Thanks Matty,as i posted to Dean,I have a terrific gopher problem. Only Howea,King and Trachycarpus and Phoenix rupicola(thank god,its slow enough as it is) have been ignored. Bizmarckia,all the Chamedorea's,and Rhapsis were devoured.
Bren - if you could get your hands on a Howea belmoreana, you should try that instead. Same trunk, more or less, but rarer, and IMO, an equally if not prettier palm.
I have extremely small ones under my forsterianas....always glad to see them. I'll get a photo posted....
I had H belmore in 1990. It had a nice curved look even in a gallon pot- although 6" pot would have been more its size. If I knew then what I know now? I would have sat on mine-incubated it- to keep it warm if that's what it takes to survive a big freeze. Around late '89 I ordered seedlings of that,P.rupicola and P.loureiri,Wine palm and some other palms Sunset book said could grow in z17. 1990 took out the grove of 30' Cyathea medullaris in Golden Gate park. It might have been the last great freeze that city will ever see. I gave the wine palm seedling away,disgusted. 2 years later,I started again..