The Polar Palms Nursery - Experiments

By Kiril Donov, M.Sc. Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture

Since February 2000 we test different plants in our open field location. We have a test garden. Below are our results:

1. Palms:
# Butia capitata - a small one survived -11°C(12,2°F) with heavy leaf burn, next year was  accidentally sprayed with roundup and died. Four large specimens died at -14°C(6,8°F). All other tests of this palm continued on the near slope of the mountain.
# Trachycarpus takil - in May 2000 we received  5000 seeds. All were sown directly in the ground and the plants remained there for the next 2 winters. First winter the seedlings were having 2-3 leaves each and survived OK. In December 2001 figs, Pittosporum tobira, oleanders, Yucca aloifolia, all these died both above the ground and the roots. This means the low under the snow was low enough to kill them. All takil seedlings survived with about 50% damaged leaves. This is really cold hardy palm.
# Trachycarpus latisectus - at -11°C(12,2°F) 3 of 4 young plants died (unprotected). In the cold December 2001 with much protection the remaining palm defoliated, later produced 5 normal leaves. In January 2003 at has no leaves again. It looks like this palm has the same hardiness like Washingtonia robusta or may be less.

Dead Butia capitata at The Polar Palms Nursery

Magnolia has never seen any protection!

# Washingtonia filifera - this palm is amazing. Losing the leaves each year is not a problem. The palms produce 12-16 new leaves each summer and another 20-30cm of trunk. Before the record cold December 2001 our biggest filifera was about 1,8 m(6 feet) tall. Later the plant was defoliated and in April the spear pulled out. Before we tested the spear it looked green and healthy, but didn't start to grow.

After cutting down the trunk.

A week later

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trunk was cut down to the bud (to what was left) and a fungicide was applied into the hole.

After 3 weeks.

After 5 weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you believe or not, but this palm almost re-grew it's full crown and trunk till the end of 2002. It reached 1,6 m (5 feet) in height with a crown of 11 big normal leaves.

The trunk cut down in April.

After 3 weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By January 2003 they are all lost again, but the new trunk and the growing bud are still fine ... this winter is not like the previous one. These palms could be grown like deciduous palms, with the proper protection of the trunk and the growing bud, of course. They grow very fast, both leaves and trunk and do like our hot summers.

The same happened to the # Washingtonia robusta. I mean of course, the smaller one, because the very large trunked one was not protected and didn't make it.

Photo taken in November 2002.

Still not fully recovered in November 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a comparison between both Washingtonia species.

Washingtonia palms in Kavala, northern Greece. Note robusta palms right and in the background. They are dead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As most of you probably know, many of the people doing landscaping in the subtropics don't recognize both Washingtonia species. I have never met anyone in Greece, Turke