X-mas mini lights - Christmas decor and protection

[Allen]

Anyone else use the lights on the palms for Christmas decorations until you need them to wrap the palms?  I just put lights on all 10 protected palms today and it took 3 hours.  I turn them on/off via my phone to add holiday decor to my backyard until the palms need to be wrapped.  When they need to be wrapped I'll plug them into their individual thermocube which is taken off for now.  

 

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Allen

[GregVirginia7]

They look fantastic, Allen! Really nice for Christmas…So far I’ve laid down a blanket of lights on the ground under the Chamaerops…trying to move toward not protecting as long as the jet stream’s deep dips cooperate…have an umbrella over it to keep the crown a bit dryer. Let’s just say, your lighting is not only beautiful, it’s utilitarian…mine is a bit on the stodgy, functional side but you have inspired me to light up my 10’ Trachy like yours…all the other ones are on their own…iPad picture quality is terrible but will give you an idea of adding some heat if I have to shroud it…and I ain’t getting anywhere near those petioles with lights…been there, done that…suffered the wounds 😄

The random trail of lights below wrap around some agaves and lead to my protected Trachy in ground for its second winter and a protected four strap Butia Catarinensis in ground for its first year of winter…if I need to I can cover both up in the coldest of circumstances. I made a leaf stuffed burlap pillow to throw over the Butia if necessary…used it once so far as we dipped into the low 20’s…the baby Trachy gets a tomato cage wrapped in black landscaping cloth open to the south and capped with an umbrella…I’ll take some day pictures to show a NOVA simple but effective arctic vortex buffer. Happy Thanksgiving…

 

[RJ]

Anyone use reptile ceramic heater that fit in a light socket for heat? 
 

btw @Allen mule looks great 👍 

Edited November 24, 2022 by RJ

[ZPalms]

Once my palms get big enough, I'm definitely adding christmas lights just for appearance cause its fun

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, ZPalms said:

Once my palms get big enough, I'm definitely adding christmas lights just for appearance cause its fun

Don't do that on your Washies without gloves lol. I wrapped my Washie a couple years ago and just shredded my hands. That was the night I bought gardening gloves. 

[fr8train]

Your mule palm looks great. How big was it when you got it? 

[ZPalms]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Don't do that on your Washies without gloves lol. I wrapped my Washie a couple years ago and just shredded my hands. That was the night I bought gardening gloves. 

My chamaerops scares me more and always bites me somehow, even when I'm careful. I remember pruning some leaves, and I threw one on the ground on the porch, and I forgot about it, then when I was doing some rearranging and walking around, the barb went right into my foot.

barbs on chamaerops are like thorns 😂

Edited November 24, 2022 by ZPalms

[Allen]

7 hours ago, fr8train said:

Your mule palm looks great. How big was it when you got it? 

Thanks! This thread shows that

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

Looks good but I don't have the desire or patience to decorate. The exterior of my house gets decorated on rare occasions. We do the tree and other interior Xmas decorating but not until about 10 days prior to Xmas, and it's down by new year.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Las Palmas Norte

[WSimpson]

Looks good . I plan to light up my Washy which will make protection easier if needed . 

Will

[Allen]

Thanks for all the kind comments!  Here is one more.

Happy Thanksgiving ALL!

[GregVirginia7]

That’s a really beautiful setting, Allen…like a magazine shot! Well? here’s the day pics to add to the lit ones above…I’m working at pulling back on protection but being ready for the coldest our zone 7 winter throws at us here in the mid-Atlantic…my Chamaerops has been the most protected and has been in-ground for 8 years or so but this will be its second winter with less protection…still laying the blanket of lights on the ground and having an umbrella ready…it’s got some pine and holly canopy protection from above as well, all of which keep it nicely dry and the sun is at such an angle most of the year that it gets a good dose of direct sunshine…

Simple and ready to throw the landscape cloth blanket over the open umbrella if need be. The McCurtain closest to the deck needs nothing.

Tomato cages opened up make a great framework for more sturdy protection. My newest Trachy gets this with lights and an umbrella roof clamped on with those metal office paper clamps…there’s extra fabric to clothespin shut the south facing opening if need be…like the Chamaerops, it gets a lot of winter sun given the sun’s low, winter angle. A low pile of leaves on the backside helps to block north winds…important to remember to water it here and there…this looks to be our third mild La Niña winter so I can’t forget that as the umbrella sheds the rain and a mild winter will allow it to keep growing a bit…

My accidental Butia is entering its first in-ground winter as a sprouted seed…the unsprouted seed went through last winter in ground, having been planted by a squirrel in late summer and I found the six inch strap this spring poking up through the wild violets! 

 

It has lights and a leaf stuffed bolster to block north wind and a leaf stuffed burlap pillow to throw over it when temps hit the twenties…for now, very easy to protect…that blob of red and orange is a chunk of iron I found in some backfill in Pennsylvania…it soaks up a lot of solar rays and gets quite hot for slow release later…probably inconsequential but it really does warm up very nicely.

That sums it up for this winter’s protection…the Needles, Sabals, mature Trachy and Brazoria are all on their own…the Sabals (not the Brazoria, though) and Needles have always been on their own!

 

[knikfar]

On 11/23/2022 at 6:37 PM, Allen said:

Anyone else use the lights on the palms for Christmas decorations until you need them to wrap the palms?  I just put lights on all 10 protected palms today and it took 3 hours.  I turn them on/off via my phone to add holiday decor to my backyard until the palms need to be wrapped.  When they need to be wrapped I'll plug them into their individual thermocube which is taken off for now.  

 

 

Absolutely gorgeous! I’ll be doing the same with my butia and washies but not until the temps get below 20f. I never protect my needle, sabals, trachys or chamaerops. 

[WSimpson]

I forgot to ask if those are incandescent lights which produce the heat the palms may need  for protection ? I get my lights at 1,000bulbs . I've been so disorganized I need to buy more so I'll know that all the protection lights are incandescent .

Will

[Allen]

42 minutes ago, Will Simpson said:

I forgot to ask if those are incandescent lights which produce the heat the palms may need  for protection ? I get my lights at 1,000bulbs . I've been so disorganized I need to buy more so I'll know that all the protection lights are incandescent .

Will

Yes.  I use GE String-A-Long available at Lowes only this year.  Went up from $3.98 to $5.98 but here is a link.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-String-A-Long-100-Count-20-6-ft-Clear-White-Incandescent-Plug-In-Christmas-String-Lights/50054667

The ones you get at 1000 bulbs are basically the same but may have different bulb bases if you want them all the same

Also this thing is invaluable.  Did you know you need to replace burnt bulbs because it will increase to voltage to others on the string leading to quicker failure?

https://www.amazon.com/LightKeeper-Incandescent-Light-Repair-Tool/dp/B000R8KBOK/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1O5CFHKEY0YTE&keywords=christmas+light+repair+tool&qid=1670000993&sprefix=christmas+light+repair+tool%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-6

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Allen

[FMG]

Got a similar setup here. The two large Sabal Palmetto probably don’t typically need a ton of help here in Northwest DFW, but it looks good so why not. The smaller tree is 8-9ft Queen I’m going to try to keep going with heavy protection (it’s under canopy, will also wrap over lights and have large covers for fronds. Hoping favorable microclimate (on a lakeside peninsula) will help.  I’ll consider it a win if it survivors a couple winters. 
 

Have also planted 4-5 filifera, couple Sylvester, a CIDP, two bismarck, sabal minor, European fan, needle and saw palmetto. Those that need protection are still small enough for container/blanket/space heater. Think I will really push it come spring and put one of my 45 gallon Christmas, foxtail, coconut majesty or pigmy date in the ground. Those reside in the (climate controlled and grow light supplemented) greenhouse/sunroom for the winter. 
 

edit: attaching photo

Edited December 7, 2022 by FMG
Attaching photo

[Allen]

That Time of Year Again.  A little early but I have some travel issues and it's nice to get it done while warm.  Palms will get frost cloth if needed over this usually January except Mule and Butia.  Took about 3 hours again. 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2023 by Allen