PalmsNorth.com

I will be taking down my barrel enclosure I used on a 6-7 foot windmill this past winter. It was not insulated so I will be curious to see how healthy the tree is. It was my oldest and healthiest trees so I figured that it was the best one to run the test. I had three barrels stacked on top of eachother, I'll try to take as many pics as I can and post in my thread once I open things up. I like the idea of the spray foam, however how I put my barrels together, I have them cut all the way down one side so I can "clam shell" them around the tree without having to put it over the top (something that will be difficult as they get taller), my question would be when you stretch the barrel open, will you see the foam crack off the sides as the barrel flexes to open.

How bout if you used the barrels, split down the middle, but glued fiberglass house insulation inside them? Like R13 or R19 fiberglass and 3M spray adhesive to hold it in place? Those cans of Great Stuff expanding foam would get expensive and the foam doesn't hold up to mechanical shock very well.

KrisK wrote:How bout if you used the barrels, split down the middle, but glued fiberglass house insulation inside them? Like R13 or R19 fiberglass and 3M spray adhesive to hold it in place? Those cans of Great Stuff expanding foam would get expensive and the foam doesn't hold up to mechanical shock very well.

I would say in terms of long term durability that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. These barrels take up a lot of room, my intent will be to throw them out behind my shed during the summer time for storage. I have 5 6-8 foot tall palms that I have to box up each winter. If you want to monkey with batting, you might as well wrap the palm in frost cloth, mummy wrap with the batting and then cover with a tarp. Just my opinion....

I guess it depends on how much energy you can afford to waste...
the good old days when(basically) saranwrap was enough with enough heat

They also make foam like people build their palm
covers with that you can bend or roll out.

ICE STATION ZEBRA
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ice station zebra

A shiver went down my back when I saw the winter pics.

Barb

Yea...I think that was the winter we hit -18F.

I remember going outside trying to tack some
plastic back down ...when I first walked
out in sweatpants and tennis shoes(obviously a coat
and gloves)I remember thinking,it aint that cold.......
then my ankles started to become stiff...no kidding
they were starting to freeze.

tack some plastic back down

and the plastic is brittle...

doesn't seem like a good idea to me. These barrels take up a lot of room, my intent will be to throw them out behind my shed during the summer time for storage. I have 5 6-8 foot tall palms that I have to box up each winter. If you want to monkey with batting, you might as well wrap the palm in frost cloth, mummy wrap with the batting and then cover with a tarp. Just my opinion....

I don't want to monkey with any of it LOL! R13 batts and a plastic moisture cover has kept my palms going on the coldest nights of winter for several years. Just roll the batts up and into the attic they go. I guess if you roughed up the inside of the barrels the foam will stick better, but it may not last real long with that much exposure. It's been my experience that the foam exposed to the elements gets brittle and crumbles. I'll be curious how your method works, because it's alot of work to wrap them up the old fashioned way. I don't even have that many to protect, but I got lazy and my euro fans suffered this year from it.

KrisK wrote:

doesn't seem like a good idea to me. These barrels take up a lot of room, my intent will be to throw them out behind my shed during the summer time for storage. I have 5 6-8 foot tall palms that I have to box up each winter. If you want to monkey with batting, you might as well wrap the palm in frost cloth, mummy wrap with the batting and then cover with a tarp. Just my opinion....

I don't want to monkey with any of it LOL! R13 batts and a plastic moisture cover has kept my palms going on the coldest nights of winter for several years. Just roll the batts up and into the attic they go. I guess if you roughed up the inside of the barrels the foam will stick better, but it may not last real long with that much exposure. It's been my experience that the foam exposed to the elements gets brittle and crumbles. I'll be curious how your method works, because it's alot of work to wrap them up the old fashioned way. I don't even have that many to protect, but I got lazy and my euro fans suffered this year from it.

Where are you located? Care to show pics of your winterizing method step by step on what you do?

Well have two barrels done now for winter 2015/2016 Foam lined all the way around and sticking nicely. One thing about these two barrels is how they stack, so something to keep in mind if anyone else is looking for this type of set up when looking for barrels. Ends are tapered enough to where they are meant to stack on top of each other in the way they fit as shown in picture. I'll simply use the industrial strength plastic wrap to hold the two..or three or more barrels together.

On the outside, will use the fence posts in the ground in 3 spots with PVC tubing over the top of the metal posts and ratchet strap it all together. It worked well with much more flimsy wire cage method in the wind. I might add some eye let/bolts and nuts to the barrels in case I need to add further support from the barrels to the ground attached to a tent stake or cinder block.

For the top barrel or "cap" I'll just use a barrel that I leave the bottom in and flip it upside down. I plan also on adding some small circular vents into the sides as well. I've seen a bag of 10 for sale at home improvement stores for minimal costs. With the louvers it will allow it to breathe yet now allow water in from any winters rains we might get.

Where are you located? Care to show pics of your winterizing method step by step on what you do?

I'm in Oklahoma. I don't think I have a step by step photo essay, and I've already unwrapped everything except my musa basjoo. My trachies protection is pretty much what you described, I bundle the fronds, place r13 batts, then cover with 4mil plastic. I leave the top open unless extreme cold or precip is forecast. I'm going to use lights on the euros next year...if they lived. They basically had no protection this time, completely defoliated, and were trunk-cut. One is pushing a spear, but the other is not. My silver chamaerops looks better than the green but still took a beating.

KrisK, would so be so kind as to start a new thread?

I'm guessing all is out now!

KrisK wrote:

Where are you located? Care to show pics of your winterizing method step by step on what you do?

I'm in Oklahoma. I don't think I have a step by step photo essay, and I've already unwrapped everything except my musa basjoo. My trachies protection is pretty much what you described, I bundle the fronds, place r13 batts, then cover with 4mil plastic. I leave the top open unless extreme cold or precip is forecast. I'm going to use lights on the euros next year...if they lived. They basically had no protection this time, completely defoliated, and were trunk-cut. One is pushing a spear, but the other is not. My silver chamaerops looks better than the green but still took a beating.

What do you get for temp ranges over a winter? Anything near 0 to -10?

Erik I do need to post some pics. Just not much time these days.

No, we usually stay closer to 0 > 10f. I think we got below 0 in February 2011.