Winter’s Here

[GregVirginia7]

After a December with lots of nights in the 20’s F and days above freezing, the palms have been able to acclimate to what we are having now…nights in the mid to low 20’s…some days right at freezing and some days nearer to 40 F but definitely a week plus of some real challenging freezing temps. Of course, damage is not necessarily noticeable right away so we’ll see but no obvious damage yet like I had in that ‘22/23 winter that had the moderate temps drop to single digits overnight. The tried and true winter troopers look good and get to thaw out a bit today and tomorrow. The older Trachy and the Brazoria (behind the older Trachy) are too big to protect but the smaller Trachy has lights around the trunk and layers of black landscaping cloth to hold in heat around the trunk. I checked its leaf segments a few days ago and they looked great. The Needle and Sable minors at the base of the large Trachy have always been on their own and done great:

The Medi is shrouded with black landscaping cloth that draws in the sun’s heat and it’s lit as well with incandescent lights. I lay them out like a carpet at the base and wrap the trunk. So far, it looks really good. If it’s not doing good it will show the damage right away. The McCurtain is never of any concern.

I think our sunny days, even though in the 30’s, it seems to be giving them the recovery time they need to fight the low to mid 20’s at night. Hopefully we can avoid teens and single digits this winter!

One last look at the Needle…a cold hardy palm grower’s true friend…

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

38 minutes ago, GregVirginia7 said:

After a December with lots of nights in the 20’s F and days above freezing, the palms have been able to acclimate to what we are having now…nights in the mid to low 20’s…some days right at freezing and some days nearer to 40 F but definitely a week plus of some real challenging freezing temps. Of course, damage is not necessarily noticeable right away so we’ll see but no obvious damage yet like I had in that ‘22/23 winter that had the moderate temps drop to single digits overnight. The tried and true winter troopers look good and get to thaw out a bit today and tomorrow. The older Trachy and the Brazoria (behind the older Trachy) are too big to protect but the smaller Trachy has lights around the trunk and layers of black landscaping cloth to hold in heat around the trunk. I checked its leaf segments a few days ago and they looked great. The Needle and Sable minors at the base of the large Trachy have always been on their own and done great:

The Medi is shrouded with black landscaping cloth that draws in the sun’s heat and it’s lit as well with incandescent lights. I lay them out like a carpet at the base and wrap the trunk. So far, it looks really good. If it’s not doing good it will show the damage right away. The McCurtain is never of any concern.

I think our sunny days, even though in the 30’s, it seems to be giving them the recovery time they need to fight the low to mid 20’s at night. Hopefully we can avoid teens and single digits this winter!

One last look at the Needle…a cold hardy palm grower’s true friend…

They all look great. You said it about the previous two winters. I went from pure mildness to low zone 7A temps in 2022-23 and similar mildness to extreme drops to zone 7B temps in 23-24. In fact, I had sheltered vincas still blooming before the extreme cold hit last year. It helps for the palms to acclimate to the cold not straight mildness to straight Arctic temps. 

You and a few others have convinced me to try a med fan palm.  My only problem is, I hardly have any good real estate left in my garden. 

[GregVirginia7]

12 minutes ago, Zone7Bpalmguy said:

They all look great. You said it about the previous two winters. I went from pure mildness to low zone 7A temps in 2022-23 and similar mildness to extreme drops to zone 7B temps in 23-24. In fact, I had sheltered vincas still blooming before the extreme cold hit last year. It helps for the palms to acclimate to the cold not straight mildness to straight Arctic temps. 

You and a few others have convinced me to try a med fan palm.  My only problem is, I hardly have any good real estate left in my garden. 

Yes, I’m out of microclimate room in my backyard but my south facing brick rambler front face is like an oven…so there is territory there but my wife has control of the front yard and she’s not a real cold hardy palm fan…but there’s always hope.

[Allen]

Looks great I don't think you'll have any damage from that. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Good job ! Hopefully they will be ok, this doesn’t look like their first winter. Harry

[Subtropical LIS]

19 hours ago, GregVirginia7 said:

Yes, I’m out of microclimate room in my backyard but my south facing brick rambler front face is like an oven…so there is territory there but my wife has control of the front yard and she’s not a real cold hardy palm fan…but there’s always hope.

Everything looks good.

With a ranch type building, the “south facing oven” effect IS pretty shocking in winter. A long building facing due south, with that north wind totally blocked, can provided a shockingly warm  microclimate. The sun below 40 latitude is still amazingly strong even in winter.

Years ago, I planted a Needle Palm in that valuable real estate at the zone 7a/b house along the CT coast. Back then, I really had not considered the microclimate, and didn’t think about giving up such a great microclimate for a very hardy palm. I put sensors out in front later and saw how even in mid-winter it was 25 F warmer than the ambient temperature. I’m almost sorry that I used such a perfect spot (lol), but I still like Needle Palms as well. It grows like a beast (7 feet tall now), even sending up fronds in warmer winters.

So be careful in giving up that valuable real estate - lol.

[GregVirginia7]

To add to my last post regarding winter prep., I see from my weather app that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday here in Northern Virginia of next week will bring me 72 hours of sub freezing F. nights in the mid teens and days in the 20’s. So, I wove a nest of 50 incandescent mini lights in the crown of my big Trachy and followed that up with black landscaping cloth as a bit of insulation. I use this type of cover because it holds very little moisture. I used burlap once in the past but that held a lot of moisture and ushered in a big fungal infection in this palm’s crown so burlap is never recommended for such an application. Anyway, I’m ready for the arctic cold snap as best I can to save the crown, but not the fronds. This big Trachy is a proven 15-year, in-ground cold hardy palm and I’m anxious to see its spring recovery. As I put this protection in, I buried my fingers in its fibrous natural protection and was amazed at how warm it felt. That natural protection draws in an amazing amount of heat from the sun…so when the sun’s rays are available, the palm will absorb the energy in an amazing way.

The Brazoria has fronds that are almost 4 feet wide. So, I am protecting the trunk/crown. Added 50 incandescent mini lights and burlap as insulation. In this case, the burlap is not woven into the crown but for this application, adds descent protection for the trunk and crown on this “ truncated ” palm. The burlap isn’t woven in among the petioles, it’s just funneled around them and tucked, but maybe 3” from the crown itself. My check of the fronds today showed nothing of concern so far. 72 hours of sub-freezing temps. may be a different story. But it’s been in-ground for 15-years so history is on its side.

The little Trachy, in-ground for 4-years? is doing great. I will cover the fronds for the duration of the 72 hour freeze but it’s set, crown and trunk wise, with lights and black wrap for what’s coming. Exciting times for cold hardy palms.

 

 

[GregVirginia7]

On 1/11/2025 at 3:24 PM, Allen said:

Looks great I don't think you'll have any damage from that. 

Thanks Allen. Just posted and got prepared for 72 hours below freezing mid-next week. My Trachy and Brazoria have gotten so large I’m protecting crowns, not fronds. 

[Allen]

2 hours ago, GregVirginia7 said:

Thanks Allen. Just posted and got prepared for 72 hours below freezing mid-next week. My Trachy and Brazoria have gotten so large I’m protecting crowns, not fronds. 

It will need to get down below 10F to endanger those at all.  72 hours below freezing won't hurt them IMO if you're not below 10F.  A ice storm below 20F could  induce a little spear rot in the trachy but it would likely not spear pull.  Your palms are large and established. 

[GregVirginia7]

On 1/12/2025 at 6:48 PM, Allen said:

It will need to get down below 10F to endanger those at all.  72 hours below freezing won't hurt them IMO if you're not below 10F.  A ice storm below 20F could  induce a little spear rot in the trachy but it would likely not spear pull.  Your palms are large and established. 

We’re headed for some real cold here as you are, too. Only this 96 hour night/day freeze is way worse than the last…in F. nights/days predicted are 10/23, 8/22, 11/19 and 10/31. This will be a real challenge for the uncovered ones. But I do think the gradual acclimation through December with a lot of nights in the twenties and days above freezing helped them “prepare” but with that kind of a freeze, we’ll see. We really have had relatively mild winters these last several years here, comparatively, but this winter has been really cold. We’ve had snow on the ground for 2 weeks which is different. Time for cold hardy palms to prove themselves…hope spring pics are going to be good ones and not pics of funerals…😉

[Allen]

53 minutes ago, GregVirginia7 said:

We’re headed for some real cold here as you are, too. Only this 96 hour night/day freeze is way worse than the last…in F. nights/days predicted are 10/23, 8/22, 11/19 and 10/31. This will be a real challenge for the uncovered ones. But I do think the gradual acclimation through December with a lot of nights in the twenties and days above freezing helped them “prepare” but with that kind of a freeze, we’ll see. We really have had relatively mild winters these last several years here, comparatively, but this winter has been really cold. We’ve had snow on the ground for 2 weeks which is different. Time for cold hardy palms to prove themselves…hope spring pics are going to be good ones and not pics of funerals…😉

No funerals but some frond damage on the Trachy at those temps.  I wrapped a cover over my big ones here

[Las Palmas Norte]

Winter is here too although a fairly mild one so far. Two nights last weekend at 29°F. Sunny days are producing some spring like weather. We could be in for some real winter in February? I would be nice to continue with the current situation into spring.

 

[GregVirginia7]

Well? We’re coming out of that arctic blast and the palms are going to get a string of day temps above freezing. I hope they all recover. Hard to tell right now but the Trachy’s don’t seem to have that dull olive green/brown look they had in that sudden single digit freeze we had a few years ago. They look stressed but the color is normal. Can’t stress enough the gradual lead up to this deep freeze in the low teens at night and sub freezing days helping to get the palms ready for what I think is the worst cold stretch in years. Took a peak at the Medi and color is good as well. Amazing what a thin layer of thin black landscaping cloth and several strings of incandescent Christmas lights can do to protect the most sensitive palm I have.

Sabal minors, the McCurtain and Needles just amaze me. I mean, it’s been really sub freezing cold nights and days. They’re totally unprotected and they just look great. The Brazoria is a bit droopy so hoping it will start to perk up today.

Hoping the update pics later reflect my optimism. But you know @Allenyou are quite the temp data guy and I’m not so, depending on how the big Trachy does after this winter, you may be interested to analyze my temp data for zip 22151 and get a picture of how gradual cooling/freezing compares to rollercoaster winter temps. as indicators of unprotected cold hardy survival. Oh…and not losing electricity for the protected Medi is the deciding factor in its frond retention. 😁

Hope everyone has been successful with their palms. 

[GregVirginia7]

On 1/21/2025 at 5:53 PM, Las Palmas Norte said:

Winter is here too although a fairly mild one so far. Two nights last weekend at 29°F. Sunny days are producing some spring like weather. We could be in for some real winter in February? I would be nice to continue with the current situation into spring.

 

Your climate is enviable. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

4 hours ago, GregVirginia7 said:

Your climate is enviable. 

Envy is characterized by feelings of inferiority, longing, resentment, towards the person who possesses what one desires. It's not a realistic, and I can put your mind at ease by telling you I've lost plenty of palms from weather related issues. This year (so far) has been friendly. Embrace and work with what you have. Happy palm growing.

[GregVirginia7]

On 1/25/2025 at 2:11 PM, Las Palmas Norte said:

Envy is characterized by feelings of inferiority, longing, resentment, towards the person who possesses what one desires. It's not a realistic, and I can put your mind at ease by telling you I've lost plenty of palms from weather related issues. This year (so far) has been friendly. Embrace and work with what you have. Happy palm growing.

I would like an 8b or 9a but I am happy with my 7a/b…I think b. Definitely ushers in winters that give meaning to cold hardy palms and their reason for being. But I do love the DMV and all it has to offer. But honestly, your region, as a pin on the map is really nice. 😊

[Las Palmas Norte]

18 minutes ago, GregVirginia7 said:

I would like an 8b or 9a but I am happy with my 7a/b…I think b. Definitely ushers in winters that give meaning to cold hardy palms and their reason for being. But I do love the DMV and all it has to offer. But honestly, your region, as a pin on the map is really nice. 😊

All you have to do is read the complaints from growers in those zones, to realize that some get disappointed there too.😆

[Palmerr]

Most 7a climates in the southeast eh sometimes stay above 0 degrees this year an exception it got down to -6F!!!!! which not suprised cause of the zone but i dont know the last time i saw below -5F

[Palmerr]

I have a sago palm no heat Store size My dad did a squish test but it was below freezing at the time (so i dont trust it) the protection was a small chicken wire cage with burlap filled with leaves then a small trashbag over it to keep out moisture then a piece of chicken wire cage to keep it together picture attached i asked my dad to do a squish test cause its been above freezing for a bit now but its still half buried in snow

I have not seen more than 6 inches of snow like ever lol (We got like 8 inches) ((completly buried the sago protection prob helped it stay warm lol)) this was one of the worst snowstorms since i have lived in lexington almost full time (2017)

[SeanK]

Very Nice Trachycarpus