Does wrapping a palm with no heat source help?

[redant]

Just wondering if it's any value to put a wrap on some palms I'd hope to keep even if I can't get lights on them first. This would be more about cold (freeze) then frost.

[DoomsDave]

Excellent question!

Hmm.

I would think that an insulating blanket like foam rubber or plastic might be good, though I've never experimented.

I'll bet others here have had more experience with that type of thing.

dave

[Gonzer]

Yes.

[enigma99]

Well, NOAA has you down for 26F tonight. That's going to be pretty cold for zone 10 palms.. In my experience, wrapping should be enough to keep it alive, but it will probably get 90% burn. Your best bet, is to go to home depot and get a huge square piece of plastic, and then throw it over. Then put a small space heater in there to trap most of the heat in. That will work a LOT better than wrapping. Or use your BBQ or outdoor heater or something. Use all you can.. it's just one bad night

[Alicehunter2000]

Problem is we have gail force winds as well with this front. Would be hard pressed to keep anything tented over the top. Go and buy icicle lights from a box store or discount place...less than 10 bucks. wad them up around the spear and wrap with sheet....say goodby to most of the fronds.

[enigma99]

oh yes, just checked and you are right. Man that sucks I guess just saving the emerging spear is all you can do. Sorry for your losses

[Perito]

I tried Wrapping with plastic and anything I could find in January of 2007. In my opinion it caused more damage than if I'd done nothing.

[Palm crazy]

If not to big tie up the leaves and try wrapping with a heavy blanket and use bungie cords to keep in place that should really help. I've done this with many palms and plants here and it really helps. Good Luck!

Edited December 13, 2010 by Palm crazy

[Mark Heath]

Never wrap w/ plastic. It causes more damage than if you did'nt wrap at all.

I wrap w/ blankets and frostcloth and put a single light bulb inside. When i unwrap the palm it looks just as good as before the cold blast!

But just wrapping the palm without a heat sorce,,,,,I can't answer your question as to whether it would help or not!

My guess is that it would help a little.

[FRITO]

yes i do it. helps a little

[kahili]

I find that it helps alot, esp if you are using thick blankets or a lot of blankets to create a thickness. I have many palms here that I have to wrap at times in the winter and I never use a heat source. I do have long, thick frost blankets that I can get around a palm 5 times or so, and then long heavy duty weedblock pieces that go over the blankets and then if its going to rain/snow while they are on, then I put plastic over that to keep it all dry. You can use plastic-but never where it comes into direct contact with the leaves-it just increases the frost/freeze damage to the leaves. i would make sure that there are several layers of blankets before I put the plastic over it. Same rule with plastic buckets. Is supposed to be going down to 15 tonight here. Winter sucks

[rozpalm]

My experience with wrapping stuff is that it does more damage then good. Tenting with a heat source is the only thing that I have found works for tropical stuff. You can tent in this wind but you have to secure the border on the side facing the wind extremely tight to the ground. Then just put a large coffee can with charcoal coals red hot inside. It goes without saying that you should vent the tent before you walk in to check on things. I did this last year and not one zone 11 thing died or was even damaged under the tent.

[_Rich]

The best technique I've seen is bundling fronds and wrapping from base to tip of the fronds with something akin to a mattress cover. Then wrap incandescent christmas lights or heating cables - concentrating on growth point and/or base. Next wrap lights with another insulating wrap - to trap the heat and prevent its escape - so that it is focused as close to the tree as possible. The initial wrap is as protective in nature from the burn of the lights - as it is in helping bundle the tree and protect it from frost/freezing wind.

Best wishes all - this one if going to be nasty!

Rich

[Alan_Tampa]

i used gorrila tape and wrapped my stuff like a cocoon,also a few clips with small clips for tarps from home depot. The gorrila tape held to the frost cloth very well, the wind was no match. Gusts of about 30 here.

Also, just wrapping with a bit of a skirt at ground level seems to work well. I added a small heat source for this event. I am at work so I hope my yard hasn't burned down.

Alan

[Patricia-CR]

A friend from FL is using something called anti stress 2000 in brugmansia plants, and so far, after 3 freezes, he's getting excellent results. You may want to research about it.