Zone 6b advice needed

[jfrye01@live.com]

Hello all. I am new to the forums here and I am glad to find a community of other palm enthusiasts;) I live outside Wichita, Kansas, in zone 6B, but very close to the line with zone 7A. I bought a Trachy that is about four feet tall (pictured below, currently awaiting planting). I am also wanting to experiment with some Sabal minor and maybe a Pindo. I am wondering if anybody could give me some tips on keeping the Trachy alive. My house is in the northeast corner of a field, with a windbreak of trees on the north and a wooded area to the east. There is about 100 feet between the house and these trees on the north and east. Winters in our area are often cold, and it is not uncommon to see temperatures drop to the single digits and remain there for a week. Summers are hot, with temperatures in the mid 80s to high 90s. How can I keep my Trachy alive, and when should I plant it?? Thanks in advance:)

[Sutter Bob]

I would plant it close to the south side of the house and give it extra heat in the winter.

[Alicehunter2000]

There are a few on here that have similar extreme climates......go through the Cold Hardy threads to see some of their setups. You can also search Trachy threads in Forums in the top right hand corner for info as well. Welcome to Palmtalk.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/35996-some-cold-hardy-palms/

Check out JimHardy's thread

[jfrye01@live.com]

Thanks for the replies!! I'm really new to growing palms, so I'm hoping for the best:)) Not quite sure how/when I'm gonna plant my windmill yet, but I'll do some more checking around the forums. Thanks!

Edited January 13, 2014 by jfrye01@live.com

[Shirleypalmpaws]

Your baby Trachy is beautiful Welcome to PalmTalk!

[Flow]

Welcome to PalmTalk! I am still pretty new to growing palms too but I have already made some useful experiences. I don't know wheter our climates are comparable but I guess protection-wise it doesn't make a huge difference. Our record low is -16.5C but we rarely get there, -5 to -10C is not uncommon though. So, with that I can grown Trachycarpus and Rhapidophyllum (and Sabal minor but they are a bit tricky because we lack summer heat) in sheltered spots without protection. Every ten years or so, however, there comes a killer winter and finishes them off.

That's when I need to protect them. I use rope lights or heating cables which I wrap around the trunks and leaves and fleece for the hardiest palms and styrofoam houses for the more tender ones. I don't know how readily available windmill palms are where you live but here it is THE palm to get started because it is cheap and they sell it everywhere and it can take prolonged freezes as long as the temperatures don't drop below -12/13C (it will most certainly die at around -17C unprotected). This way one can experiment without worrying too much (of course, it still hurts when your palm freezes to death..)

Plant it in spring as soon as the worst freezes are over so it has time to establish. Give it lots of water, no windmill palm in the ground has ever died of overwatering. After a couple of years you should easily get 15+ leaves and 20-30cm of trunk per year. I never fertilise them. In the first winters I would protect it below -10C.

Edited January 13, 2014 by Flow

[njoasis]

Probably would be better to go with a Sabal minor or S. minor Louisiana, or a Needle palm (Raphidophyllum hysterix). But even these might need protection if temps can remain in the single digits. Trachys appreciate more moderate temps (not too cold, and not too hot).

They will actually shut down if it gets too hot while most palms just grow faster. Trachys are though faster growing than either S. minors and Needles. Also easy and cheap from seed to get new plants, but bigger = more cold hardy. If you have a protected spot by the house, that is helpful. Try to protect from wind and excessive sun. Remember too, you can always grow it containerized and protect indoors in the Winter.

[tjwalters]

No matter what you do with the Trachy, get yourself a needle (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) and plant it on the north or east side of your house. Sounds like the perfect location, and they are extremely cold-hardy as long as they get good summer heat. It's a good gateway palm.

[JakeK]

Hi. I'm also in a zone 6b. I actually had pretty good success with a Trachy until it grew too large for me to protect, so I sold it to a man in Tennessee. In my climate, the biggest limiter in growing the most cold hardy palms is winter moisture combined with cold temperatures causing rot, which might not be as bad of a problem for you, but you will have to put up with the dessicating winds, which my climate doesn't really have in the winter. I found success when I covered the palm's crown with a plastic canopy keeping the rain and sleet out of the crown. I've lost many needle palms to rot but not a single Sabal minor.

[jfrye01@live.com]

I'm actually thinking about planting the windmill in the corner by the trees (protected from north wind, as well as summer sun), and landscaping a small garden around it. Definitely gonna plant some needles and s. minors!! Thanks for the tips!