Never let me loose in a garden centre!

[kaz]

Well... I went in to buy the acer and the woman who served me last time remembered that I was after a plant expert. Anyway... she introduced me to someone who knows a thing or two and before I knew it, I'd been talked into buying a Canarian palm . Does anyone have any experience to share about this plant?

Regarding the pondside planting... this plant expert guy is popping round on Thursday to advise what will look nice beside the pond (he's delivering my acer and palm at the same time... and bless, he's potting the palm up for me ).

[AJC]

canrian palm? ya dont mean canary date palm do ya? phoenix canariensis

[kaz]

Hmmm... why do I feel I've cocked up again... lol. It was labelled Canarian palm and was told it would do well in a pot, with a sunny but sheltered position. I asked if it need to be moved or anything in the winter and was told no. Oh boy, he said it would blend well with my fatsia and cordyline.

They didn't have any tree ferns there Alan, do I need to get from a specialist supplier?

[AJC]

well if its a palm from the canarie islands like the phoenix types it will need to be moved in winter, they are tough, will stand cold, but they dont do well being wet and frozen, it rots the crowth centre! so ya left with jsut the outa leaves it has.

as for tree ferns, yes most garden centres get them from a specialist, so they are marked up a bit more, the one i used seems to have clsoed down.

but try this one, its prices ARE pretty good

http://www.seagravenurseries.co.uk/?gcl ... XgodVR6mPw[/img]

[kaz]

When you say moved in the winter Alan... could I simply move it to under the covered pagola? So although cold, it will be dry.

[whis4ey]

You sure this 'Plant expert' doesn't just 'fancy' you Kaz
(it could be that new hair style of yours)
The little date palm (if that is what it is) is slow growing and is nice in a pot. Very jaggy??? Mine stayed out last year with no ill effects so I suppose it would be fine under the pergola. Alan will no doubt advise
Still wanna see ;pics

[AJC]

yes kaz, just keep it so when we get a good freeze the growth tip isnt real wet and exposed to frost and snow, you can wrap a roll of fleece round it to protect it, i had one in a pot, kept it up against a south faceing wall in winter, which was fine for 4-5 years, i figured it was hardy, so moved it out away from the wall, they stand cold very well, but the growth tip is the most tender part in a freeze, so out in the open they are at risk, we just had a real mild winter so it might have been fine out in the open, but we cant risk it.

they do get hardier with age and size, but ya need to wait a good while, because no on actually knows at what age and size they need to be in the UK to be fully hardy, only ones i have seen in the open and looking fine after a winter or two have been 10-12' tall!

Sam, dont be complacent about it being hardy, i made the same mistake and lost mine too, i would wrap the growth tip in a good fleece for winter, and even then be wary, small date palms are not as hardy as ya think!

two palms i do know to be fully hardy even when small are : trachycarpus fortunei, chosen palm and chamaerops humilis, mediteranian palm, i have had both in the ground from 12" one is now 7' tall the about 4' they stand our weather pretty well, both are fan palms, and both can be put in a pot for a few years too.

[kaz]

When I get my plant delivery tomorrow, I'll post some pics and hopefully we'll discover the true identity of the palm. The duck's nest means I'm going to have to rethink about where to put the acer... maybe I'll just have to keep it in a pot for now.