When to start protecting Palms

[bgifford]

Hello everyone!

I have a few Palms that I have planted earlier this Year (Washingtonia robusta x2 5years old, ground to top frond almost 6ft and Trachycarpus fortunei x1 was is 3 Gal pot before planting)

I do of course plan to protect them well (Washy's with a Box). However, when do you decide it's time to wrap/box them up. What is the temperature where you say it's too cold now and start protecting them.

Do you completely protect them or give them supplemental heat until it get's to the too cold temperatures.

Since this is my first time protecting I was just curious. I have read a lot and watched a lot of Youtube videos, but that;s the info I was not sure of.

 

Thank you again everyone for all the help.

 

Brian

[Allen]

The Trachy that small you will need to protect at temps in low 20's to prevent spear pull roughly Dec-March, when it gets full sized you can let that go down to 12F or so before covering. The Washingtonia you will most likely need to protect in Nov-April roughly nighttime temps starting anytime in 20's to be safe.  Consult my Youtube playlist on palm protection for more info.

[Foxpalms]

32 minutes ago, bgifford said:

Hello everyone!

I have a few Palms that I have planted earlier this Year (Washingtonia robusta x2 5years old, ground to top frond almost 6ft and Trachycarpus fortunei x1 was is 3 Gal pot before planting)

I do of course plan to protect them well (Washy's with a Box). However, when do you decide it's time to wrap/box them up. What is the temperature where you say it's too cold now and start protecting them.

Do you completely protect them or give them supplemental heat until it get's to the too cold temperatures.

Since this is my first time protecting I was just curious. I have read a lot and watched a lot of Youtube videos, but that;s the info I was not sure of.

 

Thank you again everyone for all the help.

 

Brian

I don't protect mine, but I'd say around when the first frost is. incase it's worse than forecasted in the colder growing zones. Washingtonia should be fine down to -5c without issues but better to be safe than sorry. Trachycarpus will take -8c with no problems when protecting I'd keep them fully in the box when it's below freezing and leave some ventilation on days above freezing as the humidity and lack of airflow for long periods can effect Washingtonia.

[PalmatierMeg]

If all your palms are potted consider moving/covering them when temps fall below freezing for more than a couple hours. Not a good idea to let their potting medium freeze solid over and over.  Palm roots are not as hardy as those of dicot trees.

[D Palm]

In Kentucky, October for the Washy’s. You do not want to risk damage setting in early. If you have early dips into the teens and are caught off guard, it will not have heat to recover until around May.
Mine in N. Florida took 50% bronze from a heavy frost w/ 19-20 dip in Feb. They didn’t completely grow out of it until June.

[knikfar]

I'm in Raleigh NC, zone 7b. I have one butia and two filibusta that I plan on providing protection for. I have a lot of trachys that I never protect. As for the butia and filibustas, I'll protect them when I see temps go into the low 20s. I suspect that will be the beginning of January and last for three weeks or so. During that time, I'll wrap my palms in incandescent mini christmas lights and cover them with frost cloth. From later in January through February, I'll remove all protection from the butia and leave just the lights on the washies but no frost cloth. By the end of February, I won't protect anything. 

[bgifford]

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers. I have all the things ready to protect the Palms. I figured I but the frame together now for the Box for the Washy's and then all that's needed is plugging things in and closing it up. Is a slight frost 30F ok or do you close things up before it even can get to that. And do you guys Open things up again for a few days for Sunlight on Warm days or keep it pretty much closed up until things warm up again in the Spring. 

The Trachy I will start to protect most likely at the same time as the Washy's for the first winter.

Anything else that is Potted goes inside by the time Night Temps are at 40. Some of the other Tropicals go in now and when temps go to 50 at night.

[Allen]

3 minutes ago, bgifford said:

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers. I have all the things ready to protect the Palms. I figured I but the frame together now for the Box for the Washy's and then all that's needed is plugging things in and closing it up. Is a slight frost 30F ok or do you close things up before it even can get to that. And do you guys Open things up again for a few days for Sunlight on Warm days or keep it pretty much closed up until things warm up again in the Spring. 

The Trachy I will start to protect most likely at the same time as the Washy's for the first winter.

Anything else that is Potted goes inside by the time Night Temps are at 40. Some of the other Tropicals go in now and when temps go to 50 at night.

30's frost shouldn't hurt anything I'd wait longer.  Sometimes we get a quick dip to low temps then it is warm for 3 weeks or so after.  Get a dual wireless temp gauge where you can see temps inside the box.  Put it on a thermocube.  What I started using last year also is a wireless outdoor plug that I can control from my phone where it is on a schedule and I can easily turn it off without going outside when temps are warmer as the thermocube will come on at 35F and warm to 45F which is a little too much.  You don't want the thermocube and lights going on/off when not needed as it can exacerbate condensation in a box.    Usually you only need the heat on in the dead of night say midnight to 9 am.  Remember don't use plastic for the outside of any wrap.  You should probably use insulated foam board on the washy.  In 6B when the Trachy gets bigger you can probably get away with my frost cloth wrap method on it.  Palms can stay wrapped for the 3 months with no light so I wouldn't worry with unwrapping except to check for condensation which speaking of that - you should spray the palm with copper fungicide and let dry before you box in.