PalmsNorth.com

Hi guy's, just try a new technique called mommy wrap for Trachycarpus instead to build a cage over. I just wrapped the palm with arbotex, after that, i used 4 metal tutor (or 2x2x8 in wood). Wrapped from the ground to the top a heat cable for roof with no thermostat ( for a palm of 6 feet, i use 40 feets cable 200watts). I use a thermocube that i localized at 3 feets above the ground. Cover again with another arbotex and a tarp. The cable spread on the ground 1 feet from the trunck.
The first data from the thermostat near the thermocube is: at -7c outside, the temp.inside the layers never got down under +3c and the ground is not freezing. For now it looks good...will see when the more colder temp. will come....
Ill keep you updated...

Ben

4 metal tutor

Steel fence posts?

-7 already Beny? Wow.

Was this the protection you used last year too?
Barb

What do the post's do?
keep the palm from escaping?

I am curious if you have done this before.

Hi Beny , I live in zone 5b. I wrapped my palm like that last year but all I did was wrap in burlap, wrap heat tape all way up , then burlap again and finally shrink wrap. this spring there was some brown fronds but palm otherwise was great and completely recovered. I did not use any posts. I actually wrapped the fronds pretty tight. this year I am doing the same but I was going to loosen up at the top, not sure what I am going to do.
Keith

I used the steel post because i don t have 2x2 in wood. It s just to make a air chamber between the layers of arbotex (burlap), thats prevent the heat cable to touch the palm directly. Its the first time i use this technique. In the past 3 years, i used the styrofoam box with c9 or fluorescent bulb 23watts and heat cable in the ground.
Ben

Its scary-all our palms are getting bigger

I will have to concoct something with the same kind of poles

HA... the thing is, id like to protect soon, big trachycarpus 15-20 feets tall without having to cover them with big box. If the mummy wrap works well, it will be more easier and faster to protect those big palms. Cause when it s windy, it s a big challenge to keep a 20 feets box in place.