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palmpunk

Growing palms in Michigan

palmpunk
18 years ago

Is there anyone in Michigan or surrounding states or similar zones growing palms outdoors in the ground? Just curious. I am currently growing a windmill palm.

Comments (5)

  • tropicalintoronto
    18 years ago

    Hi Palmpunk,
    Is yours outdoors and what protections are you providing it during the winter?
    Also, do you have any Pics?

  • chitown033
    18 years ago

    Palmpunk,
    I'm growing a Windmill Palm here in the ground too. This will be its second winter. All I do is wrap rope lights in a spiral fashion on the ground a few feet out from the trunk, mulch with straw, warp the trunk in burlap, and wrap the rope lights up the trunk and into the spear. Then I tie the fronds, wrap them in regular xmas lights, and continue some of the rope lights around the bundle of fronds. Then wrap the crown in a reemay/row cover and tie it at the top. I turn the lights on when necessary, usually the regular xmas lights below 13F, and the rope lights on the coldest nights, usually below 5F.
    I'll get pics soon of protection.

    Kyle

  • chills71
    18 years ago

    Oikos sold a couple of varieties last catalog I looked through.

    I considered trying one out, but decided I'd rather devote the space to growing one of the supposedly hardy gardenias instead.

    ~Chills

  • palmpunk
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    tropicalintoronto,
    Yes, mine is outdoors. Sorry, I don't have any pics. I'm using a very similar method to Chitown's strategy. However, I also have a white trash bag over the canopy to keep water out and I used burlap instead of reemay.
    -Ryan

  • iowapalmz5
    18 years ago

    palmpunk
    I live in Bettendorf, Iowa and currently have two sabal minors and a needle palm in the ground that I planted in June 05. We had a real cold three week period in early Dec and it got down to -10 a couple nights. All I did for those nights was cover the palms with dry leaves and as of today they have shown no damage whatsoever. The foilage has been exposed to 10 degrees with no protection other than the mulch and have been totally fine. I also have a 10 foot washingtonia robusta which is mummy wrapped, heavily mulched with X-mas lights for heat. So far so good.