Winter protection

[PalmGuyWC]

Are you prepared for winter? If you grow palms, unless you live in the tropics, you are probably growing some marginal palms for your climate. It only takes one freezing night to wipe out or damage some of your prized palms. Are you ready for that unexpected early killing frost? It's probably already dark before you get home from work and it's supposed to freeze that night, and in a frenzy your rip your linen closet apart looking for old sheets. You look for a flashlight and the batterys are dead. It is already cold and your shivering, and your cursing yourself for not being prepared. Has this happened to you?

Now is the time to avoid the last minute panic. I only have a few marginal palms and I've found just a crude frame with a sheet thrown over the frame will keep the frost off the foliage, which is most often enough to protect from damage. If it going to get really cold, maybe a flood light with a reflector at the base of the palm would add enough protection. If your palms are much more than 4 or 5 feet, then forget it.

I have a bamboo grove, so I have plenty of bamboo to make frames. I saw the bottom part off at a 45 degree angle and then drive the stakes in the ground around the palm, then I throw a sheet over the stakes. It's best not to let the sheet touch the fronds. This will give your palms several degrees of protection.

If you have tender palms in containers, move them close to the house with overhead protection. A lot of palms will take the cold but not the frost on the fronds. I have a 12 foot overhang facing south, so I'm slowly moving tender suculents, palms, etc. under the overhang. With the lower sun angle they get several hours of sun during the day, and come through the winter fine. If it's going to get very cold, move your container plants in the garage, or pack your house with plants, or both. I've done all of the above. Good luck.

Dick

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Excellent advice, Dick. We don't enjoy preparing for a frost/freeze but a few precautions could save much grief for us AND our palms when Mother Nature gives us the "cold shoulder!" Thanks for the post!

Paul

[epicure3]

Are you prepared for winter? If you grow palms, unless you live in the tropics, you are probably growing some marginal palms for your climate. It only takes one freezing night to wipe out or damage some of your prized palms. Are you ready for that unexpected early killing frost? It's probably already dark before you get home from work and it's supposed to freeze that night, and in a frenzy your rip your linen closet apart looking for old sheets. You look for a flashlight and the batterys are dead. It is already cold and your shivering, and your cursing yourself for not being prepared. Has this happened to you?

Now is the time to avoid the last minute panic.

Call 1-800-New Climate for a warmer climate right now. Operators are standing by. Call right now. The first ten callers will also receive free shipping and handling. Don't lose one Sealing Wax palm to cold....call right now!!

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[kahili]

lol Dick-between this thread and Tony/Dallas's thread on the brahea in the snow, its getting harder and harder to escape the fact that winter is coming! We have had abnormally high temps these past few wks, it was 71 this am, which has helped my fantasy of no cold temps going a bit longer. All my tropicals and tropical palms are inside either a greenhouse or the house, so thats a big one done. It took over 3 hours of 3 people moving it all inside. Thats one that can't wait until last minute-although thats been tried. You are right-its cold and nasty doing it in the dark. With covering the palms when its cold, thats when I am always kicking myself about pushing the zones.

My best method so far has been to wrap them with heavy duty frost blankets and then cover that with heavy duty weedblock-the two together are essential imo, for colder weather. The weedblock will take the freezing and keep the blanket dry (and warmer inside). I do want to try building a few cages of wood frame and cover with plastic so its good you wrote this thread-a good reminder to me to get going on it. Thanks!

[Alberto]

..................................... It's probably already dark before you get home from work and it's supposed to freeze that night, and in a frenzy your rip your linen closet apart looking for old sheets. You look for a flashlight and the batterys are dead. It is already cold and your shivering, and your cursing yourself for not being prepared......

You feel the dry cold air comming from the South Pole...the sky is clear as cristal and the light of the stars is like they are frozen in the sky.... then you suddenly wake up, with the heart frequency around 120/min, bathing in sweat drops....oooch!!! It was only a nightmare!!!!

Edited October 28, 2009 by Alberto

[Nigel]

..................................... It's probably already dark before you get home from work and it's supposed to freeze that night, and in a frenzy your rip your linen closet apart looking for old sheets. You look for a flashlight and the batterys are dead. It is already cold and your shivering, and your cursing yourself for not being prepared......

You feel the dry cold air comming from the South Pole...the sky is clear as cristal and the light of the stars is like they are frozen in the sky.... then you suddenly wake up, with the heart frequency around 120/min, bathing in sweat drops....oooch!!! It was only a nightmare!!!!

Hahahahahaha, this would be hilarious if it wasnt true, how many of us have been out in the garden at midnight with blankets ????????

[PalmGuyWC]

Alberto,

You make it sound so much more poetic, but unfortunately it probably isn't a nightmare.

Dick

[Mark_NoVA]

Already done that this year--I was on a 3-hour drive home, when I heard on the radio about abnormally early cold weather that night. Had a meeting in the evening too! Was out until 1:30am moving plants indoors.

The Hyophorbe verschaffeltii spear in the 2nd photo has already grown several inches horizontally across the ceiling! We'll see how that turns out.

[8er-moni]

I do want to try building a few cages of wood frame and cover with plastic so its good you wrote this thread-a good reminder to me to get going on it. Thanks!

Hi Kahili!

I have a similar construction (the first winter!!!) - wood frame and Styrodur (8cm) for my litte Trachy and the Musa basjoo - Styrodur is similar to polystyrene, but it soakes no water!

I've seen these constructions 2m high or more, which keep the palms or other plants warm at leat warmer than outside!

You can reach a little bit higher temperatures inside, if you put in buckets or cans filled with water

Closed with Styrodur or in this way ... when it is not so cold during the day.

[8er-moni]

All my plants, which are not able to stay in winter outside, are now in the cellar (7 to9° C) with light for plants for 14 hours.

[8er-moni]

Continue ....

The heated wintergarden is "full", too :blink:

....

[8er-moni]

Continue ....

[kahili]

Thanks for showing me, 8er-moni. Not sure if I am going to do it, still thinking about which is warmer. I have a P. sylvestris that is about 8' high that I want to keep on the warm side since this is its first winter in the ground. I can either wrap it on nights 17 degrees (-8 C) or cooler or build the box and use grhouse plastic and leave it up and just flip over the top when its cold, and I guess set up a spotlight at the base for cooler nights. I wish I could see into the future and know what kind of winter we are going to be having... The thing that bothers me about the cage is that if we get a really cold night-like last winter where we had 11 and 15 degree nights (-11C) then I don't know if just the plastic cage and a spotlight will be enough to keep all the leaves protected without the blankets? Anyone have any thoughts about it at those temps? I would like to keep the leaves on this one as it only has the upright ones right now (not a full crown of leaves)

You have a lot of plants that you had to move in also 8er-moni! I ended up putting in a 4'x4' skylight in a room that I didn't use and that has worked great for the palms. I put plastic on the floor and can drag a hose in there to water in the winter when I get tired of hauling water in there. The palms are in pans to catch the water, so it works pretty well-not much water spilled from the hose.

[Alberto]

..................................... It's probably already dark before you get home from work and it's supposed to freeze that night, and in a frenzy your rip your linen closet apart looking for old sheets. You look for a flashlight and the batterys are dead. It is already cold and your shivering, and your cursing yourself for not being prepared......

You feel the dry cold air comming from the South Pole...the sky is clear as cristal and the light of the stars is like they are frozen in the sky.... then you suddenly wake up, with the heart frequency around 120/min, bathing in sweat drops....oooch!!! It was only a nightmare!!!!

Hahahahahaha, this would be hilarious if it wasnt true, how many of us have been out in the garden at midnight with blankets ????????

How many?At least one: Me!

[8er-moni]

You have a lot of plants that you had to move in also 8er-moni!

:drool: Really crazy, I think!

I wish you and your plants "happy winter"

[freakypalmguy]

I guess I better get busy. 38F earlier this morning. I have to protect all my small plants with chicken wire enclosures to keep the rabbits out so I already have step one complete. Now I just need to to attach frost cloth to them and I'm set. Every year since planting my Hyphaene coriacea completely defoliates in the winter, but comes back with a vengeance in the spring. I will be protecting them this year to see if its the cold temps or the frost that gets them. I'm actually thinking of trying an experiment, cover one with frost cloth and the other with plastic wrap. I'm thinking the plastic wrap will keep the frost off but also might create a "greenhouse effect" during the day. Or will it get too hot and burn during the day?

[Mark_NoVA]

Wow, 8er-moni, that is an amazing number of plants brought inside for the winter!

What kind of light are you using in the basement for the plants?

[fastfeat]

I'm sure most people here already know this, but it's (past) time to cut nitrogen fertilization as well if you haven't done so already on tender palms and other susceptible tropicals/subtropicals too!

[PalmatierMeg]

I guess I better get busy. 38F earlier this morning. I have to protect all my small plants with chicken wire enclosures to keep the rabbits out so I already have step one complete. Now I just need to to attach frost cloth to them and I'm set. Every year since planting my Hyphaene coriacea completely defoliates in the winter, but comes back with a vengeance in the spring. I will be protecting them this year to see if its the cold temps or the frost that gets them. I'm actually thinking of trying an experiment, cover one with frost cloth and the other with plastic wrap. I'm thinking the plastic wrap will keep the frost off but also might create a "greenhouse effect" during the day. Or will it get too hot and burn during the day?

Matt, in FL we are warned not to place plastic in direct contact with plants during freeze events - plastic can actually magnify damage from cold. Have a layer of fabric between plastic and plant or place some kind of framework between plant & plastic so they don't touch.

[freakypalmguy]

I guess I better get busy. 38F earlier this morning. I have to protect all my small plants with chicken wire enclosures to keep the rabbits out so I already have step one complete. Now I just need to to attach frost cloth to them and I'm set. Every year since planting my Hyphaene coriacea completely defoliates in the winter, but comes back with a vengeance in the spring. I will be protecting them this year to see if its the cold temps or the frost that gets them. I'm actually thinking of trying an experiment, cover one with frost cloth and the other with plastic wrap. I'm thinking the plastic wrap will keep the frost off but also might create a "greenhouse effect" during the day. Or will it get too hot and burn during the day?

Matt, in FL we are warned not to place plastic in direct contact with plants during freeze events - plastic can actually magnify damage from cold. Have a layer of fabric between plastic and plant or place some kind of framework between plant & plastic so they don't touch.

Thank you Meg, I'll just use frost cloth then.

[kahili]

Matt-adding the plastic over the blanket will give you additional warmth. Meg is right in that you don't want plastic freezing directly on the leaf, but if its really cold (freezing cold), then I think its better to have a thick enough blanket where the inner layers don't freeze on the leaf either. Putting plastic or weed block over the blanket prevents this. Just another step though.

[Kris]

Iam glad that i live in hot-wet tropical zone,but only down side is that i cannot grow desert plants & palms.But that a very small price to pay compared to the pains one has carrying all the potted plants indoors during winters in cooler regions/zones of the world.

kris.

[plamfrong]

I'm in the middle of building a 20x84' greenhouse. Last winter it dropped to 13F and the temperature was below freezing for almost two weeks in December, and I had heavy losses despite having a smaller heated greenhouse (not everything fit inside). We have had a few cold nights this autumn, including 35F on Sept 30 with patchy frost, and a freak drop to 27F the second week of Oct, which didn't really damage anything because it was so dry. (Normally we don't have frost here until Nov.) So I just can't stress over it too much, I'd just better to keep working on the greenhouse! If it's done in 2 weeks I think everything will be fine.

[Alberto]

Ber-Moni,I´ll not complain anymore about my cold snaps ,after seeing what you have to do to protect your plants!

[8er-moni]

:blink: Thanks - I am always looking for a "guilty" person :lol: but I cannot find anybody - except me :drool:

[Kostas]

I must confess i am currently totally unprepared for a frost here...All my tender stuff are still enjoying their sun outdoors Lowest temprature till now has only been 13C and highest 25C so i am all good still! I dont normally get any below 0C tempratures in Melissia before December or a little after it so i am not in a hurry right now as i will be planting some of my tender for Melissia palms in Pyrgos shortly where they should do fine unprotected.I only keep my newly germinated tender palms indoors in plastic cups for ease of protection till spring comes and they outgrow their space.

I keep very few non cold hardy palms in Melissia as i really dont like the hassle of protecting them. So i just plant them the soonest possible in the ground in Pyrgos unless they are something i dont want to even risk loosing such as my New Caledonian palms and a few other rare or slow growing species.

With cycads its another story though,i have/will have by winter many tender species i will have to protect(or move to Pyrgos potted ) till i prepare another property of mine in Pyrgos for field planting them See? i just dont want to be protecting them yearly!!! I like to see snow in the forecast and just not care!!!

On the other hand,it would be far better if i lived in Pyrgos permanently...

[Corrosion]

Iam glad that i live in hot-wet tropical zone,but only down side is that i cannot grow desert plants & palms.But that a very small price to pay compared to the pains one has carrying all the potted plants indoors during winters in cooler regions/zones of the world.

kris.

And the best part is that you dont recieve huge heating bill every beginning of the month Living in north really sucks. Well isolated outer walls, double windows and other things..I wish I lived few zones above.

[Gtlevine]

Last night was the first cool night, so winter is definately in the air. The only thing I do is fertilize one last time while the soil is warm enough for the roots to uptake the fertilizer. I believe this is the best protection for the palms since they will have a hard time taking up any nutrients in the winter when the soil temps cool.

Gary

[DoomsDave]

I heat up some herb tea, and get ready to watch the much longer display of red leaves on the Chambeyroneas.

Ahhhhh . . . . . .

[osideterry]

This year I'm not going to haul palms to the garage and run around with sheets and bungie cords like a mad man. If it's in the ground, it's in the best spot I could have planted it and it's on it's own. If it's in a pot I'll pull it up under the deck, close to the house. If it's in the greenhouse, hey it's in the greenhouse.

Nothing I have is all that valuable. If it dies, I'll replace it with something less touchy. I'm kinda done with the zone pushing, and would rather fill the yard with permanent specimens.

[PalmGuyWC]

Terry,

At last a man who speaks my lauguage.

Dick

[8er-moni]

Wow, 8er-moni, that is an amazing number of plants brought inside for the winter!

What kind of light are you using in the basement for the plants?

Sorry, I am late!

I have 2 fluorescent lamp (each 1 meter) with "840" quality- I hope you know this ....

[Davidl]

I live in a marginal zone ten so I have to protect my small palms with sheets and some I just put in the shade house.I only go to great lengths to keep some alive if they are really special to me and the rest live or die according to fate.

[Mark_NoVA]

Thanks 8er-moni. I think '840' refers to the color spectrum--840 is 'cool white'.

Wow, 8er-moni, that is an amazing number of plants brought inside for the winter!

What kind of light are you using in the basement for the plants?

Sorry, I am late!

I have 2 fluorescent lamp (each 1 meter) with "840" quality- I hope you know this ....

[8er-moni]

Exactly, Mark!

[Kris]

Iam glad that i live in hot-wet tropical zone,but only down side is that i cannot grow desert plants & palms.But that a very small price to pay compared to the pains one has carrying all the potted plants indoors during winters in cooler regions/zones of the world.

kris.

And the best part is that you dont recieve huge heating bill every beginning of the month Living in north really sucks. Well isolated outer walls, double windows and other things..I wish I lived few zones above.

By the way you don't need even water heaters in the bath,the water is warn throughout the year...