T. Fortunei winter protection

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:57 pm

Tonights forecast low is 30 and tomorrows forecast low is 25. Both days will get to 45-50 during the day. Do I need to protect my trachy, or will it be ok with this? It has not rained into the crown since yesterday.

If I don't have to protect it, what temperature should I protect it at? I want to put on its enclosure for the winter and leave it. I don't want to put it on/remove it 10 times before winter.

My washingtonias are getting their enclosures put on tonight and they are staying on until spring.

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:16 pm

Hey Wxman,

I know what you mean about puting on taking off. I have had my Washie, needle and sable covered for 2 weeks. It hasn't dropped below 40 yet but still took the precautions. I think it's a good idea covering your washie now like you are. I have had my space heater run a few times over the past two weeks when it hovered around 40 at night. As for your Trachy it should be fine around the freezing mark and below. It's your call. I don't think covering it sooner would hurt it in any way. What did you do last year?

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:29 pm

We didn't have any freezing temperatures until November 1st last year, so early covering wasn't an issue. I just covered it November 1st for the winter. I think I'm going to leave protection off as long as it gets well above freezing during the day and as long as it doesn't drop below 23 or so at night.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:24 am

I never protect mine, and there was some pretty nasty cold for extended periods last winter.
One night the temp dropped to 7°F (-14°C) although most nights where not nearly so cold.

Cheers, Barrie.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:04 am

Hey Wx,I would say just to be safe(since this cold is so sudden, it has not been cold and they are not hardened off AT ALL)to throw a blanket over it,if you want.I really don't think anything above 20F is a problem and as Barrie said single digits are no problem(mine saw about 5F last winter but that was in Jan!),esp later in the winter.My only concern is(as I mentioned)that it is a sudden cold snap.It only took 19-20F last year (after a warm beginning to Nov and 3/4" of rain a few days before)for some of my Trachys,Chamaerops(blue cerifera)to get spear pull.

I'm glad you mentioned the Washys,I have an umbrella G/house over mine and if it hits 22-26F like they are saying,I better throw in a strand of X-mas lights to be safe-Good luck Wx.

One thing I forgot to mention.
I think if we cover our Trachys,or put a little rain shield over them so they don't get wet in the crown area that there's no reason we need to cover them for a while-

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:09 pm

It is early in the season to be getting so chilly.
Just to be safe, wxman, why not throw a tarp over it and tie around base with a bungy cord.

My Trachy enclosure is still being built.
-6 C (21 F) forecasted for last night, so I threw this tarp over, propped up against house with two 4 x 4s, sides held down with plant pots and rocks.

Added a 60w trouble light for tonight's forecast -7C. BRRRRR!

Supposed to warm up and rain in a few days.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:39 am

I have something like that over my cactus garden right now,I keep the cactus dry starting first of Oct.

I put about 6+" mulch under the palms to keep them dry,it has to rain pretty hard to wet the soil with that much mulch!

Not a bad idea to keep the crowns dry( and soil for that matter)this time of year,you never know when it's going to clear out and hit the teens which can do some damage this time of year.At least if they are kept dry,they have no problem sailing right through the cold.It can be a hassle though,adding and removing(rain) protection this time of year when we really shouldn't have too!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:54 am

The 60w trouble light worked well last night.

Minimum overnite was -8 C (17.6 F).
Temp inside the tarp was -0.9C (30.4 F).

I'm still waiting for more leaves to fall off birch and maples, haven't got enough for one bag!

Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:18 am

By Canadian standards it was cheap at HD, $17.00.
Only dumb thing is the receiver takes 2 AAA batteries, the sensor 2 AA.

The sun was finally high enough to warm inside the palm tarp (which I've opened) and the livingroom.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:05 pm

Teens already Barb?,that's rough.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:14 pm

Those were Celsius at 11 a.m. when the sun had warmed everything (thank goodness).

24.8 C = 77 F
13.6 C = 56 F

Bloody cold overnight though! 18 F !!!!!

Congrats Jim on your winter prep...looks like you're all done!

Barb

Okanagan desert-palms · Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:17 pm

Barb it was -3.7c 24f South Kelowna last night.I won`t bother putting protection on my Trachy`s ,sabal minor,and needle palms until we see below freezing temps during daylight hours. Barb how are those planted W. filifera doing?

John

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:36 pm

John your temps are a lot milder than mine.
Okanagan Lake moderates your temps substantially.
We get the cold winds from Monashee Mountains east of us.

I got up at 6:00 a.m. concerned that the old trouble light might have shorted out but it was fine.
Temp hit -8.0C (18F) briefly then.

You'll laugh (again), but last week I potted up all 3 W.filifera when I heard of the early cold.
They grew so well this summer and are still pushing two spears each.
Didn't want to risk losing them in that isolated area...

One thing was interesting though.
The one filifera that barely got any water, too far from the sprinkler's arc, had 2 foot long thick fleshy roots that I managed to save...kinda tough to fit into the pot though.

The other 2 filifera roots--with ample water--extended only a few inches down from the old rootball.
So I think they really search for water down deep.
Others with lots of water get lazy

Thanks again for your offer to do the winter protection but with daughter moving to acreage we're up to our eyeballs helping out. We have a guy helping who lives nearby, saving you a 35 mile drive.
I'm grateful for your offer!

I still have the Nainital and Y.rostrata x planted out.
Waiting to bag enough leaves to protect them.
Right now just cardboard and old carpets/tarps cover them both.
No heat at all...quite the test for early October.

Barb

ronbruce · Post by **ronbruce** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:34 am

John, you have a great micro-climate. The airport registered -8C/18F here Saturday night and -9C/16F last night.

Of course my yard might not have been that bad. My yard thermometer said only -4C/25F the one night. Perhaps
I need to go digital. I'd love to have a remote sensor in one of my palm areas.

Must research thermometers this week. Must research thermometers......

Still I do have faith in my leaf piles for my Trachy seedlings but for the big one well......

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:35 am

You guys keep all that cold weather to yourselves

Only 6°C (42°F) overnight and no more than 12°C (54°F) for a daytime high today.
I still have quite a bit of lawn to cut before the rain starts tomorrow.
Good luck with the palm protection.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:50 pm

Seems the freakish cold weather is gone...so is the sunshine for the next 5 or 6 days.
A good trade-off.

Barb

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T. Fortunei winter protection

T. Fortunei winter protection

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