Winter cold damage best way to protect palms sp

[dwimss]

Hi, 

This winter seems harder than the one from last year, cold starts early in Rabat, Morocco (Mediterraneen climate).
The min temperatures during the nights are between 4C-8C and the day 15C-22C. Since I'm close to the coast (app 10 Km) we always have dew in the morning and all the plants get wet.

I noticed some cold damage on some of my Veichia's and Hyophorbe's.

I wondering what's the best way to protect them during the winter until they get more mature and robust, last year I have lost some Veitchia's and few Dypsis Lutencens  
Should I build some small 'green houses' for each palm with plastic and wooden sticks ? Or there are better ways to protect?

Thank you.

 

Here are some pics showing the damage : 

Veitchia's Arecina or Johanis ??

 

 

Hyophorbe (Spindle Palm) : 

 

Ravenea (Majesty Palm) : 

 

 

 

Foxtail : 

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by dwimss

[Palm Tree Jim]

As for protection, you can build small shade tents for each of the plants. Here, we would use PVC and shade cloth.

Another option is to plant a larger, fast growing palm that will provide shade/protection. This over time will create a canopy for you.

The canopy not only will provide you with the protection but can also give you some micro climates to experiment with some zone pushing palms.

Sometimes it works, sometimes not!

[PalmatierMeg]

Do these lows and highs last the whole winter or are they just the result of occasional cold fronts? Here in Cape Coral we just finished a cold spell of 4-5 days of highs about 18-20C and lows 7-10C. But now my highs are back up to 28-30C and 15-17C. And lots of sun and no rain. What I'm getting is that Veitchias are extremely cold sensitive and are cool sensitive as well. Hyophorbes aren't much hardier. If your winters kill Dypsis lutescens those guys don't have a chance without serious protection. What else you should be aware of is that tropical palms are "cool sensitive". Day after day of highs below 20C followed by nights below 10C will kill them as surely as an arctic blast, just take a bit longer. I've learned on PT that roots of tropical palms are cold sensitive. I may get some cold temps for a few days but my ground stays warm. But in places that have cold/cool winters the ground also cools and palm roots die.

Your best bet - and it's a long one - is to grow these tropical palms in pots as long as possible. Then you can move them indoors or into a heated greenhouse during winter. When they are larger plant them in the spring and enjoy for as long as they survive.

[dwimss]

4 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Do these lows and highs last the whole winter or are they just the result of occasional cold fronts? Here in Cape Coral we just finished a cold spell of 4-5 days of highs about 18-20C and lows 7-10C. But now my highs are back up to 28-30C and 15-17C. And lots of sun and no rain. What I'm getting is that Veitchias are extremely cold sensitive and are cool sensitive as well. Hyophorbes aren't much hardier. If your winters kill Dypsis lutescens those guys don't have a chance without serious protection. What else you should be aware of is that tropical palms are "cool sensitive". Day after day of highs below 20C followed by nights below 10C will kill them as surely as an arctic blast, just take a bit longer. I've learned on PT that roots of tropical palms are cold sensitive. I may get some cold temps for a few days but my ground stays warm. But in places that have cold/cool winters the ground also cools and palm roots die.

Your best bet - and it's a long one - is to grow these tropical palms in pots as long as possible. Then you can move them indoors or into a heated greenhouse during winter. When they are larger plant them in the spring and enjoy for as long as they survive.

It's not necessarily the whole winter it depends it might be few weeks or days then after little warmer and drop again until mid-March, this is not the first winter for these palms, it seems that this winter is colder and starts early.

I know that it's not impossible to grow these palms here, I saw some mature ones. The youngest ones are more cold sensitive and Im looking for the best way to protect them for the next 2-3 years until they get bigger and could handle the cold during the winter.

I'll probably try the small tents as suggested by @Palm Tree Jim

Thanks.

[dwimss]

@Palm Tree Jim we have also here shade cloth, I can use it for the small tents, but it is not better to use greenhouse plastic and they will have better protection ?

What do you think ?

[Monòver]

Are you sure the brown spots are cold damage?

They look old damage, may be sun burn.

I am 800 km north of Rabat. My climate is the same and like you, this year the Winter start early.

I have been the same temperatures or may be worst. And i have the same species and they are not showing cold damage. Only brown small dots in a few palms.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Monòver

[dwimss]

32 minutes ago, Monòver said:

Are you sure the brown spots are cold damage?

They look old damage, may be sun burn.

I am 800 km north of Rabat. My climate is the same and like you, this year the Winter start early.

I have been the same temperatures or may be worst. And i have the same species and they are not showing cold damage. Only brown small dots in a few palms.

Hi @Monòver ,

You're probably right there are some sun burn on the leaves but also some cold damage with brown spots but not a lot now. 
Some of the palm have direct sun light most of the day no canopy!

But there is a big change of color, leaves are tuning to yellow now! 

@Monòver do you protect you're cold sensitive palms during the winter or there are mature ?

Here some pics from the last summer showing the leaves color and the sun burns : 

 

 

Here some cold damage from last winter (summer picture) :

Edited December 17, 2017 by dwimss

[Monòver]

My palms are unprotected and they are small, like yours. The yellow color is normal with our temps. In April they turn green with the warm weather.

The best protection for your palms, starts in Summer. You must feed them a lot. If your palms are healthy and strong they will have more energy to survive de Winter. If your palms are sunburned and not healthy, they will have less possibilities to survive.

Now, you must keep them a litle bit dry. Wet soil is dangerous with cool weather and if you protect with plastic, be careful. You must open the plastic every days. The palms will need new air and dry air to prevent fungal problems.

[Monòver]

I will show you a few pictures to see what is happening with the same palms and with a litle bit cooler climate.

Wodyetia and Dypsis lutescens, a litle bit yellow, but with the afternoon sun, they look too yellow.

Small Dypsis lutescens in a pot, but outdoors and unprotected. Fully green.

Hyophorbe verschafelti leave, imposible to take a good picture, but unprotected and green today. I am sure in February it will be worst.

Veitchia joannis, yellow and with the first brown spots. The brown in the top is summer sun burn.

And Ptychosperma elegans yellowing and with spots in the older and shady leaves.

 

[dwimss]

Thanks @Monòver for the pictures, I have finally used the small shade tents hope it will be sufficient protection for this winter.

Sharing with you some pictures :