Bringing Palms in for the winter

[Rightstuff15]

I have a Mexican Fan and Windmill Palm in containers outside. I plan to bring them in the garage during the winter months. The garage only has one small window on the westside. I plan to ensure that the temperature never dips below the point that would cause them harm. Should I use grow lights during their winter storage or let them go 'dormant'?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

As long as your garage is adequately sealed and has an insulated door they will be just fine without lights as long as they are close to the window.

[Rightstuff15]

But what if they are not close to a window?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

If you garage is cold they go dormant and won't stretch out much. They should be fine but might burn if you put them right back in full sun.  I know folks that put elephant ears, bananas, etc in their garage every and i have moved my giant madagascar pachypodium in my garage for the last 8 years. 

[Ben OK]

On 8/18/2017, 2:23:54, Rightstuff15 said:

I have a Mexican Fan and Windmill Palm in containers outside. I plan to bring them in the garage during the winter months. The garage only has one small window on the westside. I plan to ensure that the temperature never dips below the point that would cause them harm. Should I use grow lights during their winter storage or let them go 'dormant'?

I live in NE Oklahoma and I have brought palms into my garage every winter for the past 5 or 6 years with good success. 

I don't think you need to do anything special, just get them outside when the weather looks good enough for them. In Oklahoma I just keep them outside most of the winter, bringing them in when we get cold spells. I've kept them in the garage for a little over at week with no windows or lights before. I didn't love doing that, but they all survived.

I do advise being conservative though. They won't be as hard as they would be in the ground, but they will take temps down into the 18F to 20F range without problems if they are fairly dry (soil), and you keep precipitation off of them when it is below freezing.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

[Rightstuff15]

Thanks for the replies. My palms would be in a heated garage from Dec (possibly earlier) thru March. So if in for a few months, still no need for grow lights?

[Ben OK]

 

26 minutes ago, Rightstuff15 said:

Thanks for the replies. My palms would be in a heated garage from Dec (possibly earlier) thru March. So if in for a few months, still no need for grow lights?

I think the window would be sufficient so long as all of your palms can get some of the light from it. 

That said, grow lights can't hurt. I don't think you need lights, but your palms might even grow some if you have them. Trachycarpus really like fall and spring weather for best growth here, so the garage with grow lights might suit your windmill.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

How warm is your heated garage?

[Rightstuff15]

During the coldest days and/or nights, the temperature would not dip below 50.

[lapalmeraie]

Hi

I used to take my Washingtonia robusta insides during winter as well. It had its place in a fairly well lighted hallway with a constant temperature of 16-17°C (61-62°F) but I stopped protecting him this way 3 years ago!

The leaves that were produced outside died every winter and the new leaves that were formed inside didn't resist outside.... leaving me with a Washy that never looked that well. Also I have to admit that the transporting outside->inside and vice versa doesn't become easier when it becomes bigger and heaver.

In 2014 I decided to give it a go outside and I have to say that it worked wonderfully well! Even when it took frost down to -7°C (19,4°F) as last winter it only suffered some foliage damage. Of course I do protect him when frost is announced by wrapping it in wooven fabric, than a heat cable and than thick wooven fabric thermo-bag.

I'm planning to planting it in the garden by the way as my other Washy (in plain ground) does cope even much better! 

Kr
Niek

Edited August 23, 2017 by lapalmeraie
extra photos

[lapalmeraie]

And done! 

[Funkthulhu]

My $0.02  

I bring all my palms inside (Nebraska, so, yeah...) and due to a lack of garage they are in my living space, at living temps in the 70s all winter.  Even when I stored in the basement, with no windows at all, I made sure there was at least some light available.  I do not have the fancy Red/Blue LED grow lights (though I would like to get some this winter) but what I did have and still use are basic 4-foot fluorescent shop lights.  Get as high a temp rated bulb as you can, 6500K would be great, and hover them as close to the tops of the plants as you can.  I often use one High Temp bulb and one "Grow lite" bulb in a single rack to try and get more light spectrum.  I've even put them on timers to simulate diurnal cycle when in the basement.  

I've never had much success with letting anything go dormant (except the occasional banana or elephant ear), so I make sure the plant gets everything it needs over the winter.  That being said, and as a couple people have pointed out, these palms are not going to be happy going out in full sun in the spring.  They'll need to harden all over again, or they'll burn and you'll spend much of your growing season in recovery. 

Good luck!

[Jimhardy]

Glad to see the roots protected in that pic,I think

a Washy above ground in a pot @ 20F could suffer root damage...

and they can be slow to recover from that....remember that cool temps

in a garage are great to keep the plants in check but you DO NOT

want to water them unless you get a warm up where they can dry

out a little before the cold comes back...not just a one day warm up