Palms are sure getting tested this winter!

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:21 am

Not sure if it's a record here for Omaha for this date but -14 deg F this morning. Anything that makes it through this Winter I would think has to gain some cold hardiness. Will be interesting to hear from members this spring to see how everyone fared.

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:52 am

WOW Now that's cold! So true Scott, it's the first year in the ground palms that are fragile. If they get through this 'Polar Vortex', they can take anything in the future, and job well done on winterization.... I just plugged in the heat cable buried under each root ball for these extreme cold snaps.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:57 am

Yea, I don't have wireless thermometers but 2 strings of 25 Christmas lights is keeping a tall cage with a Mexican Fan Palm at 19 deg, 1 string of lights in Windmill palm at 12 deg, and a small enclosure with a Cape Hatteras Sabal at 25 with one string of lights and a single 40W light bulb. All have heat tape around the roots as well.

I do have one small Sabal Mc Curtin that is covered with a storage tote with no heat. I piled snow all around it so will be curious if it makes it at all.

News just said haven't seen cold like this in the past 30 years pretty much for the country.

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:28 am

Short lived temps, should be back to normal by Thursday night. You'll be fine. Same with me, with 2 strings of 25 on my large S.Palmetto plus a heat cable wrapped around the trunk and fronds that I actually unplugged, I lost 3 large fronds from cooking them already. I have 1 string of lights (25) on the 8' Pindo. 1 string of 25 around my Agave and Sago which is still green. But I won't know for sure til April if it's ok. My Agave core looks great, but some of the arms have started to shrivel

Your McCurtain should come out unscathed, as they are similar if not identical to Needle Palm temps. The snow should provide enough insulation, by the time it started to really get cold inside the enclosures, the outdoor temps will start to warm again. I have two regular S. Minors and a Needle which are still very green, with no heat as well. The needle is just surround by a cage and dry leaves and pine needles to keep insulated.

I'm learning that baby-ing, and overprotecting them may be just as harmful.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:32 am

Yes, exactly...Usually I have more of a issue with enclosures getting too hot on sunny, mild days...and with moisture/condensation. Since I've learned from my mistakes each plastic enclosure has a couple of slits cut to help with venting humidity out and when I know it's going to be nice for a few days it's easy to pull the tops off the enclosures to let them get some fresh air and so they don't get too hot.

Again, it will be interesting to see how everyone fairs this spring.

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:25 am

Winds are picking up here now. Temps are falling as our high temp was early this morning. New forcast was calling for windchills at -10 so I decided to wrap the trunks on my trachys today. Hopefully, only our protection methods will be tested.

Good luck everyone,

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:52 am

I'm curious to how yours will handle as well Chad. South Carolina shoreline (North too I suppose) is showing 10C (50f), dropping by tonight to -7C (20f), then hovering around the low 30's for a high. Inland must be colder. I would hope there is no rain forecasted, then having the spear freeze over. It's already 16F here, and dropping like a stone to 3F tonight, and for the next 2 days....

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:41 am

Its going to be interesting. Gary (Garys nursery) posted a warning about pindos on Facebook. He commented that windmills should be fine. But his are huge, not skinny little seedlings like some people have.

We are expected to have a low of 8F. Which will be 4F at my house. Some of my palms are over 100ft away from my house which limits the amount of protection they get. This is mother natures way of balancing things and at some point I would like to not protect everything. So what doesn't live probably shouldn't. I know that sounds bad but I am afraid of heights and no way am I climbing a latter. Honestly, the only palms I expect to lose are my first yr palms.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:42 am

Jeeze, how tall are those palms?? Pics!

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:06 pm

I crapped my pants at the top of my ladder over the S.Palmetto.... Good thing the structure I built is solid. I was 16ft closer to the moon.[/img]

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:13 pm

Check out his website at Gary's nursery ( sorry I dont know how to post links ). He has pics of it completely defoliated after a winter storm and then recovering. Lots of cool pics of his sabal birmingham.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:16 pm

tried garysnursery.com and didn't do anything

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:33 pm

Yeah 905, I had a friend at work scare the crap out of me at 100ft in a sky lift and now my knees knock just climbing onto my roof. Last time I actually couldnt get off onto the roof. Had to get my neignbor to trim my trees.

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:40 pm

These photos are borrowed from Gary's nursery. Christmas 1989 freeze, windmill palm and recovery.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:47 pm

Wow......that much damage to a Windmill palm

I take it' it's unprotected? how cold did it get?

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:48 pm

Looks like it was torched!

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:01 pm

According to the website, they got down to -4F. Said that smaller windmills and most sabals were killed.

JackLord · Post by **JackLord** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:50 pm

Yea the big frozen wave is heading in tonight. I finally wrapped the Butia on Saturday. The rest of the lads have to face Mr Freeze on their own.

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:56 pm

It has hit here already..we got almost no snow out of it and a few hours of rain but the temps..it hurts your teeth to walk outside. its -1 now and was 0 when I came in from work this morning. They say the nightime low will hit -10 with wind chills around -30...then a high of 55 on friday

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:03 pm

One of my more sensitive cold hardy palms, first year in the ground Mexican Fan Palm. Has lived through 9 degree (partially protected) cold. Added 2nd string of Christmas lights to help with cold. Sun hitting it this time of day adds easily to the temp as well.

chadec · Post by **chadec** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:44 pm

Your palms should be happy in there. Mine however hate me right now. If my windmills survive they will officially have graduated from all protection.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:54 pm

My remote thermometers stopped working this year but I have been keeping a keen eye on my boxes in my back yard, two are 3 x 3 by 7, two are 3 x 3 by 9 and one is 3 x 4 by 10. All have two strands of c9 lights in them and since this weather hit late sunday here in Michigan they've seen lows of under 0F and wind chills outside of them down to -20 to -30. The lights have pretty much been on none stop at this point. Keeping my fingers crossed they come out unscathed.

I should note that they are not air tight, a few of the sides are old doors that have door knob holes, and some sheets of plywood don't but up perfectly, so there's plenty of air gaps. If they make it through, I agree with others here, they'll definitely be made more cold hardy.

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:15 am

Your enclosures don't appear to be airtight which is good. They seem large enough, but not too large. If any condensation occurs, at least it will be on the inner wall and not on the tree itself.

My large one is 4'x4'x12' with room to walk around inside, and no signs of moisture buildup. I will be in it later this afternoon to inspect further. I'll post a vid or photo.

PalmsNorth.com

Palms are sure getting tested this winter!

Palms are sure getting tested this winter!

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