Garbage can protection

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 1:42 pm

The furcraea is total mush after -20C and no heat under the garbage can.
Can't figure out how there could be all that ice around the spear base when it was never opened to the weather.

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But the unknown yucca looks fine with only a garbage can + only 2 Christmas bulbs at its base.
Still a bunch of scale on it even after dousing it with cooking oil.

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BUT the y.rostratas look F A B U L O U S with only a plastic cover against moisture. No heat.
I think the trick is to not let leaves ever touch cold plastic.

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Dying to look at the Washies and B.armata and C. humilis cerifera.
But I'd never get the covers closed again, they're too stiff.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:48 pm

Condensation and transpiration on/by the leaves is all drained toward the center of the plant .

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Dec 29, 2013 6:14 pm

all drained toward the center of the plant

Yes, good point.
Wonder if it's because the leaves are really fleshy versus the yucca leaves.

The unknown yucca had the same size garbage can, albeit with 2 lights for heat.
Maybe that was enough heat to dissipate moisture.

Barb

cuja1 · Post by **cuja1** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 12:48 pm

What are your experiences with the rostratas leaves touching plastic Barb? Mine is touching the plastic tote it's covered in. I did the same last year and it made it through fine. We haven't dropped below 0 F yet though. Last year we got down to 3 F.

teebee · Post by **teebee** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 1:05 pm

I just had the cover off my rostrata yesterday it was inside a Styrofoam rose cones with just a couple C9 bulbs I've had -21C so far this year and it looks as good as the day it went into protection. It was only planted in the ground in September had didn't have much for roots on it I was slightly worried but looks great.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 9:40 pm

Palm and yucca fronds burn where they touch cold plastic.
Unsightly but isn't fatal.

My "viewing window" (clear plastic) on the Brahea armata protection had a thin layer of ice inside

Protection is too large for the little palm.
But glad the fronds are nowhere near touching the plastic.

Glad the rose cones are working well for you teebee, styro never "feels" as cold as plastic at the same temperature.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:03 am

Hi Barb

your Y. elata looks great

your Y. rostratas are really beautiful!!!

Really nice color on those leaves.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:56 am

Y. elata looks great

Yeah, the scale love it too.

I'm soooooo impressed with the y.rostratas.
No heat at all this year, just a plastic cover that doesn't even go all the way to ground.
These things might be bulletproof here.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:40 am

Hi Barb

Y. rostrata sure is a tuff plant. We are suppose to drop below 0F (-18C to -22C) in a few days......I'll let you know how my two Y. rostratas fair with no protection.

Other trunked Yuccas which are really cool are Y. faxoniana and Y. linearifolia. Both have very good cold tolerance.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 3:29 pm

-22F Tim, yuck.

Your stuff is so beautiful, Tim, and not used to that kind of cold.
Hopefully if unprotected, you'll tie some cardboard around them at least.

Just for insurance.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:49 am

Hi Barb

I'd be shocked if the rostratas get damaged.........they saw -8F (-22C) back in 2005 and did fine. The trunked Y. treculeana died from that cold.

Here's the photo in 2005 in March......in a few weeks the Y. treculeana was dead......the trunk died first, then the leaves. They were protected with an overhead 'roof'. It did a good job keeping the snow out.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:03 am

The snow was laughing at you...haha,you thought you could keep us out!

Tim

You may want to try a snow fence if/when you get another whopper-
maybe this would help pile the snow where you want it.
I thought about putting one to the east of my cactus enclosure while I am gone
right on the other side of the walk-this would have left the walkway partially uncovered with a
wave like the one in your picture right where my palm are to the east of the cactus -

In regard to leaves touching plastic...not as drastic when it is the side of the plant,the overhead
plastic touching the spear and its watershed are the issues....you may recall the winter before I removed that 6'
Aloifolia out of the cactus bed it was touching the top of the enclosure and the spear rotted....I cut down on the spear
before the spring heat and moisture rotted out the rest of it and it made a perfect recovery.

It is in the house now rooting and ready to go back out in spring after sitting in the basement all winter with no roots.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:07 am

Yeah, I remember those photos Tim.
Your y.treculeana leaves look like my furcrea's now.
Obviously the fleshier the leaf the more likely it'll rot from moisture accumulation/freezing.

And the y.rostrata is saying to its neighbor: "I'm all right, Jack, but you won't be".

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plastic touching the spear &#91;quote&#93;
IMO, spear always needs total protection.

Barb&#91;/quote&#93;