary to add some peat moss if the area is too alkaline.  It seems to grow best in a well draining medium.

There is a lot of good information with regards to growing experiences here.  It's a great resource so take a look.

Now for some great news!  No I didn't find a job... but I did order Trachycarpus wagnerianus, Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera and Jubaea chilensis seeds!  I'm super pumped!

Cold Hardy Palm: Chamaerops humilis var cerifera (Blue Mediterranean Fan Palm)

The next palm that I desperately want is Chamaerops humilis var cerifera. It may also be known as var 'argentea'. This is a blue/grey variety of the species and is slightly more robust. It appears to be able to tolerate more moisture and lower temperatures than the standard variety. I may however be a bit slower growing.

The image below is from a site offering a huge selection of palm seeds.  The prices are about average but they are a good quality supplier.  You can visit it here.  As you can see, this palm is gorgeous!

This is a small clumping palm that grows to a maximum height of between 2.5m and 5m. Some sources say up to 6m depending on conditions (and likely if suckers are removed) The overall height often depends on the growing zone. This palm is rated from USDA zone 7b to past 11. Absolute minimum temperatures are about -15C (5F) but it may prove to be hardier. The lower the zone, the lower the final height of the palm (as a general rule for all species).

It is a great palm for a Mediterranean type climate as the name suggests. Full sun is best as well good drainage. In a climate like Vancouver, the crown may need to be protected in the winter to prevent any risk of rot. This is as simple as a bit of plastic over the top of the plant. Don't wrap too tightly as it needs room to breathe. A tent-like structure may be best. In the summer it is drought tolerant and a great plant for xeriscaping.

Now for a warning. This plant has two rows of spines along each leaf stem. As long as you pay attention you'll be fine. I wouldn't suggest it for anyone with young kids or pets unless you can ensure appropriate protection.

Hopefully I'll be getting a few seeds over the next week or so. Then maybe they'll be a decent size by the time I actually own a place! Still no full time job but I've found some small projects that will keep us going. At least until I can become a starship captain and explore the galaxy, leading the terraforming effort of uninhabited worlds across the cosmos. :)

Cold Hardy Palm: Jubaea chilensis (Chilean Wine Palm)

Since arriving in Vancouver about two weeks ago I've begun extensively researching cold hardy palms.  I've always been a fan of hardy tropical looking plants so I'm unbelievably excited!  I've seen two common varieties here; Trachycarpus fortunei and Chamaerops humilis.  Although I've already grabbed seeds from a Trachy and started soaking them (only about 50), I've come up with a list of nearly 20 other hardy or potentially hardy candidates.

The one I am most interested in now is Jubaea chilensis or the Chilean Wine Palm.  The name comes from the sweet sap that can be boiled into something similar to corn syrup or fermented into alcohol (unfortunately the tree is often cut down to gather it).  It also produces orange fruits known as coquitos.  These can be eaten fresh or turned into jam.

The seeds themselves are also edible.  Apparently they taste almost identical to coconuts.  The image below is from Dave's Garden, a very informative site worth a look.  There is a reference in the upper left hand corner of the image but it is difficult to see.  Can you believe this can grown unprotected in Canada?

This palm is considered a giant by many.  It may grow taller than 25m (82ft).  The growth rate is apparently slow for the first 15 years or so but it then moderate under good conditions.  Adult trunks may be 1m (3ft) in diameter and I've seen 2m monsters mentioned while searching.

This lovely giant is marked for USDA zones 8/9 (up to 10b depending on the source, also one person in 7b).  I know of at least one person growing it on Vancouver Island (not to be confused with Vancouver the city).  It has had no special protection and has grown fine.  I have seen many cases of the plant surviving -15C (5F).  To add to this cold hardiness, Jubaea chilensis also prefers a cooler climate and doesn't mind moisture (perfect for Vancouver).  It does however hate salt spray and must be located away from the coast.  Good drainage is also a necessity.

All that being said, I want one.  I'll keep an eye open for the fruit in stores.  Every supplier I've seen either has ridiculous prices, won't ship to Canada or has a minimal order value.  I say nay!  If anyone knows a good supplier please let me know.  Although they are native to Chile, some have been planted in California and that is where the majority of the seeds appear to come from.  I may have found a good Canadian source I'm just waiting for an email response.  Thanks to anyone that can help!