Handy Hints
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Latania species in 20 litre bag.

Price's Palm Plantation often chooses to use planter bags in our nursery for the following cogent reasons:

• It's the plant: not the container that you really want to buy. Most containers are simply thrown away prior to planting so why pay extra for tomorrows' rubbish?

• Cost effective: bags are about a third of the cost of pots and the savings are passed on to you the customer.

• Better root development: the tapered, round bases of pots encourage root binding whereas a flat sided bag allows roots to evenly spread throughout the bag

• Lowers transplant shock: a bag can easily be cut from a plant before potting on or planting out with a minimum of root damage resulting in less losses for you the buyer

• Environmentally friendlier: studies show that bags account for only 10% of the landfill mass of an equivalent pot size

• Travel better: during transport soft edged bags stack more securely and shift less. Therefore your valuable stock will arrive in better condition than rigid, sharp sided pots which can cause marking and reduce the saleability of your stock

• Less wind damage: non-tapered bag shape tends to lessen the occurrence of plants being blown over and damaged

Choosing the plant that's right for you

Cycas revoluta with 750mm of clear trunk in 100 litre bag

Whether you are contemplating purchasing palms or cycads the most important thing to take into consideration is the suitability of the particular variety to your particular growing conditions. This will require a little detective work on your part.

• Know your climatic requirements: Specifically, choose a variety that will thrive in your locale. It would be pointless to purchase a highly tropical palm such as the Lipstick Palm if you live outside of the tropics. For this beautiful and expensive palm will surely become the infamous 'Brown Palm' no matter how green a thumb you possess.

• Know your plants growth habits: It is imperative that you choose a plant that will be compatible with the particular landscaping requirements you have in mind. Whether you require a solitary or clumping variety, which grows tall or stays compact, you must consider these elements carefully.

• Know a quality plant: Once you have assured yourself that you've chosen the right plant for the right situation you must ascertain what exactly makes a good quality palm or cycad. Generally speaking you are looking for even growth rings on the trunk, a solid trunk base, unmarked and even foliage and freedom from pests and diseases.

• Ultimately, know your product, read widely on the subject, experiment on a small scale yourself, talk to others in your region about what does and does not work well, join a local Palm and Cycad Society and purchase from a supplier who can advise you and who will back their product. Happy growing!