The Exotic Year
A month by month guide to how Marco grows his palms
and protects them during the colder months.
Marco Tiefel, Austrasse 1, 91126 Schwabach. Translated by William
Hoag.
Chamaerops No.24, Autumn Edition 1996
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My first attempt at growing subtropical plants outside
was with Yucca gloriosa, planted on the east side of the house in
1988. The biggest one is now 1,5 metres tall and has branched after
flowering last year. In 1989 I planted an Araucana auracana (Monkey
Puzzle Tree), which has since not suffered any damage. I did lose
a small Araucana 40 cm tall, on the south side of the house, in
April 1992, as a result of a late frost (-6°C) following a warm
March and beginning of April. A similar frost, late in the year
(-6°C, in March 1993) was nearly fatal for a potted Musa basjoo
which was brou2ht out during a nenod of warm weather (+20°C)
. Five out of seven solitary stems froze, and no shoots have emerged
since. According to literature, the stem of Musa basjoo is hardy
to -9°C. The last two stems never completely recovered and one
of those perished last year. lt was a fortunate thing that I had
two small ones in reserve, with which I was able to rebuild a good
clump.
The first two palms, Trachycarpus fortunei, when bought
in 1985 had trunks 30 cm in height, overall height 1 meter. Planted
in containers, they produced only 1-2 leaves each year, trunk growth
could hardly be registered. In 1990 I planted out a Trachycarpus
on the southwest side of the house, which now produces 4-5 leaves
each year. The second Trachy palm was brought out into the open
but as a result of the cold 92/93 winter with temperatures down
to -16°C and evident leaf damage, I brought it inside in the
autumn to spend the winter in the basement, container-bound. The
first Trachy suffered no leaf damage but the new growth had difficulties
and the first leaves had an unusual, crippled appearance; but the
point produced five leaves in the course of the year. lt thrived
through the next two winters and in June 1995 the first flowering
occurred and 11 leaves were produced; the trunk now is 70 cm in
height, overall height of 2 meters.
In March 1995 I planted Yucca aloifolia 'variegata',
which is already 2 meters tall and difficult to bring in and out
of the house due to its prickly nature. Before Christmas 1995 we
had three cold nights down to -13.5°C, but the Y. aloifolia
did not suffer.
The subtropical gardening year begins here around
the 8th week of the year; the first plants to come out of the basement
are T. fortunei, which were raised from south Tirolean seeds; then
Chamaerops humilis, Butia capitata, Cordyline australis. The biggest
specimen spends the winter in the basement on its side, as the stairwell
and its 3,3 meters is not tall enough.
The next plants to come out are Choisya ternata, Fatsia
japonica and variegata, Camelia japonica, Callistemon citrinus,
Phormium tenax purpurea and variegata, and Nerium Oleander. The
Neriums begin blossoming in mid-July and the flowering goes on until
rainy September. In March the Canna indicas are set out to shoot
in an unheated glassed-in balcony, more than a hundred plants in
over 20 varieties. Cannas are the best medium-height complementary
plants for a tropical framework in the garden. Small wild species
like Canna limbata, 30 cm tall with small, yellow-red flowers and
comparatively big seed pods begins to blossom in mid-June, the big-flowered
types in mid-July. The wild form of Canna indica and its orange
tubular flowers is not quite as spectacular, but reaches a height
of 1,7 meters, even on the north side of the house. Big-flowered
Cannas look quite nice under Musa basjoo. It's very interesting
and rewarding to raise Cannas from self-collected seed, as the seedlings
often show variation in size of leaf and plant as well as flower
colour, and many bloom in the first year. I dig up the Cannas in
the autumn with a generous amount of earth so damage to the rhizomes
is minimal. They need some moisture throughout the winter. Earlier
winters with no added moisture resulted in 30% loss.
During the month of April nearly all plants are brought
outside. The new flowering star of the last two years was lochooma
cyaneum which, after a leafless winter, is brought outside with
leaves and flowers, and they persist all through the summer and
up until the plant comes inside again in November. Ficus carica
has obviously enjoyed the hot summers of the last few years, and
the plants produce edible fruit every year. Cold summers result
in hollow figs and very little pulp. The plants have been outside
for three years now and show no signs of damage. Over the pergola,
the hardy Campsis radicans is a background attraction which flowers
profusely in July and August. Passers-by walking by the east side
of the front garden stop and admire the big Yucca gloriosa and the
Araucaria. Later in the year they are accompanied by Musa basjoo,
2 branched Yucca elephantipes 2,8 meters tall and two big Cordyline
australis.
In the second small front garden stand three Hibiscus
syracus planted out in 1984, the prettiest sight is when one of
them flowers in four different colours. Each year it has more; when
I see a new variety I graft it onto my plants in March, out of ten
grafting attempts two to three are successful.
Even the warmest summer comes to an end, and three
basement rooms fill up in November and December with subtropical
plants, stacked up and bundled. The plants left outside are protected
with a thick mulch of leaves. When the night frosts dip below -10°C
I spray water onto the Yuccas and Araucarias so that when the temperature
falls at night the water freezes instantly and the cold does not
directly affect the leaves. This does not work with Trachycarpus,
it is enveloped in a rush-mat when temperatures stay low (3-4 days
under -12°C). This protective mat makes a difference of four
degrees celcius.
In the course of the years to come, I plan to try
out Musa basjoo, Sabal minor, Nannorrhops ritchinana if it becomes
available, Trachycarpus fortunei (is said to withstand -18°C
in Hupei, China), to be planted out in the garden. I shall report
to you on results, when I will have acquired new perceptions and
knowledge on the hardiness of these plants.

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