Winter palm enclosures and heat with palm update!

[wxman]

Thought I'd show you guys what my palms are looking like this summer. Weather has been extremely cold! Coldest summer since 1992, and that was the coldest summer ever here. My washingtonia robusta is really putting on size/mass. It has grew almost 24" since spring.

Here is a pic of it when I planted it, in case you don't remember.

Here it is recently.

Here is my trachycarpus fortunei from last summer.

Here it is recently.

[wxman]

Front of house shot.

Other new planting beds from this summer.

Remember my palm boxes from last winter? I'm adding 1 1/2" foam to the walls that don't receive sun this winter to reduce heat loss farther!

[wxman]

Last year I used heat lamps and mini x-mas lights for palm heating. Worked well, but was a pain in the butt regulating the heat. Had to unplug on warm sunny days, and remember to plug in when it got colder. I bought this for this winter.

Getting one for each enclosure. Setting the thermostat at 50F and forgetting about it for the winter! Putting the heat selector on low which will operate at 750 watts. Unit will cycle on/off as needed and provide air circulation in the boxes as well, which I lacked last winter. I did a preliminary test last night outside in one of my boxes. Set the thermostat at 75F and checked on it periodically over the next hour. It cycled on/off perfectly and kept the temperature between about 70-80F. So this winter the structures should stay 45-55F. Perfect. Last year I let the robusta see 26F a few times and the leaf tips burned. This was on the cold nights where I hit -15F and the wind was howling. Could barely keep the structure from falling below 26F. Was outside at midnight piling snow around it! Won't happen this year.

Better to have more wattage and need less than need more and not have it!

Edited September 2, 2009 by wxman

[BS Man about Palms]

I would set the stat lower. They'll take it and you'll be in the poor house if not...

[yachtingone]

impresive

[Mark Heath]

Tim,

Looks like you're ready! Good job. When does it start to get cold up there?

[buffy]

You enjoy tropicals too much to suffer so. Move.

[palmislandRandy]

You seriously need to consider moving south! You may as well move, as your neighbors already think you're crazy!

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Palms in Wisconsin is sooo cool! Heep up the good work! How long until you build the full backyard greenhouse?!

[Corrosion]

Youre not going to use that heater with a trachie aren´t you? I have a winter ahead with my trachie and I´m worried already

I planned to build a house covered with bubblewrap and use maybe fleece and xmas lights with xtreme lows.

BTW nice develop in growth! In the south it wouldn´t be that fun as in the north..

[wxman]

Yeah maybe I'm a little nuts and my neighbors think I'm cuckoo, but who cares! I love palms and I'm unable to move south anytime soon. Still working on convincing the wife, and I don't want to wait years to enjoy palms! For a palm that defoliates in the lower 20s, the washingtonia has done remarkably well up here so far. I love its fast growth rate and ability to put on mass quickly. I think it loves my warm, humid summers that I get. Up against the stone house helps too.

Yes, I plan on using one of those heaters for my trachycarpus fortunei, but the way you are going to protect it should work too. What I'm doing is overkill, but I want to make sure my palms start out spring robust and healthy! With the potential for my temperature to plummet to -25F to -30F, I need to be prepared to raise the temperature 60F in extreme cases. We've had rare instances where the high was -15F for the day!! Normally I'm 10-15F at night in January, so I only need 20-25F raise.

I really hate letting my palms see sub freezing weather even if they can tolerate it.

When my washingtonia gets as tall as my roof and I can no longer lower a box onto it, do you guys have suggestions for protecting it? I know mummy wrapping is a possibility, but don't know how to save the leaves in that instance. I have a 40 ft extension ladder, so as long as its under 40 ft tall I can do something.

[JASON M]

Where is saukville? I live near milwaukee.... you have to show me! I really want some palms in my yard but my grandpa spent so much on landscape

Please show me! I'm 5B to.

(:

[sick1166]

wow pics are great you thought in wi you would see a palm

[JASON M]

wow pics are great you thought in wi you would see a palm

Duder! I'm near Milwaukee and I have like 3 palms inside... haha. Plus a cycad!

[Palm Painter]

Wxman

Previously i suggested "With global warming your options would only get better!". Well don't wait for a warmer climate. Move !

Your welcome anytime here in S. Ca.

Regards,

palm painter (Henry)

[JASON M]

Wxman

Previously i suggested "With global warming your options would only get better!". Well don't wait for a warmer climate. Move !

Your welcome anytime here in S. Ca.

Regards,

palm painter (Henry)

Yea I wanna move too. But I can't we all have reasons why we can't move and they are forcing us to stay up here... in the cold wasteland called Wisconsin. I can't wait for Arizona in 2018.

[epicure3]

Wxman

Previously i suggested "With global warming your options would only get better!". Well don't wait for a warmer climate. Move !

Your welcome anytime here in S. Ca.

Regards,

palm painter (Henry)

Just make sure you bring money.

[Palm Painter]

jASON,

FINISH YOUR EDUCATION FIRST AND THEN MAKE YOUR MOVE! I DIDN'T LEAVE THE FROZEN NORTH UTIL I WAS 21. PALM PEOPLE THRIV

IN PALM CLIMATES. COME ON DOWN, WXMAN AND JASON!

PALM PAINTER

[JASON M]

Oh I wish I could! I can't move... my parents think AZ is too hot... but IDRC. I'm 11... so I have 0% chance of moving in the next 8 years!