Time yet for winter protecton?

ronbruce · Post by **ronbruce** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:17 pm

Generally when should I add winter protection for my Trachycarpus fortunei palms? Before the nights hit freezing?

Supposedly we'll drop to -5C/23F later this week.

Is the answer 'yesterday'?

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:13 am

I wouldn't worry too much yet. When you start getting nighttime temps in the -8 to -10C range it's time to start wrapping them up. You don't want to do it too early, since they can still be growing well until the ground temps drop too low.

That being said, I would be mulching now to ensure that the ground near the roots does not freeze solid!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:15 am

Plus, it's good to show then some cold to harden them off for winter.

Bill

ronbruce · Post by **ronbruce** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:20 am

Excellent, I'll get the leaves flying toward that bed when I rake today.

I'm still not sure if I should put more elaborate protection over my Trachy seedlings or not.

I'm tempted to just only do the leaf mulch again but maybe I'll try something different on one of the clumps. And maybe even a bit
more for that poor little Sabal seedling.

But yes, some cold first to help toughen them up and show them what's coming.

Working outside for most of the year makes me dread the winter just a wee bit. Perhaps I should throw a pile of leaves over myself
while I'm at it.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:00 pm

I second what Paul and Bill said.
One thing to watch out for is a sudden early cold snap like is coming,low 20s can sometimes end up being teens.This early in the season palms(etc)are NOT hardened off yet,keep water out of the crowns before cold hits.This early in the fall/winter season a little rain and low 20s can cause spear pull.

Soil temps have already dropped from low 70s to low 60s in a few weeks due to the sudden cold weather we have been having.
I have applied fungicide,mulched and put up my rain shield to keep the cactus dry.I will probably end up covering quite a few of my plants from the cold rain that is coming this weekend. We had 4 weeks of dry warm weather( lows mid 50s- highs 75-80Fº), my cactus bed saw highs 90-100 during that span!,now ,suddenly it is cold and rainy and getting even colder-I am not ready for this and neither are my palms,luckily I got on everything early this year.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:26 pm

Jim, have you done anything for your nanas yet? How cold is it going to actually get?

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:28 am

Bill,I have all the pups potted up along with my other stuff.It looks like a few days with lows of 28-30F,may get worse if it clears out and winds calm down as highs are forecast to be only in the upper 40s a few of those days.I will hold off on digging I.C. banana up until I see how cold exactly that it will get.I do plan on covering(with a trash can during cold rain) my Eriospatha and Washy as a precaution.This is very unusual to have so much prolonged cold this early and all the rain makes things worse!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:22 am

That's ruff Jim

I hope there wrong! It's way to early for you to get a freeze isn't it?

Bill

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:23 am

Not a bad plan with all that rain and those forecast light freezes! Rain + freezes = Bad news.

We're forecast to drop down to 1C (33-34f) overnight next Tuesday. I've already had a light frost in Sydenham, but I'll be suprized if it frosts downtown Toronto next week. I have my freeze-pruf at the ready, so maybe I'll try a little of it this weekend!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:29 am

Paul, dose the freeze-prof say how long it will last on evergreen leave? I want to spray my lil gems with it and burford holly too.

Bill

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:00 am

It's 'supposed' to last 4-6 weeks... No idea if this is accurate.

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:04 am

Ron I would wait till we get temps near freezing during the daytime. We should have a some more weeks yet before that happens. Nice to see they changed the forecast to lows above freezing. Most of the cold is east of the Rockies.

John

Rubtherock · Post by **Rubtherock** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 4:53 pm

It was in the low 80's here today. I'm thinking I probably have until December in zone 7b

ronbruce · Post by **ronbruce** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 6:06 pm

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:Ron I would wait till we get temps near freezing during the daytime. We should have a some more weeks yet before that happens. Nice to see they changed the forecast to lows above freezing. Most of the cold is east of the Rockies.

John

Thanks, John. I have begun to rake leaves into the bed but thought as I'm still watering at times maybe I shouldn't be getting the leaves all mucked up with water. Hmmm. Perhaps I should try straw this winter mixed with the leaves or just straw? Not sure what I'll do but knowing me it may be all at the last minute.

I'll be giving even more protection to my 2 gallon Trachy I planted out. Yes, a bit foolish of me but I just had to try it.

PS. I wonder if Wilt-Pruf and Freeze-Pruf are close to the same thing?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:53 am

PS. I wonder if Wilt-Pruf and Freeze-Pruf are close to the same thing?[/quote]

No,not close to the same,although they both last a while.

ronbruce · Post by **ronbruce** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:40 am

Ah, I see Wilt is an antitranspirant while Freeze is more....