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Fall is near and Winter not far away - Prep thoughts?


_Keith

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Will be an interesting 1st winter for me. Hoping that the canopy of the larger palms will protect most of the understory stuff. Of course there are a few of the larger palms that I will worry about more than others. L. saribus and C. alba are the two obvious concerns. Alot depends on how cold it gets...sure hope we have a winter like last year where it never froze. The D. cabadae and C. macrocarpa over the pool may get sheets thrown on them if it looks like it might freeze under the screened area.

Would like to buy a couple of pickup loads of mulch to provide extra heat. Has anyone else tried this? Fertilizing might be helpful this month also.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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I would not worry much about the saribus. Mine is in a full frost zone and was no worse for the wear in 010 with 3 nights in a row at 20, 19, 21 ish temps. 15% leaf damage maybe.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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BTW - is that screen over the pool area or glass

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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It's screen. The reason it looked like it did in the picture was because the screen was wet from rain. What's really cool is that when it rains, even when it rains hard....the screen breaks it up into fine droplets and mist. It also breaks up the wind as well. It will be interesting to monitor the temps in the different parts of the yard. What is a good, cheap low tech thermometer for that purpose?

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Go down to Lowes and check out the AcuRite Weather Stations. Dirt cheap and fairly accurate.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Oh and to answer your original question Keith, I'm looking for a greenhouse to install within the next 45 days. And another 3 yds of mulch to spread.

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Don't know if anyone is interested in what I have recently done. Keith, I picked up an acurite wireless temp gauge at Lowes. Inside/ outside deal. Not sure if that's considered a weather station. I have the outside probe in the greenhouse and the inside probe on my back porch.

As far as greenhouses... I highly recommend Spring Gardener gable greenhouse. I had a 6x8 last year, this year I will have it and another 8x10. You can put these up over plants in the ground. It takes me only 1 or 2 hours by myself. I use a utility heater from wal mart. This gives me a few zone 10 spots in my yard! Of course these zone 10 spots are only 7-9 feet tall. But its nice to have small coconut palms, Myola kings, heliconias, monstera, alpinia. LOVE IT!

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Frames are ready! They need only to be covered with a roof from hard plastic. Then will have only in the rarest occasion of freaky cold blast to wrap something latterally and only provisorily. Hope those shelters can stand or strong wind!

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Cool I'm gonna make a few cages like that I figured plastic around the sides to help boost heat then use a super sized garbage bag over the top for the freezing nights btw the acurite temp gauge is very inaccurate or acuwrong you get what you pay for

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I was thinking of just using some small tomato cages.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Yeah, but a nice stiff 5 foot wire fence can make at least a 4 foot diameter cage I've never seen tomato cages that big, though the tomato thing crossed my mind since I already have some. BUT.......... I thought you weren't babying palms anymore?!..... busted!

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Here is my winter protection for this year….25 bags of maple leaves around the base of tender plants. In the pass I have used popup greenhouses but the ones I like are hard to find so leaves is all I have now…plus a blanket or two incase it gets really cool.

DSC00039_zps4fc7504c.jpg

Here what the old popups looked like when they were easy to find.

DSC00009-1-1.jpg

Edited by Palm crazy
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Yeah, but a nice stiff 5 foot wire fence can make at least a 4 foot diameter cage I've never seen tomato cages that big, though the tomato thing crossed my mind since I already have some. BUT.......... I thought you weren't babying palms anymore?!..... busted!

lol, Doc. not busted yet, but maybe. Most of those small palms did not do much more than put down roots this summer. Some I can simply put a 5 gallon bucket over. This is not something I will do if we have a normal winter, but if we get one of those unusual drops, I was thinking about whether I would do it, and how. Of course, with my recent news who the heck knows if I would be home at the time, or even still living here for that matter.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Very handy(!), but they would not stand for more than 5 minutes the strong wind here.

We have very strong winter storms here also, and you are correct they would not handle out in the open, but my garden is very enclosed and make up with lots of wind blocks to slow it down. But even then I still had to put some bricks around them to keep from blowing away on really windy days.

What I liked about them is they are very good qualitly I got from a very good tropical nursery in US….Stokes tropical. They don’t sell them anymore.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just made some "socks" or "jackets" for some of my plants. I used a roll of thermal underlayment for wood floors from home depot. Its about 2 mils thick foam and has radiant foil barrier on 1 side. I placed the foil in to avoid radiant heat loss at night. The foam should be waterproof. I will let yall know how it works. I may hang a few glove warmers inside for some heat on frozen nights. The only palm that will get one is a 3 foot jubaeopsis. A Persian lime and a hass avocado will get 1 too.

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I just made some "socks" or "jackets" for some of my plants. I used a roll of thermal underlayment for wood floors from home depot. Its about 2 mils thick foam and has radiant foil barrier on 1 side. I placed the foil in to avoid radiant heat loss at night. The foam should be waterproof. I will let yall know how it works. I may hang a few glove warmers inside for some heat on frozen nights. The only palm that will get one is a 3 foot jubaeopsis. A Persian lime and a hass avocado will get 1 too.

Pictures please! Sounds very interesting.

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post-7690-0-12491400-1384315719_thumb.jp

Here's my smaller one hard to believe where it's sitting now, the heliconias were above the gutter about 2 weeks ago before I clear cut them

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very neat packing, but how long are they going to stay inthere without sun? Here's my own structure for Medemia. This palm is fairly cold tolerant but demands unimpemded aeration, so only a roof for protection from rainwater in to the growing point I reckon it will suffice. Structure has to be quite sturdy, so that it can withstand the occasionally very strong wind. I have even self-made clips from very hard wire to attach firmly polycarbonic sheet on frame, so that also silicone-glue sticks eventually on both elements.

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post-6141-0-42348400-1385055948_thumb.jp

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Yeah, those are awesome. That's what I was gonna do at first. But this thought just crossed my mind to use this insulation. The "jackets" will only need to stay on for a day or so. We rarely get prolonged freezes.

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Very neat packing, but how long are they going to stay inthere without sun? Here's my own structure for Medemia. This palm is fairly cold tolerant but demands unimpemded aeration, so only a roof for protection from rainwater in to the growing point I reckon it will suffice. Structure has to be quite sturdy, so that it can withstand the occasionally very strong wind. I have even self-made clips from very hard wire to attach firmly polycarbonic sheet on frame, so that also silicone-glue sticks eventually on both elements.

attachicon.gifDSC01842.JPG

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attachicon.gifDSC01848.JPG

An altered version of above shelter. It has additionally all around a plastic net , allowing steel not to get so cold and narrowing vertical cells, so that cold wind breaks even more. For the Jubaeopsis caffra, which tolerates more air humidity but is less cold hardy than Medemia.

post-6141-0-36067700-1385404831_thumb.jp

post-6141-0-52748500-1385404869_thumb.jp

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Yeah, but a nice stiff 5 foot wire fence can make at least a 4 foot diameter cage I've never seen tomato cages that big, though the tomato thing crossed my mind since I already have some. BUT.......... I thought you weren't babying palms anymore?!..... busted!

lol, Doc. not busted yet, but maybe. Most of those small palms did not do much more than put down roots this summer. Some I can simply put a 5 gallon bucket over. This is not something I will do if we have a normal winter, but if we get one of those unusual drops, I was thinking about whether I would do it, and how. Of course, with my recent news who the heck knows if I would be home at the time, or even still living here for that matter.

26 in November. Ouch. I am gonna break down and put some 5 gallon buckets over some of the seedlings. Not sure what to do about the B. alfredii. I think I have a few Tomato cages and some old blankets, but I have to let the rains pass first.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Ok.....looks like we barely kissed 32 degrees F. ( 0 degrees C.) early this morning ....will have to wait to see if the banana's, elephant ears, gingers and other tenders have any damage. Still trying to see how things fared in the courtyard area....hoping for no damage. Didn't really cover anything but did move a few things to sheltered positions.

How did you all fare?

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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31 here. Supposed to get same tonight, and 35 the next night. I just left the buckets on the small stuff all day. They can come off tomorrow or maybe Saturday morning. Next week we head back to the mid 70s for highs with low 60s for lows. Things will be able to recover a bit.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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How the B alfredii look?

Great.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Came close to freezing again last night........with frost this time....warming up quickly.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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We had major frost this AM. I recorded 30 on my back porch under the pergola. Although, weatherstation 1 mile away only 33. Houses in the neighborhood by my office have no damage to elephant ears. To me, that means they did not freeze. My elephant ears are done till next year now. I am beginning to think my yard is a cold spot, even though I am adjacent to a pond. :angry: Oh well, I still have all of my tropical wonderfulness in my greenhouses.

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