I just purchased a Toddy-date-palm a cuople of weeks ago and i need help!! can he live on my screened-in-porch with no direct-sunlight? ,although its bright light? ,The palm is 8 feet tall and in a 20-inch container help!!!
Toddy Date palm-help?
I think Phoenix sylvestris (Toddy Date Palm) needs a lot of direct sun to do well.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58142/
http://www.palmerasyjardines.com/en/cgi-bin/specie.asp?aid=77&sid=1&oid=3
http://stokestropicals.com/silver-date-palm-39.htm
This place says it's hardy from zone 7 - 11, so maybe you could plant it outside: http://www.tytyga.com/publication/Phoenix+Palm+Trees+for+landscapes+and+offices
A good Date Palm for small areas is Phoenix roebelenii, the Dwarf Date Palm. It does not require as much sun as other Date Palms.
Thank you so much Dave! Now I know why I've been killing my robellinii's! I end up removing them from the pots, planting them in the yard and after about a year they begin to suffer and look terrible, and finally I dig them up and throw them away! I thought they liked lots of sun like other palms! I have one robellini left in the ground that is shaded by a hickory tree and queen palms, and I've debated removing it. Unlike the other Robellini's that were in full sun, this one has been doing fine so maybe I will leave it alone!
P. roebelenii are rainforest plants and can take a lot of shade. But they still should be okay in full sun. They do like a lot of water, although I did read on this site that in cooler climates they they will develop crown rot from overhead irrigation.
They have long sharp spines so are best placed where there's less chance of close encounters of the painful kind. Not being self cleaning, trimming off the old fronds is a very delicate operation.
The photo's of one of mine in complete shade most of the year. I've some more in full sun (except earlier mornings) that aren't doing as well, but they get very little water. Water is a bigger issue than sun/shade.
I have a small roebelenii in a pot under the big banyan, lots of light but no direct sun. It seems to be growing, putting out new fronds. I'm glad to know it likes a lot of water, I wasn't sure if I was watering it too much.
well i hope my toddy survives till i move into a house
it is hardy here ive seen plenty of grown specimens lol