Pot insulation

[Phoenikakias]

Has anyone else (beside me) ever tried to insulate pot walls for an optimal root growth or even to make possible such growth at all? Some palms seem very fussy about temperature range, max/min in the root zone. So, have you thought that insulation of pot walls might help keeping temperature in the root zone some how steadier? In this respect how about using pots made of polystyrene? I think they could stand the weight of a juvenile palm growing in a light medium, like the one suggested by @Pal Meir

[Pal Meir]

The best in my opinion are wooden containers. Clay pots are also good, but much too heavy. — But I hate polystyrene.

[Kai]

It's a nice idea. Insulating the pots. I think that using some kind of bottom heat on the pots will improve root growth even more and maybe even increase the number of species you'll be able to grow. One thing I know for sure is that roots will grow right though polystyrene. Also the pressure buildup on the pots walls when the palm gets bigger will break the polystyrene.

[Phoenikakias]

Here are some examples from my own palms:

Case 1 Jubaeopsis caffra

Case 2: Beccariophoenix alfredii

Case 3: And last but not least Medemia argun; I can lift plant high by grabing it at its stem. Before pot insulation plant was wobling inside the very same pot.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Phoenikakias

[Josh-O]

do you get that cold where you need to insulate your palms?

[Hamal]

I sometimes wonder if I should be more concerned about the soil heating up during the summer than the cold. I have quite a few Trachycarpus, and they do not like high soil temperatures. But while they in their black plastic pots, they heat up quite a bit when they are in direct sunlight.

[Phoenikakias]

3 hours ago, Josh-O said:

do you get that cold where you need to insulate your palms?

Do you see me in picture wearing a thermo-coat and the window behind me wide open? Those plants in my cold frame actually never enjoy room temperature during winter, they are simply protected from rainfall and wind and that's all. Many nights here during winter are near to 0C and almost all below 10C. But the insulation may be needed more urgently during summer time...

[Phoenikakias]

40 minutes ago, Hamal said:

I sometimes wonder if I should be more concerned about the soil heating up during the summer than the cold. I have quite a few Trachycarpus, and they do not like high soil temperatures. But while they in their black plastic pots, they heat up quite a bit when they are in direct sunlight.

Elementary dear Hamal!

Edited January 31, 2016 by Phoenikakias

[Pal Meir]

3 hours ago, Hamal said:

I sometimes wonder if I should be more concerned about the soil heating up during the summer than the cold. I have quite a few Trachycarpus, and they do not like high soil temperatures. But while they in their black plastic pots, they heat up quite a bit when they are in direct sunlight.

Plant your Trachys in wooden containers! Excellent against heat, good against frost.

[Hamal]

Temperatures below freezing are not my concern, as I have a heated greenhouse. During the summer, I set them up in a rectangle, so the first row provides shade for the second, the second for the the third etc. (makes watering also very easy, as I just water the while group of palms at once). So I only have to provide shade for the first row with some rocks or wood. That has worked quite well so far.

[Josh-O]

7 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Do you see me in picture wearing a thermo-coat and the window behind me wide open? Those plants in my cold frame actually never enjoy room temperature during winter, they are simply protected from rainfall and wind and that's all. Many nights here during winter are near to 0C and almost all below 10C. But the insulation may be needed more urgently during summer time...

[Brad Mondel]

I've heard about people lining the inside of their pots with bubble wrap for insulation. Who is willing to give it a try?

[Pal Meir]

On 31.1.2016, 16:20:42, Hamal said:

Temperatures below freezing are not my concern, as I have a heated greenhouse. During the summer, I set them up in a rectangle, so the first row provides shade for the second, the second for the the third etc. (makes watering also very easy, as I just water the while group of palms at once). So I only have to provide shade for the first row with some rocks or wood. That has worked quite well so far.

If you were using wooden pots like this below you wouldn’t need any protection against sun for your Trachys:

[Hamal]

Thanks, Pal. At that size though, they would be planted in my garden. The ones I am talking about are many 1-, 2 and 3-year-old seedlings (not just Trachycarpus, but other species as well). When I sell them or give them away, the plastic pots are just good enough and I would hate to lose such a nice wooden container.

[Alcibiades]

I will restore an old farmhouse this year. I asked our architect whether it is possible to build a kind of a hypocaust like system next to the exterior walls to let me heat the soil if needed during winter.

For my pots i use bubble wrap and burlap in winter.