Winter protection for small trachy?

[newtopalmsMD]

Has anyone covered a trachy in a pile of leaves for the winter in zone 7a as a means of winter protection.  It's been in the ground 14 months.   Read about this in palms wont grow here but feel a bit funny about burying a live tree (below) in leaves.  Any experiences would be helpful.  (Last winter a used a cage covered with frost cloth and Christmas lights whenever it got down to 12 degrees F.) Thanks

[mdsonofthesouth]

Not cheap or easy and a PITA to pull down when it warms up but this is what I used for the 2018 event. Overkill and honestly probably did more harm than good but its all a learning process. 

 

 

Here is what my palms look like outside of single digit temp events. So basically the majority of winters

 

[RaleighNC]

For a palm this size, a plastic garbage can easily be placed over the plant on cold nights, and for the coldest nights a single 25 or 40 watt incandescent bulb can be added. If you don't have a bulb, expect leaf burn wherever the leaves touch the plastic on cold nights.

[Allen]

Here's what mine looked like in TN 7a.  Note the angled overhanging roof made of pegboard, ample vent in top and black fabric where the sun shines so it doesn't overheat.  palm fronds tied upright in burlap with small Christmas lights on thermocube.  Stayed on Late Dec till March and not a spec of damage.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Allen

[newtopalmsMD]

The cage covered in frost cloth (and clear plastic top) and the Christmas lights below is what I used last year.  Any time the low was predicted 12F or below.  Also cover when rain that was predicted to freeze (a couple of times in March last year) or sleet was predicted.  I had rebar sticking up out of the ground just inside the cage that kept the wind from blowing it over.  (Standard Halloween technology :).  Was hoping a pile of leaves might save a lot of trips across my back yard (the trachy is 80 yards from my back  door).

[Allen]

The leaves scare me about fungus/disease unless kept completely dry and away from the spear but I may be wrong.  I too have heard people do this (leaves) even on a big tree. I personally just don't think it looks like a great idea.  And if it gets real cold without heat (Christmas lights) I think you'll have damage.    It helps to have someone chime in that's tried it successfully for a few years otherwise I'm skeptical.  I would think the insulation is there with leaves just not enough heat when it gets really cold around 5F or less and fronds will die. Leaves will provide wind-chill protection which is important. I tried a temp experiment with 1 strand lights under a thin cover last year and they easily brought temps up 10-15 degrees.  Small standard Christmas lights are .4W each so 100strand is 40W which over time is a lot of heat. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Allen