Palm tree cold protection

[PalmatierMeg]

Monday my husband went to frantic work in an effort to protect sensitive palms in the back yard shade garden. We made a huge cover by clipping together 4 king size sheets, then tented it over a plastic rack and deck chairs. We managed to cover about 75% of the garden, then went after stray small palms with more sheets, towels - and shirts.

I've realized that many smaller palms can be covered, literally "dressed", in t-shirts. I raided our closets for garments and went to work clothing palms. Dressing a palm is a lot like dressing a baby. Palms resent the indignity and confinement. But it's for their own good.

Last night I took some photos. Hope someone finds them informative and/or amusing. Because if we don't laugh, we'll cry.

Views of our shade garden tent

Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus and sick Borassadendron machadonis covered with sheet

Covered palms in shade garden

[PalmatierMeg]

And for palms with discriminating taste, the latest in winter wear.

Palms in Ts and muscle shirts

Chambeyronia macrocarpa in Guy Harvey shark T

Areca trianda in one of my husband's softball tournament Ts

Finally, my two Chamaedorea deckeriana in hoodies. They look like monks on their way to pray for palms affected by this foul weather.

[epicure3]

Looks like everything is well covered. Love the monk look. I think if I used that much clothing, me and the family would be walking around naked.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Ms. Meg: Very resourceful...your palms would certainly give you a big green hug (if they had appendages that could hug!) Looks like Sat-Sun upcoming are your next cold marker "landmark" days. Problem could be that your area should get sleet and/or freezing rain which would mean heavy wet cotton. You might need to change to plastic over the crowns. There won't be any sun on Sunday early AM, so you can be safe with that non-organic entity until 11 AM EST, after which all coverings probably will not any longer be required, except probably north of Okeechobee inland and north of Bradenton-Myakka City on your coast, and north of Hobe Sound-Stuart on the Treasure Coast.

My opinion?? Syonnara to this lousy month ASAP! January serves no purpose unless you want to grow azaleas, peaches or apples in Florida.

Dr. Paul

ROLL TIDE!! 'BAMA RULES; "No Rednecks heah; we be Crimson!"

[mjff]

Call the fashion police!

Mule palms and small Butias "fashionably" covered in contemporary appliance box and Hardibacker structures. The smaller ones got monochromatic black 30 and 45 gallon pots. Tres chic!

Livistona and Phoenix palms in refrigerator boxes, smaller ones under frost cloth and buckets or 20 gallon pots.

Chamaedorea radicalis adorned with frost cloth and buckets accessorized with Colorado River Rock. Every palm will want this look this weekend.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Call the fashion police!

Mule palms and small Butias "fashionably" covered in contemporary appliance box and Hardibacker structures. The smaller ones got monochromatic black 30 and 45 gallon pots. Tres chic!

Livistona and Phoenix palms in refrigerator boxes, smaller ones under frost cloth and buckets or 20 gallon pots.

Chamaedorea radicalis adorned with frost cloth and buckets accessorized with Colorado River Rock. Every palm will want this look this weekend.

Looks a bit like an expensive but hard-to-understand, Andy Warhol creation....I wouldn't sell for less than $375 K.!! (maybe more!!)

Paul

[kahili]

Meg-that "monk" look is the funniest thing! I can't stop laughing when I look at them. It really does look like a person inside. I think this is the first time I have laughed since this cold spell has happened-boy do I hate this cold. Thanks for the laugh. and I hope all the plants do well in the coming days.

[Central Floridave]

hilliarous. thanks for the chuckle!

Its funny driving around and seeing people's creations out in their yards.

...

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

hilliarous. thanks for the chuckle!

Its funny driving around and seeing people's creations out in their yards.

...

It's a treasure that's an invention of a resoursceful mind!

Paul

[Mark Heath]

Meg,

Did the frost reach all the way down to you???? What have been your low temps??

BTW, good job w/ covering, your yard now looks like mine! (At the moment).

Mark

[bahia]

I'm also curious about the low temps you ended up getting, or expect to get. It has been blissfully rather balmy here in the San Francisco area since we got snow on the ridge tops back the second week of December. I heard that there was even some snow flurries at only 300 foot elevation in the towns just back of the east bay hills, in places like Orinda/Moraga/Lafayette/Walnut Creek, while it mostly only occured at 1500 feet and above in the hills within sight of the bay/ocean.

[SunnyFl]

Palms resent the indignity and confinement. But it's for their own good.

I once embarassed a foxtail to death. Dressed him up in a frumpy nightie - and he was ashamed to show his fronds in the 'hood again...

Last night I took some photos. Hope someone finds them informative and/or amusing. Because if we don't laugh, we'll cry.

Yeah - isn't that the truth! They're great pix - and I see I'm not the only one who looked at the last 2 pix in post 2 and immediately thought of supplicants at a monastery.

Now that I've seen what you all have been doing - and that's some serious cold protection - I feel like a slacker! Nothing at all is protected in my yard, nada - except Mr. Bottle-in-the-Ground. I have to rethink my lackadaisical ways and do something for the front yard garden before the arctic slapdown on Saturday.

Here's my "before" photo. Without protection, the "after" pic would just show mush, ew.

[gsn]

Sandmen from Star Wars came to my mind!!!

Meg no one can say you didn't give them the most attention you possibily could..Good luck down there...

The fat lady has already SUNG up here for me...

Edited January 7, 2010 by gsn

[PalmatierMeg]

Meg,

Did the frost reach all the way down to you???? What have been your low temps??

BTW, good job w/ covering, your yard now looks like mine! (At the moment).

Mark

Mark, the lowest I've seen so far was 31.9 on Tuesday. This morning was 37.9 (was supposed to be 33 but I think clouds from the Gulf saved us again). We got frost one morning (Mon? Tues? this has gone on so long I can't remember). It was on the cars and all the Coccothrinax in the front yard. I've checked my Coccos yesterday and tonight and see little damage so far. But lows are to be 31 Sun & Mon. I've been seeing lows in mid to high 30s almost every night - what a drag. And I got to take all that stuff down before the front and its rains blow through, then put it back on Sat. night. I haven't had much chance to check out palms in the back yard. Many are still covered and it gets dark soon after I get off work. I am (like everyone in this part of the US) so tired of all this.

Scott, I've been following your travails with the cold. I am so sorry you are seeing so much damage. And, I agree, my little monkish Chamies look like the sand people from Star Wars.

[Don]

Fantastic jobs at frost protection myself having run out of blankets and sheets, we hit 24 the other night and its supposed to be worse tonight and tomorrow.

Semper Fi

Don

[_Keith]

My method is easier. Run out, give them a kiss, run in, fix a nice Hot Toddy, repeat last step as often as necessary.

[FRITO]

goodluck Meg! those hooded palm people are funny!

Mine look like ghost - white sheets drapped over with lights illuminating it from inside.

Keith, Any damage reports yet, what have you recorded as lows? I remeber you planting some 9b material?

[_Keith]

goodluck Meg! those hooded palm people are funny!

Mine look like ghost - white sheets drapped over with lights illuminating it from inside.

Keith, Any damage reports yet, what have you recorded as lows? I remeber you planting some 9b material?

Too early to tell. We've had some good freezes, with a couple of 26 degree back to back nights. Things were looking good from that and I feel everything would have recovered from that just fine. Coming up we have high teens to low 20s for 4 straight nights. That's tough for 9a, much less 9b stuff, but the early freezes did serve to harden things off as much as Zone 9b stuff can be hardened off. We'll just have to wait and see.

Btw, It just went under 32 a few minutes ago.

[Kathryn]

Here's my roebelenii all wrapped up. I only did this because ice was originally predicted, but now that has changed. The temperature hasn't dropped below 27ºF yet, but is predicted to be 25ºF tonight and tomorrow night. It would have been fine unprotected with dry weather at 25ºF, but it was a lot of work so I'm leaving it for now.

[Don]

Here's my roebelenii all wrapped up. I only did this because ice was originally predicted, but now that has changed. The temperature hasn't dropped below 27ºF yet, but is predicted to be 25ºF tonight and tomorrow night. It would have been fine unprotected with dry weather at 25ºF, but it was a lot of work so I'm leaving it for now.

Hey kathryn the roebeleniis were the foley beach express hits canal road at the warf didnt fare very well at 24 degees.

[Peter Pacific]

Here's my roebelenii all wrapped up. I only did this because ice was originally predicted, but now that has changed. The temperature hasn't dropped below 27ºF yet, but is predicted to be 25ºF tonight and tomorrow night. It would have been fine unprotected with dry weather at 25ºF, but it was a lot of work so I'm leaving it for now.

Hey kathryn the roebeleniis were the foley beach express hits canal road at the warf didnt fare very well at 24 degees.

Hi Meg, good job! If we don't laugh, we'll cry. Great advice, you don't know how much I can sympathize with you guys in South Florida. Maria told me that all the palms are covered in Ft. Myers. This is one occasion that I'm glad to be in the warm tropics...a freeze would never happen. Good Luck to you and Tim, I hope all survives intact. Regards, Peter

[Kathryn]

Hey kathryn the roebeleniis were the foley beach express hits canal road at the warf didnt fare very well at 24 degees.

I was in Gulf Shores this weekend and saw lots of damaged roebelenii palms. The temperature the state park was closer to 20°F Saturday and Sunday morning. As you know, most of the palms planted in that area are very cold hardy and will be just fine. That area has some of the nicest Butia palms. The roebelenii palms at Souvenir City were protected so they shouldn't look too bad.

I might be back in the area the weekend of January 30 - I'll bring some cold hardy palms for your yard.