Need input from Tropical Mavens

When we bought our property, the previous owner had this "Palm Nursery"...about 1/2 acre of immature and mature palms growing in growbags and into the ground. We have "released" as many as we could and replanted them...and surprisingly they have lived. The photo shows a corner where "there ain't no way, Jose' " as the palms are grown into the ground and it is an ignored jungle in there (there is one lone avocado tree dying for some sun. The ferns are wild and I would dearly love to know how to get rid of them...it is an endless thankless task pulling them out...they come back...

So...Kyle, Tropicman, Henry10 and all you others out there with great ideas.... HOW WOULD YOU CHANGE THIS? Without tearing up the palms which we cant do.

I have thought of chainsawing down, say, everyother one and planting the stumps with Epis, Orchids and other epiphytes.

Growing vines up them and letting them grow rampant.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions....no matter how wild!!! I like wild!!

OH, by the way...the palms are Alexanders and considered a weed here...but we love them!

.......

Here is another photo from further away, about the driveway when you come into the house area....fruit tree in front of them is a Rambutan.

can you ship me 2-3 ;-)

ely

i agree with the vines up the trunks iedea. that's whet we're doing with our palm tree and we only have 1!

otherwise i would suggest just to plant some cannas or something else relativeley tall (maybe some big alocasias) to break up the starkness of it a little bit and blend it into the background.

You could import some underpriveleged snails and let them have a go at your ferns, they sure as hell love to decimate mine! good luck.

scott

Hmmm... looks great to me.. not sure why you want to change that little corner of heaven...

PB...for me, it needs color...something to break the 'telephone pole' look. I am currently up to my eyeballs in orchid cactus and other vines...and I thought...well... Maybe there would be a clever way to do it. I definitely think that thinning it out and opening it up would be an improvement.

Did you know Vern Wood when you were here?

I gotta admit, I like the way it looks now. Whacking a couple of em down is ok--as long as the stumps are at different heights. Planted with vines or Epis would look good.

I've always favored wild and a bit overgrown to formal and clipped.

-Ron-

I am with you, Ron. I guess it is that 'telephone pole look' I hate!!!

We are definitely the 'wild and a bit overgrown' here!!

Git some wild pigs!!LOL OK brah, he we go! thin out the palms to about 1 every 6 - 8 feet apart.cut/slash /burn whatevah. next wrap the lower parts of the trunks of the remaining trees with plastic,IE plastic drop cloths(cheap)..then spray the ferns with Finale, or Roundup pro and wait for the demise.It will kill them roots and all,then go back in 3 days later and replant what you want as a groundcover etc. OH! remove the plastic from the palm bases as soon as the spray has dried. Send the surplus palm trunks to a local artist to be made into Tiki's and mail me one... LOL

Aloha nui loa

kolohe brah Kyle

In a Priority Mail Tube?

Will Roundup Pro or Finale really kill the Ferns? Man...I have tried Crossbow, Roundup just about everything...afraid to burn them with a torch for fear of a forest fire.

When we moved in, I wanted to thin them, and then bring in lots of trucks of cinders to cover the bags they are growing in and provide some interesting contour to the area. Alas...real estate has taken off like a scalded cat and cinder is getting mighty pricey...

Palms and ferns....looks good to me, but what do I know.......

I think a little color would change the whole bandwagon....

Hap

mahalo, i would extend the bed out into the sunshine following the same curve you already have, alittle further to the right and left and bring it out towards you. the ferns arent going to want to come out into the sun too much. i would then plant whatever your favorite flowering plants/color combinations you like. somewhere off to the side a bit, i would dump alot of mulch into a path and have the path going off into the middle of the palms. i would then clear out just a very few in the middle ,if necessary, and put a swing or hammock or something, im not sure. whatever you chose, i would have it the same color as the predominant color of the flowers you chose. i would also run an underground electric cord in conduit for safety and have a few lights out there. at night it would be breathtaking. esp. if you go with white and yellow flowers. they really pop at night. i would throw in some red myself for daytime drama. blue might blend in too much. you could mount the swing ( not a wooden one) kind of those ropey hanging basket types on the trunks of the palms you decide to annihilate. when you put big screws in them they will die anyway. i will probubly come back and add more. i love this kind of stuff. mahalo. debi

back already! one thing i forgot to add in answer to your original question. under the swing in a round circle pull all the ferns, put down triple layer weed mat and cover with smooth stone. i sound like im living there, dont i? LOL debi

Oi! I should have such problems! lol

I was thinking more making it a segregated Island Bed.
They are SO pretty they don't need any enhancement
Just the Palms by themselves surrounded by short lawn grass.
That telephone pole look will really pop against the lush background.
It's a beautiful grove.......feature it!


Once it's on it's own you can mow around it for containment and work sections at a time getting rid of the undesirables.

Ric

I love debi's ideas! That would showcase them, but I think if tall, bold leaved plants were used in extended areas it would bring a new perspective to the palms. Step down plants may reduce the telephone pole feel.

Thanks for posting and letting us fantasize "if that was my yard". You could just fly a bunch of DGrs over to help! I'm sure lots of us would be your garden slaves for that! LOL

Finale will kill the ferns better then Roundup will , tordon would have to be applied to cut stems of the ferns to kill them.Tordon will kill an oak tree if applied to the cambium layer thru a cut.

Wow...what great ideas!

Debi - your idea is great and I love the idea of a little 'hideaway'...unfortunately, the mosquitos rival pigmy headhunters...we have 4 kinds with their own timetables. That's why I quit being outside after 3pm as there is a group that chew me up. Deet is my fragrance du jour - I'm sure it is going to kill me faster than age!!! geminisage...big fat ees and lucious shade loves would looke terrific and soften the telephone look.

I like the idea of an Island Bed. Here is the dilemma: those ferns are growing out of the HUGE grow bags they were left in. Some - most - of the bags have wire around them...and they are around 3' tall. The ferns kinda soften that...but perhaps If I could get rid of the ferns, I could encourage another groung creeper to hang from the bags. The lawn does go up the bags...

Hey, c'mon over...I could use some help!

A_H can you get a closer shot of the ground around and between the Palms?

It might help w/ ideas.

Have you tried Mosquito Coils?
They are an incense like version of a deterrent.
They work magic here.
We put one coil upwind of wherever we hanging out and haven't been bitten once.

Ric

Yes I see, such a tough problem to have!!!!!!!! LOL!
Well I see a couple tiki huts on each side with some large flowering hibiscuses,a few large leaves Borneo Alocasias,or maybe a huge Gunnera, a large huge devils ivy,pothos growing up a few palms,pig roasting in the ground,couple bananas trees next to the huts,several hula hula gals dancing and me right in the middle relaxing,in one of those huge bamboo chairs,with a drink with a little umbrella and a big cuban cigar!!!!
All you have to do is send me a ticket.I'll take care of the rest!!!!!LOL

Here is the photo cropped closer. If it doesn't work, will take photos tomorrow from right there in the middle of it..... mozzies and all! Edited to say, not all that clear...will rip some ferns out and take a photo of them 'nude' tomorrow.

Henry...Coil are great. I have burned horrible holes in good teak furniture they are so neat!!! And I have wax all over the floor under my desk from the candles! When I am stationary, no problem!!! When I am gardening...Wowser!!! Before I work with my hoyas in the shade...I spray with Yard Guard, Outdoors Off and anything else I can find...and still slather Deet all over me. I have heard that there IS an effective NON deet product but none I have tried works. My husband will divorce me if I wear that Pelargonium/Mint/voodoo doo they sell at the Health Food Store. They 'say' that once you are here a while, the mozzies ignore you. NOT. They bite, but you become immune to the itching...it is just those bites that get me!!! and the swarms around my eyes! Hey, there are chocolate and vanilla sides to everything.... LOL

This message was edited Aug 22, 2005 7:05 PM

Well, if that was MY yard... and it took up the entire yard, I would clear some of it away... but as it seems to be just a corner of your yard, I would showcase it by clearing away everything around the 'poles'... and leave them as is... sans color, too... put color other places if you need it. Too much color takes away from what color there is. And be careful with a lot of color plants- many are good havens for mosquitoes, and sounds like you have plenty already (NO bromeliads!... or you will have a gazillion mosquitoes!).