Pre, during and post winter progress 2018/2019

[mdsonofthesouth]

We rarely get more than a dusting and only get big storms (8+ inches) every 6 to 10 years. But Ill seriously consider that! Heard the Solomons island palm guy used to use the big storms to insulate his trachycarpus as its only protection.

[Chester B]

I find variegated Yucca gloriosa at Home depot every year without fail.  They bring in hundreds at $7.98 each and replenish all summer long.  However they are always labelled as Yucca filamentosa.

[mdsonofthesouth]

Ill keep an eye out for them but HD doesnt really carry much other than the "normal" plants and a few cold hardy palms. I am partial to yuccas that trunk so so pretty much anything the grows up as well as clumps is good with me!

Edited February 9, 2019 by mdsonofthesouth

[PalmTreeDude]

Your palms took a beating, but don't lose hope! We reached three degrees briefly here last year and many palms survived. So far we have been spared here this year with an ultimate low so far being 10°F for about an hour. My butia just has some burn to the lower fronds. Actually, my Mediterranean Fan Palm looks worse than it. I might replace my Mediterranean Fan Palm with a Saw Palmetto. I would definitely try out that microclimate you have shown in your videos. 

[Allen]

On 2/6/2019 at 5:42 PM, mdsonofthesouth said:

 

Not moving just wanted to test the palms as that side of the garden will have a "remodel" soon enough and I'm moving my zone pushing to the spot thay I originally wanted my palms to be now that the wife is happy and has no more addition plans for the next 30 years. 

 

Reckless it is, but we didnt have weather that even phased the sagos til late January and I figured why not see how these plants do in the worse placement. Will post a video here soon comparing the palms in late May 2017 to November 2018 and the difference is astonishing given what they went through in 2017/2018 winter and if they grow that well there then my full sun microclimate, a whole mess of knowledge I have obtained and better practices in care should yield good growth.

 

As for this last cold spell we hit the same low as last winter which is super rare but is about as bottomed out as we can get save for 1899 or late 80s spells aka century events.

I think you'll only be able to grow Sabal Minor and Needle palm without protection no matter the micro climate.  You'll have to protect the rest sometimes or you will lose them eventually. 

[mdsonofthesouth]

The long term (multi decade) trachycarpus in the DMV give me hope that the right genetics and placement a mature specimen or 20 could survive. Granted those are in slightly better climates.

 

250+ hours bellow freezing and at least 100 of those at bellow 10F didn't kill a chamarops humilis, livostona chinensis (99% defoliated sprouted spears and had a strap leaf germinate in early April) or my trachycarpus. While they were enclosed, the structure was damaged in winds and wasn't sealed the best so the temp outside was essentially the same as inside. So I'm holding out hope that these will do ok here. But you're right in that those are the only palms that could truly go unprotected and be fine....oh that and perennial livistona chinensis, maybe a true "bulgarian" trachycarpus, certainly a waggy and definitely a takil (their native environment has identical winters) should work with good placement. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by mdsonofthesouth

[Chester B]

I have a young takil that I planted in August this year in a cold spot in my garden, which is exposed to the cold east wind and very shady in the winter. It seems to be doing fine so far.  We're in a terrible stretch here in the PNW with very low daytime highs and most nights below freezing (last night went down to 25F) so I'll let you know how it does.  I have not protected it in anyway.  I've heard mixed opinions on whether Takil is hardier than fortunei.

 

Edited February 10, 2019 by Chester B

[Allen]

4 hours ago, Chester B said:

I have a young takil that I planted in August this year in a cold spot in my garden, which is exposed to the cold east wind and very shady in the winter. It seems to be doing fine so far.  We're in a terrible stretch here in the PNW with very low daytime highs and most nights below freezing (last night went down to 25F) so I'll let you know how it does.  I have not protected it in anyway.  I've heard mixed opinions on whether Takil is hardier than fortunei.

 

Nice palm.  I don't really trust Takil hardiness yet either.  I don't have one but have heard some stories.  If you go to youtube and search 'hardy palm heaven'  you'll see some videos of plant delights nursery with a dead takil.  I'd treat it like a fortunei if I were you and protect for 1st 1-2 years.  Then after that protect if temps are predicted at 14F or below or if a ice event is coming.  I don't want my palms fronds to die so I protect as around 10F fortunei fronds are hurt in most cases.

[mdsonofthesouth]

Just an idea of how fast these grow here despite record winter events with damage and cooler than average seasons overall.

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2019 by mdsonofthesouth

[Allen]

That's some nice growth for sure.  You really can't beat fortunei for fast cold hardy growth.

[mdsonofthesouth]

Yeah I agree! Wish I was better in my caring for them, but at least each season I get better. So if they survive they will be happier than last year lol.

[Allen]

Is Chamaedorea Radicalis hardy at all?  I'm moving to protect my smaller palms with the round fence covered in frost cloth with a top method.  It's easiest and breathes.

 

 

[mdsonofthesouth]

 

 

[mdsonofthesouth]

14 hours ago, Allen said:

Is Chamaedorea Radicalis hardy at all?  I'm moving to protect my smaller palms with the round fence covered in frost cloth with a top method.  It's easiest and breathes.

 

 

 

I have heard conflicting reports on chamaerodea from z7b to dont try if it goes bellow 20F. I will be trying mine in an extremely protected spot and it will ALWAYS have a canopy in winter. 

[Allen]

2 hours ago, mdsonofthesouth said:

 

 

Ice storms are tough.    Definitely some damage.   Hopefully your new plot will be better.

[cm05]

Double post (can’t delete).

 

 

Edited February 13, 2019 by cm05

[cm05]

On 2/10/2019 at 11:30 AM, Chester B said:

I have a young takil that I planted in August this year in a cold spot in my garden, which is exposed to the cold east wind and very shady in the winter. It seems to be doing fine so far.  We're in a terrible stretch here in the PNW with very low daytime highs and most nights below freezing (last night went down to 25F) so I'll let you know how it does.  I have not protected it in anyway.  I've heard mixed opinions on whether Takil is hardier than fortunei.

 

Your takil looks similar to mine, maybe slightly younger. I’m in New York so if/when this gets planted it’ll recieve protection as needed, whether it’s as hardy as fortunei or not, too rare of a palm to risk it here in zone 7.

It seems they grow somewhat obliquely when young, I know with fortunei this trait is said to signify a heightened cold tolerance, supposedly it’s an adaptation to frost heaving. I don’t know how if that’s really the case, but the cold hardiest Trachys (fortunei, takil, and nanus) all seem to have this creeping habit whereas the more cold sensitive types seem to grow more vertically when young.

 

[cm05]

21 hours ago, mdsonofthesouth said:

 

 

Ouch. I’m surprised you got freezing rain, I thought Maryland would’ve stayed above freezing with this event. NY flipped from snow/sleet to plain rain. 

Also, those yuccas look huge compared the way they looked in your 2017 video. Many of the yuccas around here have flattened out in a similar fashion, and there’s no way it’s snow related because we’ve barely had any.

[mdsonofthesouth]

1 hour ago, cm05 said:

Ouch. I’m surprised you got freezing rain, I thought Maryland would’ve stayed above freezing with this event. NY flipped from snow/sleet to plain rain. 

Also, those yuccas look huge compared the way they looked in your 2017 video. Many of the yuccas around here have flattened out in a similar fashion, and there’s no way it’s snow related because we’ve barely had any.

We didnt go bellow 32.5F lol which is why I was surprised to wake up to that. 

[mdsonofthesouth]

Starting anew! 

 

 

[Allen]

Did your trachycarpus spear pull or did you just dig them up or what?   

 

 

[mdsonofthesouth]

30 minutes ago, Allen said:

Did your trachycarpus spear pull or did you just dig them up or what?   

 

 

 

Died back to the ground.  Had I protected them for 1 maybe 2 days Id be showing a video of my palms blowing in the wind. But its for the better as where they were was the worst spot, now I get to start over with better placement and sun!

[Allen]

I can't believe they took that much damage.  Was it the ice storm or the cold lows?  What was your low temp this year? Mine was 16F which was one of the warmest in a while.  

[mdsonofthesouth]

We got to 3F, but come to find out my tempo sensor was off and we actually saw 7.8f for a brief time. Other than that it was alot of January weather that's never even harmed frond tips let alone kill my palms. My green chamaerops even saw close to those Temps and the palms saw alot worse last winter and faired much better.

[Allen]

Yes 3-8F can kill small trachy.  Temps under 12F or so I start protecting my big palm.  Small can spear pull under 21F.  So protect them too if that concerns you.  I have no experience with Chamaerops but my palm book says it defoliates at 15F but survives single digits.