Exotic garden update part 3 mostly palms in Zone 5B Ontario Canada

[@roseyroserose9550]

you have beautiful and tropical tropical garden

[@GreenDragan]

Thank you rosey rose rose. Glad you liked it.

[@westnewwest4325]

The knowledge that comes from experience and experiment is invaluable....you should write a book

[@GreenDragan]

I do try to spread the info I acquire as time goes by through my KZbin channel. The book idea has been suggested over the years. I should seriously consider it. Cheers.

[@g.d.gardensandpalmtrees7376]

Cool

[@GreenDragan]

Thanks G.D. Gardens and Palm trees, glad you liked it.

[@sandorspalms]

Awesome!😀

[@GreenDragan]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@latincaz]

Wow you inspired me. You have a beautiful garden. I see anything is possible. Greetings from zone 7B

[@GreenDragan]

Thanks for visiting latincaz. I am glad you like it. In zone 7B it should be even easier. The sky's the limit. Cheers.

[@absolutepsyvids4444]

Hi, I am wondering how did you manage to grow such a huge cordyline at 4:48.... Its amazing!!!! Cheers from zone8b

[@GreenDragan]

Piece of cake! Good soil prep, regular fertilizer and water if needed. Growing in zone 5B They do get winter protection i.e. cold frame and C9 bulbs set to 35 F or 2C minimum. Check out this summers update video as they are over ten feet tall or past 3 meters. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKfZfJ-uj6iBppY

[@rprimbs]

I think the Washingtonia are hybrids. The Washingtonia filifera (California fan palm) get few if any thorns on the petioles and a thick beefy trunk. The Washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan palm) get big thorns and a slimmer taller trunk. People call the hybrid 'Washingtonia filibusta'. Have you tried growing the Mexican blue palms (Brahea armata)? And if you can get the Cycas revoluta though the winter, with protection, then you should be able to grow the Chinese Cycas panzhihuaensis. I live in inland San Diego county, California, on a hill above the frost line in zone 10b-10a, so I can grow even the ultra tropicals with some protection.

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Richard, thanks for the info. I would love to try more species but I am running out of room. Your climate would be ideal for so many plants. Cheers.

[@pawelkoodziejczak5105]

🌴👍

[@GreenDragan]

Thank you pawel Kołodziejczak.

[@havic4994]

How do you vent the boxes during the winter? And the trees in the back yard, white bird, Washingtonian, and pigmy do they get boxed together? All with just a Thermalcube regulating the temp? Thanks love the vids

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Havic, I am glad you liked the video. In the back garden each plant you mentioned is boxed individually. The vent is a round hole the size of a dinner plate which is opened periodically on milder days. Video coming on winter protection in more detail.

[@Salmiyaguy1]

i have noticed many Windmill palm crowns don't look full in Ontario. I'm no expert but i assume because the summers are too hot. They seem to fare better in the UK and British Columbia and places like Oregon though.

[@GreenDragan]

I currently have three Trachycarpus, each one has a different growth habit. In Ontario we are at the mercy of retailers who sell us whatever varieties they choose to import from the US. My smallest, about 9FT tall is the fullest. I suggest the look may also be due to our winterization methods. We remove too many fronds during our wrapping method or during the spring unwrapping to tidy them up. No-one I know has a fully skirted, mature sized Trachy in central or eastern Canada. Milder climates allow the trees to grow more naturally.

[@BracesandBoots1]

Have you ever mentioned how long it took your Bird of Paradise to bloom? Mine is going on 3 years and while it's healthy, it's bloom less at this point. 7b summers outside, winters in the greenhouse at about 60 degrees

[@GreenDragan]

My orange bird of paradise Strelitzia reginae was in a pot for many years blooming every spring after about 5 years. Once in the ground it got much beefier in a hurry and flower buds formed by late fall. The more direct sun the better to increase blooms.

[@emilyL0ve]

Do you keep the Mexican Fan Palm outdoors even throughout the winter months?

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Emily's Toy Review. Yes, all the palms in this video are planted in the ground permanently. They do get winter protection, video coming to give details.

[@custodiansrock]

Hey Dragan, nice update! Really good to see how the flower on the pindo has advanced. Best regards.

[@GreenDragan]

Thanks 👍 custodiansrock. It's exiting but there is a second spathe to open, soon I hope. If we have a mild enough fall season there may be some fruit as well. Cheers.

[@davidbanner9001]

Lovely. That's a lot of hard work. But it has certainly paid off. Greetings from the UK.

[@GreenDragan]

Thank you David Banner, I am glad you liked it. Cheers.

[@MyTrips]

Another amazing video! Thank you Dragan.

[@GreenDragan]

Hi My Trips. Thanks again!

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

Nice Tropicals! 🌴

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Northeast Hardy Tropicals. Thanks a lot.

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

Really cool. Great collection. Particularly like the tall washy. Beautiful architectural leaves. I take it you must box it and xmas lights to keep it going over the winter? Cheers for the great videos. Love watching your stuff

[@GreenDragan]

Thanks Vincenze Calzone I appreciate it. Yes soon it will be time to start covering up. Cold frame and winterizing video coming soon.

[@ScottyOn1]

Awesome man. The palms look great! Did you lose the canary island date palm?

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Scott, Yes I did. It started to decline last summer. The trunk became totally soft and spongy, and it had no chance of survival so I replaced it a different plant. Live and learn. It's good to experiment with a wider range of plants.

[@ScottyOn1]

That’s right. All part of the fun!

[@Salmiyaguy1]

@@GreenDragan Maybe it's time for a mule palm.

[@GreenDragan]

@@Salmiyaguy1 I have replaced the CIDP with a Bismarckia. I like the look of a mule palm but there in no room in my garden, at my age for another large palm unless I remove an existing one.

[@DTS1wastaken]

howw do u get thwm to grow in 5b

[@GreenDragan]

In a nutshell I put up custom made cold frames and heat with C9 Christmas lights on a thermostat. For a more detailed answer these are my winterization methods...kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep-aiZ2Pis6ijs0 and kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGaTqnWjeqyGfZY

[@TheJames2929]

The Washingtonian leaves will change depending on the condition you put them in. more sun will make them fold like the smaller one. I have had several of mine be completely flat only to change when they get more sun. As far as opening the leaf up and tearing on its way open for the larger one I’ve never seen anything like that and I have hundreds of Washingtonia i’m not sure how many years the larger one has been in the ground but even with the cool spring my one that is in the ground produced over 25 to 30 leaves this growing season in southern Ontario. As far as the windmill I always see them looking like that down in Florida when they get a ton of sun they make tiny little Fronds. I’m not sure why yours would do that in Ontario mine definitely do not and I have six of them in the ground here. Again how many years has it been in the ground and how many growing seasons has it grown out ? Sometimes they take a couple of years to get used to the new conditions. I Hope this was helpful everything looks great great job. if you want to check out my Channel you might find some useful tips for the palm trees. you’ve definitely mastered some of the different plants.

[@GreenDragan]

Thanks for the info James palms. Unsure the age of the larger Washy. The trunk is massive. It only pushed out about 6 or 7 fronds this season. I will try slightly different over winter methods, more fertiliser next spring. Will do update video should anything change. Cheers.

[@tropicalpdx1341]

It's pretty hard to get pure Washingtonia robusta or filifera these days. Most Washingtonia palms are hybrids of varying percentages so this may account for the differences you are seeing.

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Tropical PDX. Thank you for the info.

[@frankiemeyer8372]

These are filibusta and James palm got robusta he live in canada check his video of james palms. Ge grow pure robusta and sabal palm and trachycarpus. He sell pure robusta seedling. I am jealous of you have many thing that you can grow in ground now I will use right kind winter frame for washingtonia filifera and filibusta palm and robusta and European fan palm and sago and many other. And I grow sabal minor and mccurtain and Louisiana they dont need winter frame just close to house wall and cover by leaves. I will cover my windmill palm and not lose them like I did couple of times and I love robusta because I didn't use winter frame not other I want make yard like jungle and row of tall palm trees like California. And I grow bamboo too. I did plant bird of paradise I just covered with leave and trash can I lose that I will try again and do it right. So people will think I am crazy about this and burgima too.

[@GreenDragan]

Hi @@frankiemeyer8372. I do follow James Palms videos. It takes many years of trial and error to get some plants to survive. Keep trying! There are so many variables like soil type, micro climate, genetic variation of plants. I have a winterization video coming, giving more details about my methods that may help. Cheers.

[@frankiemeyer8372]

@@GreenDragan yeah I error first and now I success keep my 10 cold hardy palms and now trachycarpus palms is next in open and i will cover them with leaves and other cover to keep them dry and alive because i didnt cover and snow melt after minus 10 degrees and moisture got in palm and rot bgg and it died. And yeah genetic differences variety of palms. And I order palms from collar zone in south Carolina than Florida they thrive much better in cold and I bought some palms from Florida and people send palms from California to Colorado springs home depot and I didn't think they have genic change and not use to cold from sunny weather in south California now I learn lesson that my windmill palm from north do better with 2 degrees weather than Florida grow palm. And I should know better leave angel trumpet in ground first place so I can test if it come back bigger next year. I wonder what people think of you grow tropical plants and palm trees in your yard. They think you are crazy.

[@GreenDragan]

@@frankiemeyer8372 most people are very pleased and surprised to see such plants in my front garden. They had never considered trying to grow palms in a colder climate.Others are turned off by the amount of work it takes in the spring and fall to protect them. Tropical gardening in a colder zone is a long term commitment but gardening is for eternal optimists who don't mind the work.

[@ivanvalent7572]

Hi Dragan! May I ask you how do you overwinter dypsis decaryi? Thanks a lot! Happy gardening!

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Ivan. The dypsis decaryi are currently container grown and are overwintered in my back greenhouse. I am toying with the idea of buying a larger tree and planting it in the ground. They may outgrow my cold frames quickly.Too many species to try , not enough time.

[@ivanvalent7572]

@@GreenDragan It would be great to plant it outside but I agree you will need a bigger coldframe soon :)But I think it's worth to try! I am going to buy one. Looking forward! By the way what is temperature in your greenhouse during the cold months?

[@GreenDragan]

Hi @@ivanvalent7572, Temperature varies from 16 C on cold nights to 24 C on sunny days during mid winter. By the last week of February daytime highs can be 29 C on sunny days.

[@ivanvalent7572]

@@GreenDragan Thank you!

[@jackhagenaars165]

Can you do a plumeria care video please?

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Jack. I am currently in the process of winterization of my outdoor plants. A plumeria video has been in the works amongst others as time allows, and may be out next week.

[@havic4994]

How do you vent the boxes during the winter? And the trees in the back yard, white bird, Washingtonian, and pigmy do they get boxed together? All with just a Thermalcube regulating the temp? Thanks love the vids

[@GreenDragan]

Hi Havic. The heating for all the plants in the back garden are strings of C9 Christmas lights plugged into a Thermocube

[@havic4994]

@@GreenDragan The Birds of Paradise are able to withstand the winter at 35F-45F? Im currently growing some Tropicals and sub-tropicals in Zone 7B on Long Island. NY. I have a few varieties of Palms i just wasnt sure how you kept some of these from losing most fronds even at that tempature. thats amazing. You help encourage me to push the limits here. Thanks for the info

[@GreenDragan]

@@havic4994 I don't know how you shelter your plants. My winter protection methods include putting up cold frames of transparent plastic or glass panels, allowing winter sun to enter. That can raise the interior temps to climb to 68-70 F or 20C. during mid winter. This allow the plants to survive and in many cases grow a little. Happy gardening.