Buying Palm trees in the Northwest

I'm trying to create a backyard tropical oasis in the Pacific Northwest, which is difficult but certainly not impossible. Home Depot currently has an amazing sale on Windmill Palms ($44) which eventually grow to 20 ft tall. Since the weather was muy caliente last weekend I headed to Home Depot, bought another Palm and put it in the backseat. On the way home I saw some bemused expressions having the Palm in the back of my convertible. One more Northwest tree gone, one more palm planted!

Ive been at the depot about 8 times this week. trying to get my booth together for Oasis. and each time I cruised through the palms. Due to the great weather we have been having this summer my palm shot up about 3 ft. and is looking fantastic!
Hope I can have the extra dough one before they're gone.

the weather is nice outside. I think you should go get one for me too!
especially since all 3 of mine died from the winter. argh.
But one of my bananas has gone CRAZy! not sure how I'll be able to dig it up to put it in the basement this year. How do I cover it and keep it from dying this winter?

Pea,

I was just at Clinton Bamboo on 1st ave. The owner told me to cut the leaves off in October, wrap the stalk in bubble wrap and unwrap them April 15th (tax day). The Banana plants there were 15ft tall!
My are doing great also, but I want to keep them thru the winter so they don't have to start from the
ground each spring. I've been watering and fertilizing my palms and there going crazy! Don't even get me started on my bamboo :)

My timber bamboo from Clinton Bamboo is finally starting to look like a grove. I got about 6- 30 ft shoots on each plant this yr. Next yr they should almost completely block out the tree hating condo dwelers across the alley. The Japonicas are monsterous and I even had a ginger plant come up this yr.

Never heard of that bubble wrap trick, Paul. Just might have to try that this year - could be a BIG challenge once this one hits its standard 20-25 feet in October. YIKES!

And Monkeyskull put it out on the street that your mrs has "married up." Hope that just a rumor. If not, will you get to keep the wheels? :wink:

-Andy

For the winter in the pacific northwest... Well for me it is south coast because Im in BC, You can wrap the trunk in christmas lights to keep it warm at night. Also Mulch,mulch , mulch. Then in the spring dig a few feet out all the way around the tree and compost with mushroom manure,peat,and good quality top soil. A friend of mine who is in horticulture said our cycle of warm winters are over and we may be looking at extremely cold bitter winters for the next 15 years or so.Remember the winters in the 60s and 70s? then the warm winters of the 80s and 90s? these are cycles, and unfortunately it will be very difficult to keep palm and banana without alot of prevention and care.I bring mine inside in the winters. Big pots. place a bunch of lava rock on the soil to keep the cats from digging in the pots.Good Luck.

Oh I forgot to mention a couple miles from my house were two Huge palms about 12-15 ft tall beside the hwy. The have been there many years. After last winter..Both dead.They pulled them down. I think the only place you will be able to keep palms is right on the ocean. Kits beach ,English Bay.The winters are going to be brutal.

[ Edited by: mick9 2009-08-05 09:13 ]

Nice Palm Andy! Is that Joe?? He looks huge! Yes, the misses married up, current whereabouts unknown but rumored to be in Scranton PA.

Love the convertible with palm passenger!

I have a winter weather tip for bananas especially. Mulch & wrap them well, but don't forget to give them a rain cover! Last winter mine got soaked even though they were well insulated, so they died to the ground. Last year was particularly chilly up this way.

Great Minds Drink Alike

[ Edited by: Tikiwahine 2009-08-05 13:35 ]

Palm in a Bird....WUNDERFULL!!!!

On 2009-08-05 12:56, tiki-riviera wrote:

Nice Palm Andy! Is that Joe?? He looks huge! Yes, the misses married up, current whereabouts unknown but rumored to be in Scranton PA.

Yeah, that's him. I thought he looked huge in this shot, too! No huge growth spurt since you saw him last month. Trick of the Palm, I guess.

...and I hear Scranton can be lovely this time of year.......

Hi. For tropical-looking plants that will grow in your area:
Musa Basjoo is a great cold-hardy banana and is a fast grower when given warmth, water, good soil with mulch. Also Cordyline Australis is fantastic, Australian tree fern, Jasmine, Gardenia's, Birds of Paradise planted close to your house in a protected location if you get hard frost. You can probably grow Elepant Ears also but they may die to the ground in winter and then resprout in spring. I love your Thunderbird by the way. I have a 1966 Mustang.

http://www.hardypalm.com/hpi.php

Heres a link for pacific norwesters who are interested in growing tropical looking plants

http://www.hardypalm.com/photos.php

a bunch of photos

http://www.hardypalm.com/photos.php