Decembers here, time to protect the trachys

[bronxboynyc71]

Hello to all
I hope everyone had a great growing summer.
I hope I did not jump the gun to early, but decided to make my mini green houses for my trachys. I wanted to give them extra protection this year, since its there first year in the ground. I don't plan on putting any lights or heat sources in the mini green houses. Plan on opening them when weather gets unusually warm. I installed vents on the top of the structures so moisture does not become a problem. This is my first year doing this kind of protection system, so any kind of advice or constructive critism is wanted.
Thanks in advance
Bobby

[Alicehunter2000]

Is this Bobby in NY? you used to post here several years ago?

Anyway, to your question......I would be concerned about too much heat and humidity on the warmer days....but for really cold temps i would consider some christmas lights or something.......(temps below 10 degrees F.)

[edbrown_III]

_{you might put a temperature probeo or just a thermometer in the shelter and one outside}

_{look at them a few times and in the morning when you get up record these . the differences in the inside and outside gives you an idea of the temperature loss for example if the inside temperature is 42 and the outside temperatue is 35 then you are getting a 7 degree temperature protection. ---- this will give you an idea of how these will work at 10 F or 0 F if it gets that low.}

_{Best regards}

_Ed

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Your trachys are going to be dead meat unless you add some heat in those greenhouses, especially with how this Winter is shaping up so far. Plastic sheeting doesn't insulate worth beans. I remember the 1998 freeze, I naively erected some plastic around some papayas, there was zero protection from the plastic. Those enclosures are going to be useless without heat when temps drop below 20F.

[WestCoastGal]

I seem to recall a thread on here or a series of posts from someone maybe someone in the Midwest, like Wisconsin maybe, that grew palms in his front yard and did protective structures. I recall he had a venting system he could open but am nearly positive he added heating of some kind inside the structures. Wish I knew who that poster was but am sure his set up and experiences with it would be really helpful.

I'm afraid a plastic film wrapped box will be more like an ice chest, just keeping cold air sitting there getting colder as the temp drops.

There's a thread under the Cold Hardy section I remember reading this past year from someone in Iowa maybe that does a rather tropical front yard using palms, aloes, etc. with winter protection. Lots of pictures of the landscaping and protected structures. Positive they used lights for adding warmth.

[WestCoastGal]

I think this is the post I was thinking about from Wisconsin: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/36331-uncovered-in-wisconsin/?p=571048, #11, and he did use insulating foam board and heating.

[_Keith]

Hello to all

I hope everyone had a great growing summer.

I hope I did not jump the gun to early, but decided to make my mini green houses for my trachys. I wanted to give them extra protection this year, since its there first year in the ground. I don't plan on putting any lights or heat sources in the mini green houses. Plan on opening them when weather gets unusually warm. I installed vents on the top of the structures so moisture does not become a problem. This is my first year doing this kind of protection system, so any kind of advice or constructive critism is wanted.

Thanks in advance

Bobby

awesome.

[bronxboynyc71]

Hey guys

Thanks for all the responses. I learn a lot from your responses!

I definitely plan on using some lights when temperatures drop below 20. Also WXMan is from Wisconsin. I actually learned a lot from reading his posts. However, I think he is zone 4 maybe 5. I'm borderline zone 7b. I don't think I'm going to need such evasive protection as his. I opened the fronts today, being it was almost 60 today. I'm learning as I go along!!! Just hope I don't learn the hard way. Appreciate the advice.

[bronxboynyc71]

So glad I overprotected my trachys this year, this winter has been horrible. I installed spot lights shining up the tree for the really cold nights. Seems to be doing the trick. Im just concerned about them getting water? do they need it? Thanks in advance

[Alicehunter2000]

Is the soil getting water with melted snow? Not positive but I don't think you want the soil to completely dry out. Maybe dig down a little in the surrounding yard to see what the moisture is like. Does the ground freeze there with winters like this?

[bronxboynyc71]

My neighbors think im crazy but i feel like i made a good decision this winter over protecting my trachys. Plan on taking the structures down first week in March. I planted them March 10th last year. Hope everyone had good success in this terrible winter

[stevethegator]

My neighbors think im crazy but i feel like i made a good decision this winter over protecting my trachys. Plan on taking the structures down first week in March. I planted them March 10th last year. Hope everyone had good success in this terrible winter

You're not crazy! I've always thought windmills could stand a chance in the NYC area, good thing you protected them this year though! they should become more hardy with age/establishment. And if they don't, you can always keep protecting or grow rhapidophyllum, sabal minor, etc.