PalmsNorth.com

It was sunny today (only like the second day this month of full sun) so I decided to go outside and take a peak at a few of my trachycarpus. If you have been following my posts, these palms only have a double poly enclosure with 100 mini christmas lights wrapped around each (total of 40 watts). I have been relying on solar insolation to make up the majority of the heat. Within the last week we have plunged into some deep cold. I recorded a low of -10F Friday morning and we barely got above zero in the afternoon. The last few days have fallen below zero at night and struggled to 10F in the afternoon.

Here is a shot of the winter wasteland. Don't let the sun fool you; it was 8F while taking these pictures.



Compare that to better times



Opening up the enclosure ...



Looking inside ... the spears on this palm are still firm and won't pull.



I probed the ground and it is now frozen inside up to within 6 inches of the palm trunk. How deep? I don't know.

On the trachy below, if you remember from my previous post, both spears and the newest frond pulled back on New Years Eve. When I opened it up, I thought I would see further damage, but it still looks good?



About 30 more harsh days to come and then spring will start rearing its head. Anticipate removing protection within 30 to 45 days depending on the weather.

Positives:

* Spears firm on 3 of 4 palms; fourth palm with spear pull has not declined further.
* Fronds still appear decently healthy.
* Sun warms enclosures to 45-55F everyday even when it's 5F outside.
* Coldest they have seen is about 20F.

Cons:

* Ground is frozen/starting to freeze in the enclosure (can trachy roots survive being frozen?)
* 30 more days of harsh cold possible yet.

Any thoughts?

With only 2 days of sun this month and considerable cold, a blanket thrown over each hut would've been good, but it's a pain to remove it every morning hoping for the sun to shine while you're at work. Even heavy 6ml plastic is terrible for keeping cold out on cloudy days. Great for a windy site though.

Vancouver's Trachies--some in raised planters--saw -9C 15F several times during the last 2 winters, with no apparent damage but many have been in the ground 15+ years.

Barb

Looking great!
It is hard to argue with success. But, IMO, I'd suggest the hotter C9 bulbs for next year.
My best result this year is with a Chammie. It has pipe heat tape around the trunk + thermocube C9 bulbs on fronds, all under fiberglass insulation. Probably overkill given our mild winter, but that little guy looks great.
Like your Trachy!

Looking good!

That pic of "better times" sure makes me miss summer.

Looks good.

I commend you!

Mark

looking good so far.....except for the previous spear pull......perhaps damage won't show until temps get above freezing LOL. I hope this cold will leaves sometime in the near future!

TimMAz6 wrote:looking good so far.....except for the previous spear pull......perhaps damage won't show until temps get above freezing LOL. I hope this cold will leaves sometime in the near future!

In December I was hoping for a warmer January.

Now that January has come and pass I'm hoping for a warmer February. Realistically, I think we have to wait until April.

Palms look great. Frozen soil could be a problem for newer planted and smaller Trachy`s. One more month to find out.

John

Yes trachy roots can freeze causing permanent damage to the palm.
Barb, Vancouver has only seen one day that was at -8C November 2010, in the last two years and that was during the very early part of the morning and then it did go just above freezing during the day. The ground did freeze but just on the surface and was hard for maybe a week at the longest. Each day we went above freezing to maybe 4 - 5C and then back down to -3 -4C at night. The sun would warm everything up during the day. Big difference to what wxman is experiencing. I would put some of those lights on the ground and see if you can get the ground to thaw out.
By the way this was at my place. Further east may have been different.
The trachies never need protection here.
Even new seedlings which I have many sprouting all over my yard do not need any protection.

Wes, that's why we're all so envious of Vancouver's winter temps.
Even when (if) it gets cold, it doesn't stay, where our cold settles in for weeks at a time.

Tim, agree with Wes' suggestion to thaw the ground with the lights...

Barb