How long exactly can I leave my W. Robusta Outdoors?

[RobustaEnvirons]

Hello, everybody! Since around mid-June I've been leaving my potted Washingtonia Robusta out in the front yard. They seem to indeed love the sun and grow bigger everyday. Everyday when I wake up, I put them all out in the front yard and after the sun sets I bring them into my sun-room. I do this every single day (and have done). I prefer to bring them indoors at night to avoid the little bugs that eat their leaves and other pests. Also, there's really no point to leave them outdoors since they can't photosynthesis and make food, thus they don't grow at night.  

This past week, daytime temps have weirdly been low in the upper-low 70s and for a few days there it struggled to reach 80F! It has been full-sunshine everyday, just cooler temps. About 3-4 days ago I brought my Washy out in the morning and it was only 56F! I had to leave for work early that morning at 6:15am, so I had to put them out early that day. There was dew on the grass and everything. But, by 11am it was at least 65, and by the end of the day it was in the low 80s. 

Now, in the last couple days its seemed to hike back up into the high temps, such as lower 70s and upper 80s. Just today it reached 89F with full sunshine all day. Despite this the forcast is showing cooler temps for the next 10 days back in the low-mid 70s and one day next week it only reaches 70F! Yikes! 

It can't be time for fall yet can it? Normally, we can manage to hold onto 60s-70s during the day, until the first week of October (or last week of September).

At what temperature should I stop putting my Washies outdoors at? Some on PT have said that they can handle temps as low as 32F, but I would be worried about doing that. Also, wouldn't leaf burn happen in low temps? I know in the ground they tolerate -19F, but they are of course in pots. Being in pots they probably can't handle a whole lot of low temps.  I was thinking that perhaps once daytime temps drop below 50F I should probably keep them indoors. I normally overwinter them in my south/southwest facing bay-window (they like it there). 

I'm just not sure when to make the call and bring them in for the year.         

[Pando]

47 minutes ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

At what temperature should I stop putting my Washies outdoors at? Some on PT have said that they can handle temps as low as 32F,

They can handle temps in the low 20s (F) and possibly even upper teens for a short time. It's the prolonged exposure (day and night) to low temps over many months that will do them in in your climate.

[sashaeffer]

Hi, I have a few Robusta and Filifera in pots and have had them (robusta) for a while.  I watch the temps close in the late fall and I will bring in the garage those species when I see it's going to drop into the mid 20's BUT...if there is a chance of freezing rain then will bring them in earlier.

 

Scott/Omaha

[sashaeffer]

On another note, do you have any Queens in your collection for potted outdoor palms? They are great, grow amazingly fast and are one tough palm. Key is to have a place to put it in the winter. I keep mine in the 3rd car garage and do fine over wintering there with my other cold hard palms.

[cm05]

I keep mine out until nights start going into the 30's which is around Thanksgiving for me.

[Funkthulhu]

There are several in my container ranch that spend the summers outside 24/7.  As a result I am more worried about the night time temps than the day.  Generally, so as not to cause to much shock I try to bring everything in for the winter when the overnight temps are dropping into the low 40's.  However, I have no qualms about putting stuff back out for a day of sun if the temps are up in the 50s or higher.  

For your washies, I can't imagine them coming to too much harm in the coming months.  Since you're putting out your pots in the morning you don't have to worry as much about the lows.  It's the in-out, cold-hot cycle that worries me.  I think the shock of moving in and out of controlled climate during cooler weather is going to be more detrimental than any sun they might get during the day.  If I were you, I'd pick a number in my head and when the temps go below I'd cut it off for the year and bring them in permanently.  

That's my $0.02 

[Brad Mondel]

Bring them in before the first frost and keep them in until the last frost. You don't want frost damaging your young seedlings, which is likely to happen to young Washingtonia palms. Especially potted ones.