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A few pics of the cold effects after 25f at my house,(-5c)23f officially.


The ferns are covered,the x-mas lights are on for the Cooperi,styrofoam covers for the other smaller ones.

Washys got a sheet,everything else is on it's own.

Washy leaves,still below freezing-this is most likely Robusta,the other one(most likely Filifera)had no discoloration.








After temps went back to/above freezing



Dark mark(no relation to Harry Potter) is a shadow-no damage




Fortunei and Waggie






Tetrapanex leaf



After thaw




Aloe Vera before -5c(23f)



After thaw




S.Louisiana-there was some discoloration,not picked up by the camera




Banana plant




I will post some more tomorrow,tonight will probably be the same or colder.

Too bad Jim! So are you going to start protecting those washies this weekend??

The cold tolerance "spread" between robusta and filifera is that pronounced this time of year? Wow.
Thanks for showing that Jim.
Will look forward to seeing more of your protection pics.

Blown away that aloe vera isn't total mush at -5C 23F.
I wonder if my Dune Aloe would be hardier than an Aloe vera, looks a little less "fleshy" but it's in the cold building so I won't test it.

The blue dots on the Fortunei, presume you've applied FreezePruf?

Scotty, how's your protection coming along?
Barb

Guys! You make me nervous about the palms I'm going to plant in the ground next spring. If they get damage at minus 5 C what I'm going expect at my bloody continental winter here in Kazakhstan?

Just to be clear,all the palms and ferns are fine,there is no more protection
needed of any kind,only the Cooperi had heat as they are kind of delicate.

The discoloration is the palms adapting to the cold as it has disappeared now.

All the palms are healthy and happy and as long as the weather stays dry-
humidity is only 26% as I write this-everything stays uncovered.

There was no need for more pics,although I took one of the poor Tetrapanex,2
nights in a row of(officially)23f(-5c).
Temps at my house avg 3-5f warmer than the weather sticker on sunny days.
This is about the lower limit I would want to subject the Washys too

This has been absolutely perfect fall weather to harden off the palms and get them ready for winter,
last year was the opposite!

lucky1 wrote:The cold tolerance "spread" between robusta and filifera is that pronounced this time of year? Wow.

Blown away that aloe vera isn't total mush at -5C 23F.

The blue dots on the Fortunei, presume you've applied FreezePruf?


Barb

No Barb,no freeze proof,I meant to try that on some of the Castor's and such but now it's to late
and I don't trust it to spray on my palms-it has a funny smell and I am not sure it's still good.

I guess the Tetrapanex would be a candidate if it recovers enough to tell a difference

These Aloe Vera(3)were given to me by a guy who says he has been exposing these and the
parents of...to colder and colder temps for 40 yrs!

He says these have survived down to 12f(-11c)with "minor" damage/or non-lethal

How many times they can take that,we shall see!

One goes under a leaf pile for winter,the other(as you can see)is in the Cactus house for winter.

Nice doc Jim, this looks some what similar to my washies last year. I don't think mine showed that dark of a color from my low which was maybe a bit colder and longer last year. My temps hit the low 70's that day which might have helped correct the dark color. 25f this year so far only gave minimal damage to a few lower leave that where already bending down. Great pic's Jim!

NO WORRIES IGOR!!!

These are all palms that are no where near hardy! All the hardy palms are good for much lower temps Glad you asked though

Bill

Jim,
thanks for the good photos.
As I have said before, we have similar weather, you just get it a day before I do and colder.
My morning bottomed out at 26 oF (-3 oC), with about 7 hours below freezing. My washy are all in pots. The only damage was to my "washy project" robusta but I think it will be alright. I'll put more on my "frost advisory?" thread.
Igor, my Chamearops had no problems at all last night, or my Rhapodophyllum or Sabal or Trachycarpus or Nanorrophps or...well, what Bill said. Phoenix roebellini in the ground is toast, so don't think of that one even if they are inexpensive there in Asia! --Erik

Funny Erik as warm as your area is you still had a freeze within 5 days of me. My washy already saw 25f with no protection, you can do it 70's all week for you that must be tough

Bill

Bill,
weather for Duncan, Jim and I is very different from yours there by the Gulf Stream. Wild fluctuations!
I'll probably try one of my new W. filifera in the ground next year if I can make a super-well draining raised bed. Not so much because I like Washy but as a dry run for Brahea....
--Erik

No comment I guess. Last time I checked the gulf stream brings warm air as apposed to Canadian cold fronts. I guess I'll just leave you alone about washies for now on. Sorry for harassing you.

Bill,
keep the Washy harassment coming.
It is a source of amusement here, as W loves them and so I grumble. In brief, I'll keep trying for the rest of my life.
The Belize Botanic Garden has a fabulous specimen they sell offspring of, so worse come to worse I'll grow one in retirement!
As for the Gulf Stream, I assume it keeps you from having the wild temp. fluctuations we get here mid-continent. Right?
--Erik

Jim, my FreezePruf stank to high heaven when I bought it too, and it left blue dots all over the palm.
Think it was too cold to apply it that day. oh well, the nainital's dead as a doornail.

I've followed your discussion about the aloe vera the fellow is trying to get more cold tolerant.
They still look too tender and fleshy to withstand cold.
It'll be interesting to read further info on it.

Erik...gulf stream? This diagram (scroll down halfway) is what made me wish I lived in S.England

http://whatonearth.olehnielsen.dk/currents.asp

Barb

You wouldn't like it there Barb,somewhat moderate but to rainy

but better than here for Trachys,etc.

Maybe the Freezepruf is fine?????
but I think I missed my window with it as all the tender stuff is pretty much gone-
my Tetrapanex hangs in there though

I totally agree about the Aloe,one of mine in a pot had the outer part of the leaves
frozen solid! ,they are most likely mush now.
I think the problem with that one is,it's next to some palms I watered so,it may have been a
little to wet

Aloe Vera is not on top of my most wanted list so I have no problem experimenting with them

If they make it through the winter that's a whole different story!


Speaking of fleshy/non hardy plants......I planted the Graptopetalum Paraguayense last year for fun-
and if I would have had to bet which one of the plants outside would melt down first,I would
have bet the(Erik's )farm it would be this one!

This thing out preformed my trunk cut Trachys,etc.

Much to my surprise!

This plant survived single digits (F) and all the prolonged cold!

Here's a recent picture of it-

Wow! That is a stunning plant.
I know nothing about succulents--I keep putting them (and orchids) off to the future.
Thanks for not betting my farm--it is what is feeding me. Anyone want to trade palm seeds for eggs or goat meat?
--Erik

Too rainy? Perhaps, but didn't appreciate all the rain when I lived in Vancouver.
Now that I live at the edge of a desert--and the corresponding severe water restrictions and huge dollars for the water "they" do send through the pipe, the saying "careful what you wish for" pops into my head.
I should move to a place called Happy Medium, where it's warm enough for palms in winter and wet enough for the pocketbook.

Re the Freeze Pruf...forget who it was last year...somebody said the opened bottle smelled like ....er......a warm vomit eeeeeeuuuuuwwwww!

not on top of my most wanted list so I have no problem experimenting with them

I know what you mean...especially if they do something spectacular, like surviving 20-below, or beautiful unexpected flowers.

This one of mine isn't the same as your Graptopetalum...but I also didn't really care whether it lived or died, and then it sent up long spikey things:

Now that I care about it, it'll probably croak.


Absolutely nothing outperformed your trunk cut Trachies...they're a science miracle to me!

Palm seeds for eggs or goat meat, Erik?
We can't survive on our seeds...
Barb

Yea Barb

not shooting down the Trachys in any way....just saying,
who would have thought a fleshy little plant like this would
have less damage then the star palms!

I was never into Needle palms either(referring back to plant preferences;Aloe)
but when I saw my Needle the next spring so healthy,it became one of "my precious"

Now if that Aloe in the Cactus bed can survive like the Grapto..... we got us a whole new ballgame!


weathersticker is stuck at 50 at noon-already 64f here

Barb,
I'll trade huevos and cabrito for palm wine. Haven't had any of that in 15 years.
Need to find some way to grow Jubea...
Jim, she's right: those trunk-cut Trachy have been astounding. Would not have been believable without your photos and good history.
Yeah, needle palm: a new favorite for me.
Still working up a description of the cabbage palm. Later today.
--Erik

Sounds like a good trade, Erik

Hey Jim, talking about the aloe...thought you'd like to see the woody trunk on this Dune Aloe from John (Okanagandesertpalms).




Barb

That's a cool one Barb

They grow into trees don't they?

Aloe thraskii (dune aloe) forms smallish trees, weird looking but spectacular flowers:
This pic may not do the flowers justice.

http://www.awanursery.co.nz/succulents.shtml

Probably after 100 years
Barb

Here's an interesting adaptation to the cold by Parryi-

Look at the leaves it had last year in the firs pic and the leaves it grew this year-

















It is growing more compact in regard to leaf structure(the leaves are half the size of last years leaves),
the new leaves are smaller and less fleshy,this plant may now have attained a physiology more in keeping
with it's low end cold tolerance,said to be -20(F) or -29c

It's very interesting, Jim! How long this Agave has been growing in there? How hot a last summer was? How old is it? How soon it might start blooming? I mean it might be a sign of preparing this Agave to bloom. I wish It does not.

It's been in there about 4 years,not close to blooming size,
just downsizing


There was 50" of rain May-Sept so heat would not have caused this,IMO.

The Havardiana is still putting out larger sized(normal)leaves-they are more
moisture tolerant.