Huge bummer this morning:(

For cold hardy palm tree enthusiasts.

Moderators: lucky1, Alchris, Kansas, Wes North Van, Laaz

Post Reply
kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Huge bummer this morning:(

Post by kspalmguy » Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:58 am

I bought a beautiful Texas sabal in Dallas yesterday. The palm is about 5 feet tall with an inch or so of "trunk"...Anyway, last night, I decided to leave all my palms out in their "acclimation area" before I plant. Low was anticipated to be 32F. Long story short, that was wrong, and when I woke up this morning and checked the minimum temperature on my digital thermometer, it had dropped to 25F. I was too nervous to even look at my palms (Butia, Trachy, and Sabal, each in 15 gallon pots, each costing $150). Trachy looked fine. Now, 7 hours later, it still looks fine. Sabal looked fine, had several dark green spots on it (freeze damage?) and was covered in frost but now looks fine. Green spots are gone. Butia, however, has severe burn damage on frond tips and one spear looks dead. I'm also worried the other two palms will suffer spear pull after a few days...how long before I know whether or not they will survive? I tried pulling spears on all palms, none pulled...how long til I know? Thanks!



teebee
Seedling
Posts: 177
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:45 am
Location: Waterloo, ON CA

Post by teebee » Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:16 pm

I'm sure they'll all survive. 25F isn't that bad I had an entire week where the thermocube failed and my trachy was in its box while it was -5F outside and it looks a tad beaten up but will easily pull through no spear pull to report. I pull the boxes off all my palms tonight and the lows will be 25F all week and I'm not even a little concerned. Even if you had a frond burn it'll grow a new one...

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:35 pm

I feel a lot better...lol I brought the Sabal and Butia inside this morning, but left the Trachy outside...it looked completely fine. Here's some pictures of the other palms:

Image


Image

Image

Image
I was also gonna plant these guys today, should I go ahead and do so?

teebee
Seedling
Posts: 177
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:45 am
Location: Waterloo, ON CA

Post by teebee » Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:48 pm

I'd probably wait a couple more weeks you unless you have a protection method worked out in case you get any more "surprise" nights. Nothing is being hurt you moving them in an out in the pots (except your back) Just wait until you see consistent night lows of 35 or so then your probably safe if you really want to plant something plant the trachy it wont mind at all...

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:51 pm

Good tips. Lows are in the 50s as far as the forecast goes with an exception of next Thursday, which looks like 38. But I will wait til after that to plant them, just in case. Lol. So the cold damaged butia won't be hurt anymore being planted? Sorry for all the questions, by the way...

sashaeffer
Large Palm
Posts: 1100
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:09 am
Location: Omaha, NE

Post by sashaeffer » Sun Mar 30, 2014 4:47 am

Weathermen SUCK! Last fall was headed out of town for 4 days, lows predicted low 20's. Left all(6 potted mexican fan palms, 1 Blue Mexican fan palm, 3 CIDP's 1 Silver Mediterranean and 1 Green Mediterranean all in pots) Two mexican fan palms in the ground, but with protection up, but not capped off and guess what??? ONE NIGHT low dipped to 9F Mexican's in the ground took major frond hit(died) but palms ok and already coming back this year, only the Mediterranean fan palms lived the 9F temps, Just have one MFP in a pot that hasn't spear pulled yet. EXPENSIVE lesson learned.

It would have taken me a easy 15 minutes to drag them all in the garage and be happy today. Won't happen again.


I am surprised though that your Buta would take any kind of hit even at 25 degrees though....
Scott/Omaha
sashaeffer@hotmail.com

<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... ipes"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... edState=NE" alt="Click for Omaha, Nebraska Forecast" height="90" width="160" /></a

User avatar
TerdalFarm
Palm Grove
Posts: 2983
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:48 pm
Location: Manzanita, OR & Sarasota, FL
Contact:

Post by TerdalFarm » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:20 am

They'll be fine.

So, where did you get the Sabal palmetto? Photos of it for us?

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Sun Mar 30, 2014 4:59 pm

sashaeffer wrote:Weathermen SUCK! Last fall was headed out of town for 4 days, lows predicted low 20's. Left all(6 potted mexican fan palms, 1 Blue Mexican fan palm, 3 CIDP's 1 Silver Mediterranean and 1 Green Mediterranean all in pots) Two mexican fan palms in the ground, but with protection up, but not capped off and guess what??? ONE NIGHT low dipped to 9F Mexican's in the ground took major frond hit(died) but palms ok and already coming back this year, only the Mediterranean fan palms lived the 9F temps, Just have one MFP in a pot that hasn't spear pulled yet. EXPENSIVE lesson learned.

It would have taken me a easy 15 minutes to drag them all in the garage and be happy today. Won't happen again.


I am surprised though that your Buta would take any kind of hit even at 25 degrees though....
Ugh! Sorry that happened to you too!:( As of now, 36 hours later, no spears have pulled, although my Trachy's fronds folded up...gave it a drink of water and some opened again...

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:02 pm

TerdalFarm wrote:They'll be fine.

So, where did you get the Sabal palmetto? Photos of it for us?
I bought it at Covington's Nursery in Rowlett, TX.
Image
Here's a pic of it, wind tipped it over this morning and spilled most of the soil out into the yard, so I had to take some of my Kansas soil and replace it with it, hope it likes clay. Lol. Lady at nursery told me that Dallas also has tons of clay, and they do just fine down there, so I'm sure it'll be fine:)

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:07 pm

Pics of all my palms, 36 hours after 25F temperatures...lookin' good for now! You can see some folded fronds on Trachy and slight yellowing and brown spots on Sabal...I'm assuming just minor freeze damage. The thing was covered in ice! Sabal is also a little crooked, 45mph winds (common in Kansas) tipped over the pot, spilling it and all the soil onto the ground, I did my best to straighten it...lol

Image


Image


Image

Image

Image

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:44 pm

Also, here's my Washies...not looking too good, they were pretty rootbound, and I think I overwatered...hopefully they'll come back though. These are the "Filibusta" hybrid

Image

Image

Edit: These were planted today, and did not experience below freezing temps.

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:12 am

Looks like it's gonna drop to 36F tonight, this is crazy! Latest winter ever! Better cover my babies just to be safe:)

User avatar
TerdalFarm
Palm Grove
Posts: 2983
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:48 pm
Location: Manzanita, OR & Sarasota, FL
Contact:

Post by TerdalFarm » Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:24 am

[quote="kspalmguy"] Latest winter ever! [/quote]

Tulsa, down south of you, got measurable snow on May 2, 2013.

kspalmguy
Seedling
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:45 pm
Location: El Dorado, KS - Zone 6b

Post by kspalmguy » Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:36 am

Yes, I remember that day! It dropped into the upper 30s here (I am right about 100 miles NW of Tulsa as the crow flies).

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests