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CA Freeze?


enigma99

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Ben, that palm is actually growing in Morgan Hill with an easterly exposure. Winter lows have reached low 20s, and summers since we moved to the area actually reached 113 one year. The area is more or less directly east over a few ranges from where Axel in Santa Cruz is, so interesting contrast. Sunset 14 Zone has some marine influence but not as much as I think the Walnut Creek area where Dick Douglas lived for example. Believe you've toured both of those areas? Summer nights in the valley cool off and can be windy but winter winds can be dry and strong. Here's a few more pics of the same palm which I've taken over the last 4 years and you can see the effect on the fronds.

Taken 8/28/10: post-5191-0-52955800-1420432560_thumb.jp Taken 6/05/11: post-5191-0-27976600-1420432598_thumb.jp

Taken 6/24/13: post-5191-0-13952400-1420432719_thumb.jp

Taken 12/25/13 in addition to the photo posted in previous post: post-5191-0-77628900-1420432837_thumb.jp

The temps at our house reached 23F and we had probably a week of freezing/frost nights that year, and at least one night I recall lasting many hours overnight. Apparently I didn't grab any photos in 2012.

Jim, how does your canopy look? Looks like yours are high enough to catch the wind.

Zone 9b (formerly listed as Zone 9a); Sunset 14

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Doesn't look too bad in those pics. Cut off the dead fronds and wouldlook fine. Definitely growing!

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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I need to figure out how to get to the top of a hill. Top of my hill is 460' and the coldest through all of this was 20 minutes @ 31F. Otherwise was well above freezing all week. Pretty depressing when it is walkable distance from here.

Issue is that top of the hill usually means prices in the millions. I want to find something reasonable. hmm

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Ben, that palm is actually growing in Morgan Hill with an easterly exposure. Winter lows have reached low 20s, and summers since we moved to the area actually reached 113 one year. The area is more or less directly east over a few ranges from where Axel in Santa Cruz is, so interesting contrast. Sunset 14 Zone has some marine influence but not as much as I think the Walnut Creek area where Dick Douglas lived for example. Believe you've toured both of those areas? Summer nights in the valley cool off and can be windy but winter winds can be dry and strong. Here's a few more pics of the same palm which I've taken over the last 4 years and you can see the effect on the fronds.

Taken 8/28/10: attachicon.gifIMG_1228 082810.JPG Taken 6/05/11: attachicon.gifIMG_2441.jpg

Taken 6/24/13: attachicon.gifIMG_7759.jpg

Taken 12/25/13 in addition to the photo posted in previous post: attachicon.gifIMG_9655.jpg

The temps at our house reached 23F and we had probably a week of freezing/frost nights that year, and at least one night I recall lasting many hours overnight. Apparently I didn't grab any photos in 2012.

Jim, how does your canopy look? Looks like yours are high enough to catch the wind.

post-181-0-57731900-1420437981_thumb.jpg post-181-0-17877000-1420438029_thumb.jpg

post-181-0-02871000-1420438075_thumb.jpg Debbie, here are a few shots you requested of a few of my king palms.

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Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

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Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Jim what are those on the right hand side that look almost like a bamboo palm? In another photo the leaves looked like chambeyronias but here it is obvious it is something else.

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Jim what are those on the right hand side that look almost like a bamboo palm? In another photo the leaves looked like chambeyronias but here it is obvious it is something else.

Derrick, those are Chamaedorea woodsoniana and C. costaricana. It's hard to distiguish them apart in that picture but the C. woosoniana is a solitary palm and the C. costaricana are clumpers.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Jim what are those on the right hand side that look almost like a bamboo palm? In another photo the leaves looked like chambeyronias but here it is obvious it is something else.

Derrick, those are Chamaedorea woodsoniana and C. costaricana. It's hard to distiguish them apart in that picture but the C. woosoniana is a solitary palm and the C. costaricana are clumpers.

Ah.. Actually I have a Chamaedorea costaricana that has been in the ground for 3-4 years. One of my biggest issues is the lack of shade so I need more canopies

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Dang, Jim you live in one of the sweet spots in the bay. We all frost/freeze over and you seem to always come through it fairly unscathed. I know you have done a lot of smart planting and am sure your converted pool-to-pond has helped moderate things as well. Still can't say I've seen anyone down this way with as tropical a feel and as lush a yard as yours.

Thanks for the canopy photos for comparison. I know you are more humid than us (9b, Sunset 14) and assume the humidity helps a great deal in keeping your canopy looking good. Your C costaricana were something I would love to have included in our yard but don't think we have enough shade anywhere to have them look good. Also think our summer humidity or lack of would be a constant challenge. Do you use misters anywhere in your yard to increase humidity? We have several C microspadix growing now that love our cold winter temps. They'll be potted and living in a "dark" northeastern exposure corner on our front porch to keep them as green as possible.

What were you growing when you lived down in San Martin that held up to the heat and cold temps?

Zone 9b (formerly listed as Zone 9a); Sunset 14

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Dang, Jim you live in one of the sweet spots in the bay. We all frost/freeze over and you seem to always come through it fairly unscathed. I know you have done a lot of smart planting and am sure your converted pool-to-pond has helped moderate things as well. Still can't say I've seen anyone down this way with as tropical a feel and as lush a yard as yours.

Thanks for the canopy photos for comparison. I know you are more humid than us (9b, Sunset 14) and assume the humidity helps a great deal in keeping your canopy looking good. Your C costaricana were something I would love to have included in our yard but don't think we have enough shade anywhere to have them look good. Also think our summer humidity or lack of would be a constant challenge. Do you use misters anywhere in your yard to increase humidity? We have several C microspadix growing now that love our cold winter temps. They'll be potted and living in a "dark" northeastern exposure corner on our front porch to keep them as green as possible.

What were you growing when you lived down in San Martin that held up to the heat and cold temps?

Jim's yard is a perfect example of strategically planting canopy trees throughout the garden. Jim's canopy trees not only protects the more tender plants from the sun but also creates a warmer micro climate to buffer cold snaps like the one we just had. The heat from his garden is trapped in from overhead canopy trees and will void out any radiational freezing. Again Jim, NICELY DONE!!

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

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So nice to be in the 50s this time of night instead of the 40s

I get a lot of damage from cold air draining off tile roofs. Mine and my neighbor. Any idea how to block it? Hmm

Edited by enigma99
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Dang, Jim you live in one of the sweet spots in the bay. We all frost/freeze over and you seem to always come through it fairly unscathed. I know you have done a lot of smart planting and am sure your converted pool-to-pond has helped moderate things as well. Still can't say I've seen anyone down this way with as tropical a feel and as lush a yard as yours.

Thanks for the canopy photos for comparison. I know you are more humid than us (9b, Sunset 14) and assume the humidity helps a great deal in keeping your canopy looking good. Your C costaricana were something I would love to have included in our yard but don't think we have enough shade anywhere to have them look good. Also think our summer humidity or lack of would be a constant challenge. Do you use misters anywhere in your yard to increase humidity? We have several C microspadix growing now that love our cold winter temps. They'll be potted and living in a "dark" northeastern exposure corner on our front porch to keep them as green as possible.

What were you growing when you lived down in San Martin that held up to the heat and cold temps?

Debbie, I'm in zone 16 which has a lot of bay influence so I have more humidity in summer and some protection from cold air when it moves out of the north since it has to flow over the relatively warm bay which moderates it. It's why it's so much colder north of the bay in places like Napa and Sonoma. My winters are almost always 10a with exceptions like 2007 and 1990. Our lowest during this cold wave was 34F.

When I was in San Martin, my 21 acres had about 1,000 microclimates! I had hills, valleys, thick oak forest, barren, open plain, creeks, both seasonal and all year, and two bodies of water. I only grew common palms like Phoenix canariensis, Washingtonia, and Trachycarpus.

Josh is also correct in that the density of my plantings and canopy in parts of my yard help in "trapping" heat at night. I have a number of water elements situated throughout my landscape that add to humidity levels. My pond water is very cold this time of year since it receives no sun in the winter so it doesn't help moderate cold plus the fact that it's completely exposed and doesn't create much of a microclimate. Summer is different since the water heats up to 80F and humidifies. No misters needed.

So far I'm lucky enough to be getting away with several 10b palms but who knows what their future holds. I'm willing to offer some of them a little extra protection from time to time but, generally, I don't do anything special during the winter. Plants that a thriving and healthy in the fall, will endure winter temperatures better than plants that are not.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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