PalmsNorth.com

The variegation on my Aucubas is starting to return after the sunny summer that NS had:


Creeping trunk on the new T. fortunei:

Cameron. Mature, ground planted monkey puzzles here in zone 7a have taken heavy hits in some recent winters. I suggest a hoophouse, if even with plastic electrical conduit, red tape and vapour barrier. It takes five to ten celcius off (warmer) and prevents ground freeze by daytime sun heating.

Our first one back in 2010 cost about 70 dollars in materials, two hours of time.... 6 foot high, 8 foot by ten foot footprint

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8184065146/" title="Hoophouse by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8184 ... eb9c_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Hoophouse"></a>

Just a suggestion to protect your investment... also each year I reuse the conduit and maybe some of the plastic

Adam, thanks for the suggestion. Normally that is something that I would do in a situation like this. Unfortunately, each tree weighs around 300 lbs, and the taller trees are around 10' including the pot height. I'm not able to move them until someone purchases them, so I will have to pile dozens of bales of hay around them to try to keep the roots as warm as possible I will try to see if there is some way to build a lean-to -like structure around the trees with some plastic sheeting.

Hi Cameron,

wow, you got a nice shipment of new plants. Those Sequoiadendrons are great!! How tall are those monkey puzzle trees? It looks like your starting a nursery?? Great.

Thanks, Tim! The tallest MP trees are about 9' (not counting the pot height).

Cool stuff......You're obsessed! LOL

PS How do you plan to overwinter your Chinese Golden Lotus Bananas (Musella L.)? I still have mine in the ground unprotected. It is their first seasonand i'm not sure what to do?? Guess I'll treat them just like my musas???

Musella need to be kept DRY. Not quite as dry as succulents, but really close to it. Hopefully you amended the soil around it to be really well draining.

Jesse is right about keeping Musella dry. I lost mine INDOORS last winter from overwatering!

LOL I thought ive lost mine indoors for a few years now, but it keeps coming back when it warms up! This year im keeping it going with lights, and as long as there is a long light cycle they seem to want water and grow decent. Near a cold window of any sort will make it die back, even inside, but that doesnt mean its dead. As long as the base has some give to it (as in not mush) and has some green it will come back.

It does want to be watered less then any other "tropical" houseplant in the winter though in my experience, the same with my colocasia and alocasia.

Thanks everyone, I plan to keep them in the ground and just mulch them over really well. We'll see what happens.

sidpook wrote:Thanks everyone, I plan to keep them in the ground and just mulch them over really well. We'll see what happens.

Any updates?