Chinese Fan Palm (Livistonia chinensis) or Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)? If its truly a Chinese Fan that would be quite an accomplishment.

Hmmm. I might use that on my bananas...

Actually it is a Chinese Windmill Palm Trachycarpus fortunei. Ill try and get a picture when he wraps it up.
Myself im ordering a Trachycarpus fortunei and a Trachycarpus takil for my yard but Ill probably wait till spring. But I know its going to be a fun year tryin this stuff myself. From what I am told you can increase your zone number almost 1 to 2 zones with this stuff. Sorta opens a few more possibilities for my yard. They are supposed to have some type of set up to keep the soil warm under ground as well as the trunk above ground. and its all very simple to use and its fairly cheap.

"product from this company here in chicago"

there's a lot of products listted, which does he use to wrap his plants?

I beleive its the quick grow cables because it attaches to an ajustable thermostat. But i believe he ask the guy at the company and they helped him put together what he wanted and they supplied him with extra lenghts of that flexable cable.

That's pretty interesting. Has anyone here personally tried that stuff?

I was in a lighting shop a few weeks ago. they sell rope lights by the foot. you don't need to have much heat, just enough to stay above freezing. The advantage of the rope light is that they is clear, so not so ugly in the daytime. At night, of course, it could be pretty cool. :)

None of this electrical stuff is cheap. Better that everybody move to San Diego, or the Gulf Coast! :)

So he wraps his plants in late september... even before the frost sets in????? Hmmm...

I wrapped my trachy for a total 40 days this ENTIRE winter. They can take easily down to 10F, they are not zone 10 plants.

Chitown

Also,
"Chinese Windmill Palm Trachycarpus fortunei." is not a palm. Chinese fan palm is one type of palm, and the Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus Fortunei, is a very different type of palm.

Chitown

where do you buy the palms that will survive the Chicago winters?

The grow cables are supposed to be underground with no part of the cable overlapping or exposed while in operation. I use a similar cable as far as heat output is concerned. This cable is not to be overlapped or to come into contact with the ground while in operation. It is designed to be used to keep waterlines from freezing and includes a thermostat that turns it on/off at 37/43*F. A 30 Ft section with thermostat cost me $50. How does the cost of the grow cables compare?

Most Bananas need to be kept from freezing. Putting them away for winter should occur before the first frost. I keep my palms at 22*F or higher for the winter.

It would be interesting to see how well the palms and banana's did up in Chicago and other northern states this winter. How about some reports come late spring???

I have used heating cables for my palms before, just make sure the cable never overlaps. Mine shorted and they cannot be repaired.