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tristypoo1997

protecting palms in the winter.

Tristan Pierson
11 years ago

i have heard lots of ways to protect a palm such as mulching the base, and raping the trunk with christas lights and putting cloth over that, and putting a bag over the top. is that a good way to protect it? if not i would like to hear what you do.

Comments (15)

  • tropicalzone7
    11 years ago

    I personally put christmas lights over mine with some type of very light cloth (non-flammable is recommended for sure as a precaution!) and then a plastic garbage bin. The plastic garbage bin helps keep palms warm on windier nights and also keeps rain and snow out so the palms stay dry during the cold weather months and dont rot.
    You only have to add this protection when temperatures get below 20F and you can even reduce that to 15F once the palms get a little older. I protect my trachys when temperatures are in the 20sF. Last winter I did not protect a few of them and they had no damage because it was a mild winter (got down to 13F here in NYC for the lowest temperature of the winter) and the duration of cold was very short and there were mild days in the 50s and 60s.
    Some of the more tender palms I have like my livistona actually had more damage during this past winter which was mild than in previous colder winters because there was no lasting snow cover last winter and the snow helps insulate the protection a bit. So when using garbage bins to protect your palms, snow can actually help keep your palms warm! Some people believe that palms buried in just snow can be a method of winter protection, but I personally find that palms dont like being buried in snow. Some will tolerate it, but the freezing and thawing will do more harm than good. A little snow on the fronds will not do damage to any palms considered cold tolerant.
    -Alex

  • statenislandpalm7a
    11 years ago

    my protection method is similar. I use a plasic storage bin with christmas light inside. For palms that dont fit inside a storage bin I build a structure with wood stakes and plastic wrap and christmas lights. I turn on the lights below 20 degrees. To make it easier you could buy a thermocube which automatically turns on the lights at a certain temperature

  • Tristan Pierson
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    What if in the middle of the winter it never goes above freezing?

  • Tristan Pierson
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    What winter care is needed for the top (leaves)?

  • tropicalzone7
    11 years ago

    If it never gets above freezing in the middle of winter, you can keep it on until it does get above freezing. Only turn the lights on when it's especially cold outside.

    In my years of protecting palms, I realized that it seems like palms don't mind darkness when they arent growing. Just make sure to air them out when the weather does cooporatate even if its just for an hour.

    The winter of 2010-2011 was really brutal here, we literally broke just about every snowfall record in the books so the garbage bins I used to protect my palms were literally buried in snow. I was extremely worried about my palms since it was a good week before I could even dig them out and see how they were doing, but they were fine. Unlike last winter when the palms were only protected a few nights, in 2010-2011, the palms were really protected most of the winter and they all made it through fine. My trachys are definitely the palm I worry about least, I have a Sabal Minor and I worry about that one more since my trachys have proven to be pretty resiliant.

    I did not add any lights or frost cloth to one of my windmill palmsin the winter of 2010-2011 (just a garbage bin to protect it from snow) and it got down to 5F. That winter had a long duration of cold, we had an entire week of days that would not get above the low 30s, I dont even remember the last time that happened before that winter. The unheated windmill palm had some damage to the bottom 2 fronds and the newest frond that came out in the spring had slight discoloration. But it survived and looked pretty good and palms are most vulnerable their first 2-3 winters so the fact that it survived those temperatures proves that windmill palms are pretty hardy! I try not to push the limits too much becuase every specimen of every species is a little bit different, but after you have grown the same palm for a few years, you definitely start to get an instinct for what that particular specimen can and cannot handle.

    Good luck!
    -Alex

  • Tristan Pierson
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Ok, thank you! :)

  • us_marine
    11 years ago

    I've been trying to come up with an easy but effective way of making a temporary green house structure. Lol I havnt quite figured a way that balances between being easy to put up/ take down and letting enough light through but still hold on to heat. Even though palms dont grow as fast in the winter I think they might do better if they had space and some light, as well as a dry warm place. Especially the more tropical ones you try to grow. However, any way that gets them to survive is definately a good thing! :)

    Good luck :)

    -US_Marine

  • LagoMar
    11 years ago

    We have Pindo Palms here in Va Bch that have lived for years and years. In winter 2010 we had a heavy snow (6 inches here). Many Pindo's had big problems early spring, and some even died. Since the air temp never dropped below 20 F that year, I must deduce that the palms did not like the cold, damp snow on it with the temps in the low 20's. Thankfully, my Pindo's survived and bounced back and are thriving again, but suffice to say if snow is ever in the forcast again, I will be covering them with a blanket.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Virginia Beach Weather

  • Tristan Pierson
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    What are the chances of loosing my palm during the winter?

  • tropicalzone7
    11 years ago

    You can never really say what the chances are. I have only lost 2 palms so far, my needle palm which was unprotected and bought from a greenhouse (make sure to get them from places that expose them to cold weather and not places that keep them in a greenhouse) and I lost my Sabal Domingensis which was a zone 9 palm so it was a big risk in a zone 7 to begin with.
    I think you will have success with trachys and needle palms. Just make sure that if you want to plant them this year, you plant them soon. I dont recommend planting palms later than June since you want to give them all summer and fall to establish a decent root system, but it will take a few years for it to really be comfortable in its new enviorment.
    Good luck!
    -Alex

  • Tristan Pierson
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the help. :) I'm really excited to go to the coast tomorrow and buy my palms. I'll try making a box out of insulation board and lights to protect them this winter.

  • wetsuiter
    11 years ago

    Start with smaller palms. They'll be a cost-effective investment, and if for some reason you lose one, it won't hurt as much financially. Also smaller palms will be easier to protect and give you greater satisfaction as they grow. They'll teach you a lot and you can expand and experiment from there. Good luck.

  • indianatim
    11 years ago

    I live in zone 5 Indiana where temps fall below zero a few times most winters, we can have a fair amount of snow, and prolonged periods of freezing temps. I have two needle palms that stay out year round in the ground. I pile some dry leaves around the largest one and cover it with a box made of thick foam board. I do not use any lights or heating method. It gets bigger each year and looks perfect in late winter when I uncover it. My small needle palm is partially covered by the overhang of the house and I do not protect it at all. It does not grow much.

  • InsanePalmNinja
    11 years ago

    The Last year I Tried this I was Lucky Eouch to have not a bad winter. The Coldest it Got was in my Yard about 3 below Zero. Which for the Pass 5 years its normal to me now. Hows the Best way to Protect a BIG Sabal Brazoria Palm, Sabal Minor and Windmill?

  • Jeff Ashenfelter
    11 years ago

    indianatim:
    You have a needle palm in zone 5 indiana that survives unprotected?

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