Major cold front coming through next week.....

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 5:54 pm

After last years mild winter were paying the price this year. While nice this week in the Midwest with highs in the 40's or more, next week there will be some days where the high might still be below 0F

Does anyone do anything more for their palms that are over wintering outside?

Me? I'll be adding one or two more plastic bags over the top of the caged palms, and will add a radiant heater in the enclosed area I have made in the garage and hope for the best. Just hope the cold blast doesn't last long.

Barb? looks like you'll get it before it swings South and East......

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 6:22 pm

Hi Scott...........how cold are you gonna get? It appears the cold will miss us.......so far they are forecasting us with a lowest temp of 8F.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 6:27 pm

Forecast highs to 0-5F lows -10F for a few days. Not sure about wind chills.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 6:32 pm

those temps really blow. You'll have to button up your protection.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 6:36 pm

I can add "layers" of the plastic shipping bags I have on there now. One of my Trachy's that face the west I have a 100W bulb that I can plug in for additional heat other than the Christmas lights that come on with the thermocube.

Already getting the power bill waved at me by the wife for all that I have to keep warm. I have 3 ponds that I keep pond heaters in to keep water from freezing.....all sucking down power lol

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 6:41 pm

this cold front will not help the electric bill!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:28 pm

I feel for you! We just got out of a long cold front, and now they say we will be back in again.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:08 am

Aaron, aren't you the member in Idaho that has a European Fan Palm that you leave out and over winter way out in your yard?

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 4:31 am

Aaron..........I just checked your forecast.............low of -8F forecasted...........highs again in single digits...............good luck! I hope it doesn't get worse.

andym · Post by **andym** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:54 am

sashaeffer wrote:Forecast highs to 0-5F lows -10F for a few days. Not sure about wind chills.

Crikey... the only thing I would be able to grow in those temps are Artic lichen.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:01 am

Good luck with the approaching cold weather. I calculated the cost of heating our sabal and butia for the past 50 days = $9.95 or 20 cents a day. We have, however, seen -8c as a maximum cold so far this year. We have uncovered the Cerifera, a trachycarpus and one Washingtonia to take in the sun's rays through this Saturday (expecting a high of 11c or 55f).

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:04 am

The weather channel's forecast is opposite of what local weather is predicting.....typical midwestern weather.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:05 am

Yup, here it comes.
Bloody Arctic front sliding down from Alaska.

Today's high is 5 and rain.
Tomorrow's low is -10C 14F

But from the satellite shot out in the Pacific, doesn't look like it'll last more than a week.
(touch wood)...

The thermocube will keep the big Trachy in the palm hut toasty.
And the other thermocube controlling the 2 Washies in their leaf-bag "lumpy pyramids" and plastic-protected 3 Y.rostrata will likely keep the C-9 incandescents running 24/7.
I'll increase the cold building baseboard heaters/and ceramic heater a bit.

Yup...the hydro meters will be spinning! $$$$$$$

3 major highways to the Coast are CLOSED in both directions for avalanche control.

Lots of insulation with all the snow we got!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8365213568/" title="001 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8365 ... c838_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="001"></a>

Barb

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:13 am

Barb, Hows that Foxtail doing? any fronds turning brown? All mine are brown, only the spear looks good.

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:15 am

Oh, wow, what the snow sculptures!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:17 am

WOW!

That is a lot of snow-different world here for a few days.

No snow and maybe in the 60s Friday before the cold comes.

Had most of the protection open the last few days....Princeps looks great!

I only noticed about a $15 jump in my electric bill here,main issue is the
50+ year old furnace downstairs!

Don't see anything in our forecast below 14F right now-knock on wood...
days don't look to warm though

it is winter........

bananieru · Post by **bananieru** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:28 am

I added one of these (low wattage ceramic heater) in each box http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-100-MyHeat- ... B003XDTWN2
so I have Christmas lights on TC3 and the heater on TC2 just in case it becomes very cold.

Tavi

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:54 pm

our coldest days are suppose to be sunday night - wed night with somthing in the single digits..I hope it dosent get that cold it will ruin all the nice things I have said about the weather the last few years

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:02 am

Hows that Foxtail doing? any fronds turning brown?

So far so good, pic taken 3 days ago.
Temp in that building 46 F.
Watered only once since end Sept.

Definitely not correct, though, to classify Wodyetia as a cold hardy palm.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8390011442/" title="001 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8390 ... 2724_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="001"></a>

Barb

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:27 pm

Looking great Barb! If mine lives, will have to try and duplicate what you've done.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:42 pm

lucky1 wrote:Yup, here it comes.
Bloody Arctic front sliding down from Alaska.

Today's high is 5 and rain.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8365213568/" title="001 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8365 ... c838_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="001"></a>

Barb

Always wondered what a snowman would look like sitting down.........

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:12 pm

Today high for me is around 20F, and I'm still seeing consistent temps of 35-50 in my windmill boxes. Only running two strands of c-9 lights this year in each box. My shrink wrap took a beating last night with the 30-40mph winds though. I hate to say it buy any palms I get will pretty much require recycled solid core doors or 3/4 inch plywood to withstand my wind tunnel of a back yard.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:41 pm

Doug,
Maybe the shrinkwrap getting fried is a good thing, because it holds in so much humidity.
With your 2 strings of lights, those Trachies should do fine.

A couple of years ago, I used spray foam to plug gaps

where I could see daylight between panel connections.
The carpenter fellow removed the sections in spring with a 10 pound sledge hammer.

Seems one or two small gaps are good...

a snowman sitting down...

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:26 pm

great looking Caryota Barb! Nice snow photo too! I added my heating pad into the Y. carnerosana protection and a 40W bulb into the Citrumelo protection.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:43 pm

lucky1 wrote:Doug,
Maybe the shrinkwrap getting fried is a good thing, because it holds in so much humidity.
With your 2 strings of lights, those Trachies should do fine.

A couple of years ago, I used spray foam to plug gaps where I could see daylight between panel connections.
The carpenter fellow removed the sections in spring with a 10 pound sledge hammer.

Seems one or two small gaps are good...

a snowman sitting down...

Barb

Only the top 2/3 of the boxes are wrapped and it's more for keeping water from sitting on top when it's melting time. I'll take note if I have any mold this spring and maybe I'll have simply seal the wood to make it watertight as best I can. I need to find a balance between how much storage space is required to house these boxes over time, so the smaller the boxes, the better off I'll be.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:01 am

how much storage space is required to house these boxes over time

Yes, that's a problem as I discovered too with the palm hut panels.

One year I stored them leaning up against the front porch ... not good, but we're not in a subdivision so placement didn't show to passers-by.

The last year or two we've stored them laying flat on 4 construction blocks, covered with a big sheet of plastic.
Turns out to be a home for the squirrel, who spends part of winter eating the styrofoam insulation and pooping everywhere

Barb

PalmsNorth.com

Major cold front coming through next week.....

Major cold front coming through next week.....

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