Gaga Iowa/Arkansas 4 Report post Posted February 22 We just moved here from Iowa 1 1/2 years ago to get away from the cold and snow. We bought a 12 foot Windmill Palm last June from our local landscaping business saying it is cold hardy for this area. Now we had record lows and it hasn’t even been planted a year. It was below freezing for 10 days straight with the lowest -5 during night and 11 during 11. We wrapped the trunk with burlap and a moving blanket and then the snow also piled up around it. We have no idea if it will survive or not. I guess we will find out. We live in Arkansas now. First picture is with the snow Second picture is after the snow melted off Third picture is after it was planted Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allen 528 Report post Posted February 22 Those temps will be tough on it. Hope it makes it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwitt 124 Report post Posted February 22 Working against the palm is that it was probably not fully established. They have recovered from -11f in this area before, so give it time. That crepe myrtle could also have problems. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaga Iowa/Arkansas 4 Report post Posted February 22 We have several crepe myrtles too, but they are very established. Oh how I just want my Palm to be ok! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allen 528 Report post Posted February 22 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Gaga Iowa/Arkansas said: We have several crepe myrtles too, but they are very established. Oh how I just want my Palm to be ok! You definitely need to try Hydrogen peroxide or copper fungicide in the spear and see if you have a ladder that you can reach the spear and gentle pull on it. Treat weekly when it will dry out (Morning on a dry/warm windy day). Honestly with those temps it's a longshot. Edited February 22 by Allen 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaga Iowa/Arkansas 4 Report post Posted February 23 So do I use straight hydrogen peroxide and how much in each spear? And just gently pull on it so it like goes down in it? I don’t want to pull it out, right!? There are a lot of spears up there! And....we are supposed to get several days of rain after the next two days! This isn’t looking very good, is it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allen 528 Report post Posted February 23 1 hour ago, Gaga Iowa/Arkansas said: So do I use straight hydrogen peroxide and how much in each spear? And just gently pull on it so it like goes down in it? I don’t want to pull it out, right!? There are a lot of spears up there! And....we are supposed to get several days of rain after the next two days! This isn’t looking very good, is it! The palms are tall so I don't want you to get hurt going up there but generally if a palm has significant cold damage the newest spear will get cold damage to it and 'rot' after temps warm up and the spear will be able to be pulled out. You give the spear a gentle but firm tug straight up. A rotten spear will feel wobbly and will pull all the way out as may some of the fronds in severe cases. Peroxide is cheap so I generally use 1/3-1/2 bottle per palm, you can't overdo just pour slowly and listen for fizz. Fizz is it interacting with anything bad in there. They may not spear pull for a few weeks even. Trachycarpus can grow a new spear easy but you had some brutal cold. It can take a couple months to see if it will live. You will know if it is going to live if it pushes out a new spear by June or so. If you find the entire top 'rotten and soft' at some point in this process you can try a more drastic method called trunk cutting whereby you saw off the trunk a few inches at a time from the top looking for healthy trunk and no rotten hole. Then some palms will push a new spear at that point. Look at this video it explains better 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaga Iowa/Arkansas 4 Report post Posted Tuesday at 01:20 PM Thank you so much for the video! That helps explain a lot about why it would rot. I’m going to show my husband this and see if I can talk him into letting me or him attempt to crawl up there or see what we can do to get something to get some hydrogen peroxide up there. We also will try the trunk cutting too. What do we have to lose. Unfortunately. Make me so sad. I appreciate everyone’s input to much!! I hate the fact that now we are supposed to get rain for the next few days too. That’s not going to help dry it out on top. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaga Iowa/Arkansas 4 Report post Posted Tuesday at 02:09 PM Do you put the peroxide in the palms you don’t pull out or just the ones that have been pulled out? Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allen 528 Report post Posted Tuesday at 03:00 PM 1 hour ago, Gaga Iowa/Arkansas said: Thank you so much for the video! That helps explain a lot about why it would rot. I’m going to show my husband this and see if I can talk him into letting me or him attempt to crawl up there or see what we can do to get something to get some hydrogen peroxide up there. We also will try the trunk cutting too. What do we have to lose. Unfortunately. Make me so sad. I appreciate everyone’s input to much!! I hate the fact that now we are supposed to get rain for the next few days too. That’s not going to help dry it out on top. Only trunk cut if the spear is pulled and you think the whole top trunk area is rotten. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaga Iowa/Arkansas 4 Report post Posted Tuesday at 03:11 PM My question is do you put the peroxide to the palms that are not pulled and still look bad....or just to the ones you pull? Thank you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allen 528 Report post Posted Tuesday at 08:31 PM 5 hours ago, Gaga Iowa/Arkansas said: My question is do you put the peroxide to the palms that are not pulled and still look bad....or just to the ones you pull? Thank you? With temps of -5F you had as soon as you see warmer over 60F temps I would go ahead and do it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
