palm tree protection

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 11:24 am

HI everybody, i just posted a few video on youtube about our winter palm protection, like Trachy, butia and sabal palmetto. Check on this last video, is it french but i have some in english, sorry for my accent LOL...
http://youtu.be/2S4ll8Gigfk

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:03 pm

Hi Beny,
Tres bien!

Welcome aboard...did Coconut Mike install your palms? Winter protection looks similar to his.

And is that a Queen palm (unprotected) in the pot?
I should say was that a Queen Palm.

Bonne annee.
Barb

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 11:16 am

Merci Beny!
And welcome!
I had already subscribed to your youtube channel and have seen your videos. I hope to put together a large palm installation business here in Hamilton- Niagara, southern Ontario this spring, with the option of offering protection as well. Any tips you have, please share!
Adam

Godfryd · Post by **Godfryd** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 11:58 am

Hi Beny!
Excelent work and nice challenge to keep such big palms in your USDA area! I'm impressed.
I already subscribed your YouTube channel too

Regards

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 4:43 pm

For Lucky1 and seedscanada, Mike did not install my protection, but he sold me the palms, he s the better palms suppliers in Montreal and Quebec...my protections is similar in fact, i use 3 different tehcnique depend of the palm species. If you have seen the forum with arctic tropical `guy in Utah. Our protection is similar, one of the most effective technique is a 2 inches stryrofoam box with a least 2-3 23 watts fluocompact bulbs or any 75-100 watts bulb with 10000 h of life. With that, you ll be sure your palm will have heat for all the winter long. With this technique a box of 2 feets side by 8 feets tall get 12 degree celcius more than the outside temperature during the night and you add 4 degree celcius more due to the sun effect during the day. That with only 2x23 wats always on
, add more than 6-7 celcius for another 23 watts bulb. With that the ground at the feet of your palm (inside the box) never frost hard. Don t forget to wrap a tarp around the box and tie them fermely to the ground with rope.
Hope these tips will help you..
And yes, it WAS a queen palm, i had problem with it since the spring, he got 3 fronds broken due to the wind. So i kept it outside for doing a fatal experience. He survived -9 celcius without any dommage. But at -11 celcius it was to tough for im...Conclusion, the queen palm can survived a 12-13 F cold snap for few hours, but not under 10 F...

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:06 pm

More info, we ve got -22 celcius during a night last week and in my Trachy box front of my house, the temperature went down to -8 celcius with the technique i mentionned before and -4 celcius in the Butia box with a technique similar with more lights. So by very cold night , i have more than the 12 celcius plus temp., i had 14 celcius plus in the Trachy box.I dont thing he suffered of that temperature, cause in a video i posted 1 month ago, he saw -11 celcius without protection and he had no dommage at all. Last year my younger specimen of Trachy (1.5 feet tall) saw a -14 celcius and has been defoliated but restard to grow in may with 5 new fronds this year.
As long if you have positive temp.( 5-15 celcius above zero)during the day, there s no problem if you get negative temp. during the night.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:41 pm

Too bad the Queen palm couldn't have been brought indoors...even laying it sideways in an 8-foot high room.

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 3:38 pm

Tres bien fait, j'imagine que ca caille la-haut. Faut bien proteger , quoi!

Very nice video, Must really get cold up there, you'd better protect them!!

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 3:52 pm

Oui, effectivement...je vais continuer en anglais pour nos voisin anglophone. We get the -20 to -25c around 3-5 days in the winter. But this winter is mild like you in the US...good for the palms...now its -9c here in Mirabel and inside the protections is +5 to +8c .

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:46 pm

Hi guys, just don t forget to put some heating at the base of the palm, like heat cable or C9 lights ( 10-12 C9 is enought ) ,the fluorescent bulb is not enought unles if you put at least 3x23 watts at the base. Cause if you put the light at the middle of the box, the ground will frost at the feet of the palm even in the box. So you really need to put some heat at the base.With this methot i get the same temperature at the base and the middle of the box...

Okanagan desert-palms · Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:32 pm

Beny Trachy`s are tougher than most people think. I`ve had mine experience -17c + for three nights straight with only mild burning on the ends of the fronds. Good advice. Thanks for the video and welcome to Palms North.

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:57 pm

Thanks , im agree with that, more mature they are more tough they are too...but i was only worry about the ground frost to hard. If is only few inch deep, i think its ok. But with temp. always below zero in the box, the frost will go deeper, and that is not good.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:40 pm

After leaving Windmills uncovered for the nice mild winter had to cover them up once again.

Plastic 1/2 barrel protecting the seedling has been VERY easy to maintain a nice temperature even on the coldest nights. never dropping below 32 deg

This palm is less insulated, but still has never dropped lower than 28 deg and only covered with thick mil plastic bag that we use to transport transmissions in. I had to cut some slits in the back to let it breathe easier and to keep condensation to a minimum.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:15 pm

Scott,

Me too...winter's here, albeit no snow...yet.

Protection is nicely done.
You've got Christmas lights in those pots on the ground? in case severe cold arrives?

Great night photo.

Looks like your garbage people are on strike too.

There's an arctic front from Alaska...heading this way in a few days :verycold:

Stay warm, palms!
Barb

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 4:35 am

Barb, just the front pic with the Lexan plastic cover has a baby windmill in it, and yes has c7 Christmas lights attached to a wire cage inside it. I had to unscrew some bulbs because it was getting too warm, and tips of the palm were getting burnt. I try too, to leave a small air gap so air can circulate and let moisture out.

Other protection in the back is a Hardy Banana tree. I have 3 of those that I'm trying to protect around the yard.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 4:56 am

Beny,

Nice protection! Always impressed when people can grow palms in a cold continental zone 4b/5a! I think we're in approximately similar climates (mine is just to the north of Kingston, ON, on the borderline between 4b and 5a). I've been experimenting with palms in this climate since ~2000 and have amassed quite a lot of knowledge, both firsthand, and from other northern gardeners. I'm still waiting for the golden grail palm that is hardy in a continental climate (i.e. like a spruce tree).

Anyway, always enjoy the vids from you guys. I also realize that my French has regressed quite badly!

Here's my 4th year Rhapidophyllum (I had others that I did not protect as much and they regressed then died over ~3 years)
<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... abQI"><img src="http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/48290 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC02972"></a>

Cheers,
Paul

PalmsNorth.com

palm tree protection

palm tree protection

Back to reality...and winter