Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm)

Hello everyone,
I came across a Trachycarpus the other day (as you do). Thoroughly pot-bound and I think therefore the growth has been stunted. Additionally, the leaves are somewhat yellow, probably through lack of care. Would it be recommended to re-pot this specimen (there is already a very fine looking glazed clay pot to hand just desperate to be utilised) or much better to try and find a suitable space in the border. If in pot, what is the recommended compost please?
Many thanks!
Kind regards
Roy

 

Hi Royster, ideally they like to go in the ground as they are trees after all, BUT I grow them in pots too. I think yours would definitely benefit from repotting with some decent compost with feed to address the yellow leaves. To give you some idea of how restrictive pot growing can be, I bought 2 identical 1 foot trunk trachys and put one in the ground and one in a large pot. The one in the ground is now approaching 2 feet in trunk and the pot grown one seems to have grown by a couple of inches at most. I find that the ground planted one also puts out more leaves (which makes sense re the height) each year. Although these are palms they do like to be well watered and a pot bound specimen would be unlikely to hold on to much water in the pot.

BM

 

Agree with BM, much better in the ground if you can find a spot.
If you should pot it on, you may well find it needs potting on again next year, those large specimines you find in pots at garden centres, are not grown in them, they are usually potted up for sale.
As for glazed pots, I've noticed that many of those imports are not really shaped for removal when it comes to potting on next time, and you have to break the pot.
I'd use JI no3 with some extra peat and sharp sand.

 

Excellent gentlemen!
Thanks for your advice!
Kind regards
Roy