T. Fortunei and Musa Basjoo hardiness

[JordanNL]

How much cold can a trachy take before the fronds start to show damage?How many consecutive days below freezing can it take? I am wondering if I can get away with not heating my Trachy as my lows the last to winters were -13.6C and -12.4C, but we hace alot of days were the temp is around 0C and drops to -4C at night.

Also, what the hardiness of a Basjoo psuedostem?

[Paul Ont]

Jordan,

Trachies can take something like -14C without damage. Plus, they are one of the few palms that can handle prolonged sub freezing weather. I don't think enough work has been done on the palms ability to handle prolonged moderate freeze, so I can't answer that question. One thing to keep in mind is that palms don't go dormant, no matter what anyone might tell you!

Basjoo pstems can take something like -5C if the cold is short lived. If, however, it were to experience a prolonged freeze of even -1C, I think it would succumb. Bananas don't have an innate ability to withstand frost/freezing. You'll notice that even a light freeze will brown basjoo leaves. If the cold penetrates, the tissue will die!

[hardyjim]

In regard to Fortunei it also depends on how big it is.

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Jordan, in regards to the trachy, heated/unheated depends how elaborate you are willing to go with your protection. If your trachy is a few feet tall, and you are willing to build a styrofoam box around it with multiple protection measures inside (stuffed with leaves, gallon jugs of water, etc), then you might be able to go the unheated route (which is the way that I will always go with my fortunei). However, if you want a method with a greater probability of trachy frond survival, you could go with xmas lights, heat lamps, or other heating options.

[GeorGo]

I know this thread is old, but Jordan I'd be really interested in knowing how your palms made out afterall? I am on a work term in newfoundland and I could foresee there being a lot of problems with growing tropicals here, but the winters definitely don't get as cold as they do on the mainland. Have any of your other tropicals managed to make it through winters outside?