Planning protection would like a bit of advice. (Zone 5b/6a)

teebee · Post by **teebee** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:57 pm

So it's that time of year and I need to start coming up with my protection for my plants.

3 Windmill Palms (3.5 feet, 5.5 feet, 9 feet tall)
1 European Fan Palm (3.5 feet)
6 Agave Americana (2 feet)
5 Agave Parri (.5 feet)
1 Yucca Rostrata (2.5 feet)
3 Musa Basjoo (leaving them as tall as I can)

So my plan so far is C9 bulbs inside 2'x2' 2" Styrofoam boxes with thermo cubes. My question how many C9's should I be putting in each of my boxes. C9's are 7w each and I currently have 5 strings of 24 bulbs which I can cut and manipulate as I see fit. (I got them from my local classifieds for $5 w00t.)

For example my 9 foot Windmill will be in a 10 foot box would I use an entire string of 24 in there?

24 bulbs*7w=168w Seems like a bit of power. I figure I want to balance heat with the light so the tree gets enough light throughout the long winter if I put too many bulbs in the box it will come up to temp. quickly and the box goes dark again.

I also want to put a piece of plexiglass as a window behind the styrofoam to act as an inspection panel. Do I need to worry about humidity build up? What are people using as remote temp probes?

Once I have a formula for one box I can easily replicate it to the rest just trying to have a plan before its too late.

Thanks in advance.

hasty22 · Post by **hasty22** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:04 pm

I was going to try something new this year. I bought a roll of welded utility fence from HD. It is 48 inches high and a 50 ft roll for about $56. Instead of constructing boxes I thought this would be easier and maybe cheaper. It can be cut to any height or put 2 on top of each other to double the height. I was going to put about 5 c9 bulbs per plant up to 4 feet.Wrap in pink insulation 4 or 6 inches. I was then going to cover with clear plastic bags you get from bottle depot for cans and bottles. I was also going to put bulbs on thermocube

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... 4c3f5d.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3804_zps364c3f5d.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... 6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... d8df36.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3803_zps98d8df36.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... 9109fe.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3801_zpsc09109fe.jpg"/></a>

If you cut the bottom ring off it will stick in ground.

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... d91fae.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3805_zps24d91fae.jpg"/></a>

Will post other pics as I complete the winter protection.

hasty22 · Post by **hasty22** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:21 pm

Also with this wire you can adjust the height as well as the width of the ring. Then tie it together with zip ties

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:03 am

Looks like you have it well under control! Let's hope for a mild winter.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:17 pm

Hasty, very nice... I used the same material over my Y gloriosa in a potentially winter wet area.

Tim, I'd use t-cube and heat in the americanas and the euro. I added no heat to my musas, fotuneis or rostratas last year, only kept them dry and the musas mulched.

Bulbs with t-cube were between 5 and 7 Xmas bulbs per palm. You don't want it to bake or burn, besides, heat rises.

I just returned from Mississauga, where I enclosed my customer's trachy and basjoo. Good growth on both. But their dog has been eating their sasa bamboo and some of their pawpaw tree!

Good luck and post pics. I will too. Tim, first freeze could be as early as this Thursday! Trachycarpus will be okay for a while longer, but keep em all dry. That's what I'm doing this week.

Cheers everyone!

teebee · Post by **teebee** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:18 pm

Adam,

Thanks for the hints. You're definitely in a better climate zone than I am but it give me an idea at least. I am going to start the back yard shut down tomorrow. I put an order in for some temp. probes for all my boxes. I am using DS18B20 probes controlled by a Raspberry Pi. (If someone is geeky like me and want me to discuss what I've done I can open a separate thread.)

hasty22 · Post by **hasty22** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:31 pm

teebee I was wondering which thermocube you use TC-2 or TC-3? Since we are both in same zone. I ordered a TC-2 which is on at -6C off at -1C.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:43 pm

I went for the T3 thermocubes.
On at 35F, off at 45F.

As to teebee's 10-foot tall box for the 9-foot Windmill, I have a 2x4 plywood palm hut, lined with 1-inch styrofoam, with a clear fiberglass angled roof to shed snow and let in light.
I use a T3 thermocube attached to a small ceramic-type electric heater.
No Christmas lights in the palm hut.
Re remote thermometers, I use two types: Bios and Springfield.
The temp sender is off the ground but not quite as high as the palm bud, and definitely not near C9s to give me false readings.

Christmas lights C-9s are used in the plastic "teepees" (Washy, Chamaerops, and Brahea's first winter in ground).

Keith, five C9 lights I'm guessing may not be enough.
In my Washy doubled 6ml vapor barrier teepees, I have two strings each ~20 lights.
1 or 2 inch Vent at the top.

Barb

hasty22 · Post by **hasty22** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 2:26 pm

"Keith, five C9 lights I'm guessing may not be enough.
In my Washy doubled 6ml vapor barrier teepees, I have two strings each ~20 lights.
1 or 2 inch Vent at the top."

Barb did you put any insulation around them or just the poly?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 4:28 pm

Last year I put batts of fiberglass house insulation INSIDE the first layer of plastic, just stacked them up leaning (because it's a teepee, angled towards the top.
My rationale was that the insulation would absorb the moisture but not drip onto the palm because of its "thickness".
Then overwrapped the entire 6 ml vapor barrier with an old pool solar blanket...it's like bubble wrap, which Jim uses.

I had quite the fungus attack on one Washy; the other came through almost unscathed with the same number of lights and protection method.

That's why one Washy is leaning so badly, the top bud must've died, and it grew a new top bud from the side.

Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 4:59 pm

I realize I didn't explain something well enough above.

This year I don't plan on using the batt insulation again.
Air space is important for keeping cold from getting through to the palm.

So I plan on doing this:

For my really small Brahea armata and Chamaerops humilis, I'll again use teepees, constructed of $1 broom handles tied at the top with duct tape, overwrapped with 6 ml vapor barrier. No batt insulation. ~20 or so C-9's inside, controlled by a thermocube.

To provide an air space, I'll build another teepee over each palm's protection, with a 6 inch or so air gap, using steel fence poles (like I use for my Washy teepees).
Then wrap that steel fence pole teepee in old swimming pool solar blankets, tied with Tuck tape (the red stuff for vapor barrier plastic).

Keith, if you're looking for old swimming pool solar blankets, which can be cut to any size, and provide a bubble wrap protection (albeit blue, not clear), just phone our pool guy (Mike or Joanne) at Deep Creek pools at 250.260.3261. Just tell him Barb said to call. They usually take old swimming pool solar blankets to the dump; they're glad to get rid of them.

I'm hoping that extra 6-inch air space between the teepees will work well, and reduce moisture levels because I'm not using batt insulation.
Fingers crossed.

Barb

teebee · Post by **teebee** » Wed Nov 06, 2013 10:24 am

Well I think I'm done.

I ended up building 2" foam boxes for all the big stuff and using rose cones for the little stuff. I found someone selling old C9 xmas lights for $5 for 5 stings on kijiji A whack of TC3 thermo cubes.

I really had to squish my agave americana into the rose cones I think I will have to build something much bigger for next year. I never realized how much the agave grew this year. Hopefully everything makes it to grow another year. I will get some pictures of the yard up soon.