<% End Function Function SmallHeader(sTitle) MetaTags sTitle%>

Upload a picture!

Central Florida Palm & Cycad Society

<% MenuBar End Function Function Header(sTitle) MetaTags sTitle%>

Upload a picture of a palm to our site Recent Pictures

<%MenuBar%>

Tour of the Joe Ayo's Palm Garden Citrus Park, FL Tour Date: Spring 2001 Page 2 <%EnlargeMessage%>
	Palatka Giants, a form of the Florida Coontie Cycad. Photo is deceptive in perspective, these are about 5 1/2 feet high.		An overpruned Sabal palmetto left, clumping fan palms between sabal and tall Washingtonia are paroutis palms I started from seed picked at a McDonald's in Tampa in 1988. The low grower is a cardboard sago cycad.
	A trunk forming white bird of paradise, started from seeds I collected on Bayshore Blvd in Tampa in the 80's.		Chameadorea sp. I got from the Tampa Men's and Women's Garden Club in the 80's. Approx 7+ feet high.
	Washingtonia robusta I started from seed gathered at a Mc Donald's in 1989. Look at how it towers over a 2.5 story house now. This palm is twice as tall as the others from the seed clutch, major difference is this palm was given large amounts (about 5 each 40 lb bags) of Cow Manure as an amendment to the soil at planting time and has not been given chemical fertilizers or epson salts since 1993 when I sold the house. Who says organic fertilizers don't work?		A view of my front yard from along the road. A solid poured retaining wall along the drainage ditch is work in process. Mixed hoe and shovel style in 8 ft by 14 inches high, the concrete is primarily  intended as a curb and weed barrier.
	A Kapok Tree standing about 3 times as tall as it did last year at this time.		Livistona saribus
	A Wallichia distichia obtained at the CFPACS plant sale recently in Cocoa Beach. It came very yellow, I am hoping the 4 inches deep of manure and homemade leaf compost will improve its color. To the right is the end of a 8 ft long watermelon vine, one of a dozen planted among the palms of the front line. The surface mulching was 2 inches deep shredded oak leaf mulch, but has almost completely decomposed down to just a thin covering since it was laid down in March.		Arenga engleri in its 3rd year of life.
	With a lower frond of my Caryota laoensis visible bottom right, this eggplant is holding a dozen developing eggplants like the black thing in the middle of the plant which is visible. Planted from seed 45 days ago this is one of a dozen eggplants growing between palms on the front line and the plant is enjoying some of the 70 bags of cow manure installed in February as a blanket mulch for the frontline palms.  While palms may be slow to show results from improved soil, the vigorous health of these plants are telling me the sweet spot for the palms is achieved and the hot and rainy summer and this abundant organic fertility should bring out strong results from the palms in coming months.  This plant incidentally is covering a copernicia macroglossa at the moment.		With a red banana upper right, eggplant upper left, a King Sago middle right, the rest is water melon just now flowering and setting fruit. I have grown nice watermelons before but these are without a doubt the most vigorous vines I have ever grown. It must be the manure mulch, or the palm tree fertilizers, or most likely the combination of both!
	Can't forget the Bismarckia! Just starting to react to the heavy manure mulching this past spring. Looking at the grass its hard to believe all the winter rye grass died off in April and its been a week since its been watered on this very dry day in May. The key to high drought tolerance with St Augustine grass is lots of potassium and magnesium. Treat your grass like your palm trees and it will do just fine with once a week watering.		Teddy Bear Palm and another happy survivor of this past winter (thanks to the help of being iced over during freezes!)