Outside protection Zone 6 - 2011

[oppalm]

heres a pic of the palm tree thats behind my pond. coincides with the pics the last 3 posts on page 1 of this thread.

I build a frame around this palm, put a 20F/30F thermocube in it and a 60W outdoor light in the insulated hut. Seriously I'll bet it came on just 5-10 days this winter , so the palm got very little light at all this winter. I was surprised it look this good when I took the protection off.

[oppalm]

my last pic of my winter protected palms. this is T Fortunei and 2 sabal minors in front. This is on a 20F/30F thermocube. Palms look great.

[lucky1]

They do look great, Kent.

Surprised that the ones on the north side look so good, especially with no added heat.
-15C is still darn cold, but the short duration was good.

You're going to have to change this ---> where it's cold in winter (always)

Good work.
Barb

Ps--isn't it you who has a Trachy at a lake somewhere with just leaves/bag over it?
Sorry if I mixed up someone else's post.

[oppalm]

yes Barb thats me. I am going to the lake in the next week or 10 days to uncover it.

[lucky1]

It'll be in excellent shape too, being near a body of water.

GW finally has come through to provide warmer winter benefits for palm growers.
The only good thing about it.

Thanks Kent!
Barb

[oppalm]

a couple of pictures of the Trachy Fortuneis and livistonia chinenesis planted on the north side of my house in June/July 2009. these never get any sun. In wintertime I build a very simple palm hut and just add leaves , no heat provided. The first picture on this thread shows them in Oct 2010. Here they are today in Sept 2013.


<a href="http://s92.photobucket.com/user/kentp_2 ... d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l20/k ... 9b6d6d.jpg" border="0" alt="Sept 2013 photo 003_zps319b6d6d.jpg"/></a>


here is a picture of the livistonia chinensis (Chinese fan palm) that has survived 4 winters in ground with no heat. I dug it up after this pic and put it in a container and will grow it as a containerized palm now. Just thought it was time.
not sure how long it would survive dying back each year.

<a href="http://s92.photobucket.com/user/kentp_2 ... 9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l20/k ... f3ca49.jpg" border="0" alt="Sept 2013 photo 004_zpsf3f3ca49.jpg"/></a>

[sashaeffer]

Great Pics. I too am experimenting with growing the Chinese Fan Palms (2) in the ground. I will say they are really tough palms!

Planted my 2 last spring then they had to endure the hottest, driest summer we've ever had in Omaha(one pretty much burned up). Winter protection was just cutting them back and throwing 3 bags of mulch on top of them. Then, when uncovered in the spring we happened to have the coolest, wettest spring on record all the way to May, and they had a lot of fungus on them, but they came back, and while not to their potential I'm just glad they survived.

Going to over winter them a bit different this year....still on the cheap. Going to use some tall clear plastic totes I got at Walmart and when I cut them back cover them with the totes and add surround the tote with the bags of mulch. Also going to add some Christmas lights to help.

I have a separate thread on them, and will post season ending pics to document how they look, and how they will come back in the spring.

[oppalm]

you are right Scott from Omaha, the livistonia chinensis is a tough palm. good luck with yours. I just thought it would look better in a container and I'll pot plant it each summer in my front flower bed. didn't know how many years it could take getting its rear kicked in winter and then come back strong. I have now taken the guess work out of it. Plus, I have another liv chinensis that is in a container and it does very well for me indoors over winter.

[sashaeffer]

Yea, I have a larger potted one as well that I just keep in garage with other cold hardy palms that are in pots.

Been seeing a few at nurseries going on season ending sale...so might buy some more.