Leaf cages worked!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:00 pm

So with the worst cold behind us I decide to remove the leaf cages from the Needle palms yesterday,after temps as low as -16Fand -11 and a few other below zero nights this year was a good test for this kind of protection,I am happy to report that both needles are exactly as they were when I covered them!my only regret is that I didn't have a min/max thermometer to see what the temps did,esp during the -16F event,regardless they look great and with my heating pretty much maxed out this is great news as I can add more palms and make my protection more effective and this will allow me to grow more stuff.you always gotta have more stuff!
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009001.jpg" border="0" alt="needles leaf cage"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009002.jpg" border="0" alt="burlap/under leaf cage"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009007.jpg" border="0" alt="needle 3-2-09"></a>

Heres a little waggie
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009003.jpg" border="0" alt="T.wag 3-2-09"></a>

And a little waggie I planted in Dec and a S.brazoria surprizingly untouched by breif exposure to single digits
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 009004.jpg" border="0" alt="T.wag/S.brazoria"></a>

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:35 pm

nicely done hardyjim. They do look very good. Do you plan on covering anymore this spring or are they on their own?

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:42 pm

Great Job!

Thanks for posting your results, I'm taking notes for next winter.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:06 pm

Congrats Jim.
I know how concerned you were, but it worked very well and they look great.

Is winter really over in your area?
How dry is the ground around the palms?

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:56 pm

Oppalm,they are protected with a burlap bag so they can readjust to the sunlight,I will remove the bags on cloudy or mostly cloudy days,what I have noticed is that if they are kept cool and out of direct sunlight the cold is really not an issue,its the combination of sunlight,cold/wind and cold inactive root systems this far north that does them in,better to keep them cool and in the dark then to try and get growth out of them,I really think the cold soil temps(37F now) is the big limiting factor this far north
Oh,also you asked about protection they will be shaded on cold/warm sunny days uncovered when cool 45-65F and covered with trash cans during cold rain/snow/wind until soil temps rise to 50F+

Barb the ground is still moist like it was last fall when I covered them,we generally don't see much sub 20F degree weather after abou the 10th of March so there is no reason for them to be in the leaf cages anymore,I think that in a few years when they are more established it will be a Dec-Feb type thing and possibly just a covered leaf pile rather than a cage if we go back to the kind of winters we were having before 2007-2008-2009,we just had or first above avg month in Feb (+2 highs) -since Nov 2007,nothing to write home about for sure/-/our avg highs now are in the mid 40s mid to upper 20s lows with upper 50s and low 30s by months end needles can hadle it from hear out

Okanagan desert-palms · Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:00 pm

Jim good job. The sun shouldn`t be to strong this time of the year to worry about sunburn. How long have they been covered up?

John

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:09 pm

John I covered them in mid Nov,I will protect the leaves for awhile so they can adjust,with soil temps of 37F at 4" its hard for them to draw water,I think they will be fine in cool weather with sun in a week or so but I will baby them until the soil warms.
Can you imagine 80F highs and mid 30s soil temps?pretty stressfull as the leaves want to grow but the roots are still sleeping