Got it covered.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 2:34 pm

For now......

This is what I did to cover everything this year-

Opened up the Washy's today to let them breath-I made these containers with wire/fencing -one layer of 1" bubblewrap then a layer of foam
and the another layer of bubblewrap and more fencing-

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10009.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Butia Eriospatha

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10010.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

One of the trunk cut Fortunei

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10014.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Waggie

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10015.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Naini Tal

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Cordyline is hanging in so far!

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Sabal Louisiana

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10006.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

C.cerifera

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10008.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Some of the Cactus

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10005.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

One of the other trunk cut Fortunei-in good shape this year!

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10003.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

FortxWag and Takagii,both have spear-pulled from being sprayed with neem oil-it can get into the crown and cause pathogen growth )-:

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10007.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Tree ferns are covered-the protection has been amazingly consistent 37(F) to 47(F)

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10016.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10017.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10017.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10018.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10018.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Might as well protect the Sequoia while it's still small enough!
Whether it's a long term survivor in zone 5 remains to be seen.

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Blizzard Watch for tomorrow with possible 70mph wind gusts-
not sure about the snow totals just yet....

thanks for looking!

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 3:09 pm

It's nice to see you don't have any snow yet! We've got about 3 inches here now. Nothing compared to south western Ontario where they have had over 5 feet

... Any snow for you in the forecast?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 3:18 pm

Nice work, Jim! The first trunk-cut trachy looks really good! I also need to protect my small t. fortunei sometime next week, it's gotten down to -9 C here a few times!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:18 pm

Nice job.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:31 pm

Jim,
it all looks super. Thanks for the detailed photos so I can figure out what to do next year

That storm looks brutal. If you can, share some after photos for comparison.
We're just going to get a glancing blow it looks like--wind, but no snow, and lows only to 12 oF or so.
--Erik

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:41 pm

Looks good mister Jim!

I saw 4f last night for my low, thanks for the 15f weather channel forecast! 4 needles, and 5 minors look fine after being exposed for two days below freezing

Sorry to hijack your post but I've been to busy to post pictures. So I'm chiming in know.

Nice post Jim, Your palms look mint

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:43 am

Thanks guys

Blizzard watch has turned to a Blizzard warning,so far it looks like the heavy snow stays north.

We may get 2-3" they say,if it's on the high side of that the lows of -3(F) may end up more like -10(F)

The wind is forecast to gust over 50mph late tonight,possibly as high as 70mph,I just hope everything holds!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:18 am

I feel for you Jim.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:22 am

We'll be thinking about you, Jim.
Just a glancing blow expected here--no snow, and lows to 11 oF or so. Phew! I'm not done with protection yet (work has kept me busy). --Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:37 am

I still can't get over how that trunk-cut Trachy has responded.
Wouldn't have believed it without pics.

your stuff's growing

...and I'm throwing out my Neem Oil.

Was your Sequoia under a solid (no sun) cover last winter?
Evergreen foliage can burn to a crisp clear-covered in winter sun.

I managed to do it with black landscape cloth on pyramidal cedars to prevent deer damage.
Burnt to a crisp all southside branches.
The black plastic heated the foliage too much.
Clear lets even more sun in.

Thanks for posting those great pics, Jim.
....ah, it was just a few months ago that yard was FULL

Barb

JackLord · Post by **JackLord** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:34 am

Great work. I guess you do not utilize leaves?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 1:40 pm

Barb

It's going to be to cold/windy here the next few days for the sun to bother
the Sequoia much,be lucky to see 40(F) in it's little G-house tomorrow.
The unbrella greenhouse is the only cover big enough to put over it-
it also has over a half foot of mulch over the ground and is well watered in

It may just turn brown no matter what I do here just to windy to try and cover with anything else.

The main issue is protecting it from the frigid wind chills of -30 to -40(F) the next few days.

Jack

I used leaves to cover the Bananas,then a foot and a half of mulch.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:20 pm

wind chills of -30 to -40(F) the next few days.

Hell, do up the zipper!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:17 am

I had a dream last night my Washys and Butia were blown away(by the 60mph wind gusts) with their protection!

The Washy trunks had turned to jelly in the cold and the leaves were nowhere in sight!

I almost went home to check at 5am,what could I have done anyway?
I would have blown away with the plants.

Came home this morning and all is well,babies are snug and warm with no idea
of the deadly cold millimeters away from their leaves!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:27 am

That dream account made me shiver.
More like a nightmare, and waking up in a sweat.

You know you're getting older when you dream about plants.

serj · Post by **serj** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:03 am

Our daytemp was -4 C today. I decided to open my styrofoam box. Here is what i saw.

This is my cordyline australis. It is suffered from combination of moisture and low temp

This is my palm which was planted as my first palm a three years ago.

This palm arrived from the Italy (Rome)from Massimo Cola.

This is little brahea armata. It is suffered from our wet and cold summer and autumn.

This are yucca rigida and jubaea chilensis. It is in perfect form.

This is my sabal minor. It grows too slow but i liked this palm.

All my plants stay without extra heat.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 1:11 pm

Looking good!

That Cordyline looks in fine shape,just some minor cold discoloration
but nothing at this point that it can't grow out of-not even that visible!

What kind of palm did Max send you?

Almost looks like Tesan????
Is it a Trachy?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 1:12 pm

Hopefully the cordyline will be ok! Everything else looks great, serj!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:04 pm

They look very good to me, great job with boxes.

What has your minimum temp been?

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:42 pm

Yes, very nice!
Personally, I use electricity but the cost of that is absurdly low in Oklahoma. I know that is not practical in most places. --Erik

serj · Post by **serj** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:22 pm

Thanks a lot for good replyes. The seedlings which i received from Max are tr. fortunei Naples. Barb, our minimum temp has been about -13,3 C or so. A have a good microclimate. There are many forests around my town. We have nuclear power plant at the north-west location. It is 15 kilometers from our town to the NPP. Our NPP has lake for cooling with warm water. Usually our temp higher on 2-3 degrees than has official weatherstation with located on 19 kilometers to the souch in the nearest town.

serj · Post by **serj** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:49 pm

I have to say some very interesting things.

I have digital temperature sensors DS18B20. One sensor inside the box and is connected to the my fathers computer with twisted pair. Then the temperature outside was -13,3 for short time inside the box was -0,4 C

Usually we have followed temps:
- outside -5 -6 C, inside from -0,4 to +0,4 C;
- outside -10 C -12 C, inside from -2,2 C to -1 C. It depend on duration time of the low temperature.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:06 am

Good data, Serj! The box method alone is working for you.
I think the reason it doesn't work as well for me, temperature-wise, is my microclimate: strong winds.
I do use that method, and no electric heat, for my avatar Butia and a couple Trachies. --Erik

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:57 am

Everything is looking good Jim! So how did that snowstorm work out for you down there? HERE?? We have (in my yard) 35" (yes 35 inches) of snow with areas drifted up to 5 feet! We got 20" on Friday night/Saturday on top of the 11 inches we got a few days previous. That is on top of the few inches that remained from the foot we got a couple weeks earlier. This winter is living up to the "La Nina" prediction in a big way! Few degrees below zero (f) right now... And possible double-digit below zero nights forecast the next couple nights before moderating back to near-normal. Meanwhile inside my enclosure the trachies/y. thompsoniana are happy. Lowest temp inside was 31.9 and highest was 43.5. It seems my heat/lighting keeps it in that range all the time regardless of outside temps. Last winter our absolute low was -15f (at the airport/officially). It's still only mid December and the highs are still supposed to be in the upper 20s right now, this is going to be a long winter I fear...

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:07 am

That is a great result for your palm hut!
I'm also eager to hear from Jim, and see some of his famous snow photos.
We dodged the bullet--no snow, and the coldest it got was +17 oF

That is what the La Nina predictions were for down here. Amazing when those long-term forecasts actually come to pass.
--Erik

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:40 am

Jim I am not sure you take this hobby seriously enough. I mean you could put a dome over your entire yard and not have to do each plant individually. Your set up and dedication to this hobby is unbelievable. Nice work and I hope your winter is a mild one.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:08 am

Wow, you guys got a little snow did you!!!

I'm not sure building a bio dome over Jim's yard would have worked for this snow storms, looks at the Metrodome and they have 100's of millions invested

If we got snow off this last storm we'd probably have 3 feet worth too. We got a DUMPING of rain here!

Hope everyone, and everything is all good for the people in this beasts path.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:23 am

serj, wow, 13 C difference box vs outside temp...excellent!
My palm hut is only 3 or 4 degrees warmer than outside temps, even after using spray foam on small gaps where panels are screwed together.
But when the sun shines...temps ramp up 15 degrees with the clear polycarbonate roof.
Interesting info about the NPP 15 km away from your town.

We have a huge lake about 8km away, too far to moderate temps here...but obviously it's not cooling a NPP.
When we moved here 30 years ago, lake often froze solid a mile from the beach.
Hasn't frozen over in many years, climate change.

mnpalms, great temps for Trachies and yuccas.
Excellent protection job when outdoors is 0F!
That's a lot of snow!

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:45 am

Thanks guys

We got about 1 1/2" out of the storm,most of it went west/north,
still,windy as hell!

The fact it rained then got cold helped lock everything in place!

Everything looks great but man this cold is locked in,nothing above freezing
as far as 15 days out.

Looks like a chance for more snow now too,what we lack in amount we make up for in
the persistence of the cold and minor snowfalls that won't melt anytime soon.

Nothing like 31" though

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:47 am

Thanks for the update, Jim. Add photos when you get the chance. We love 'em.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:30 pm

What's worse Jim, rain, light snow, and -temps, or 30 inches of snow?

serj · Post by **serj** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:31 pm

Barb, i'm working at the our NPP.

I'm an leading engineer.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:01 am

Looks Good Serj, Good luck this winter. Iy=t sure is a wild winter for early december so far..Even Florida is freezing!!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:34 am

I'm an leading engineer

must be a stress-filled job! Good that you have plants as a stress reliever!

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:51 am

BILL MA wrote:What's worse Jim, rain, light snow, and -temps, or 30 inches of snow?

I would have the biggest problem with 30" of snow!

serj · Post by **serj** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:10 am

This pic was taken yesterday.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:21 am

Serj,
they sure look good!
Have you been as cold as the rest of Europe?

serj · Post by **serj** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:25 am

We have had about -13,3 C for one night. There were two weeks with subzero temps by celsius.

serj · Post by **serj** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:32 am

Here is pic of my little araucaria angustifolia. It looks as healthy plant.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:22 am

Looking good Serg-

After about 4-5" of snow here X-mas eve they are saying maybe in
the 50s with heavy rain next week,hopefully the pattern is changing for a while.