How low can very tiny Trachy sprouts go?

[Lyn96]

I just got 10 free germinated trachy seeds with a seed order. Nice vender. But last night was about 24-26F. What is the lowest temp these sprouts can take before it really hurts? I hope I don't have to move everything around and break out the 2 x 4 ft heating pad just for them? Or do I? Temps in my place are around 68-70F during the day and 35 - 40 at night. Is that enough?

Edited February 16, 2023 by Lyn96

[ChicagoPalma]

Protect them the first few winters, and mulch them heavily, add some mini c9 lights around the mulch not touching the palm so it doesn't burn. My trachy palm got its first winter, it's about 3-4 ft tall, and everything was going good until I placed the lights directly on the spear area and around the fronds and trunks, and that caused my palm tree to have most of its fronds cosmetically fried and the spears in danger.  If that happens, check for spear pull, either way the spear will pull and you will have to treat it with liquid copper fungicide. 

[Chester B]

13 hours ago, Lyn96 said:

I just got 10 free germinated trachy seeds with a seed order. Nice vender. But last night was about 24-26F. What is the lowest temp these sprouts can take before it really hurts? I hope I don't have to move everything around and break out the 2 x 4 ft heating pad just for them? Or do I? Temps in my place are around 68-70F during the day and 35 - 40 at night. Is that enough?

Too cold, keep them inside this winter at the very least.  Let them get into some pots and start growing before exposing them to subfreezing temps.

[Lyn96]

7 hours ago, ChicagoPalma said:

Protect them the first few winters, and mulch them heavily, add some mini c9 lights around the mulch not touching the palm so it doesn't burn. My trachy palm got its first winter, it's about 3-4 ft tall, and everything was going good until I placed the lights directly on the spear area and around the fronds and trunks, and that caused my palm tree to have most of its fronds cosmetically fried and the spears in danger.  If that happens, check for spear pull, either way the spear will pull and you will have to treat it with liquid copper fungicide. 

Thanks! I have a lot of them, will have to rig a cover.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Lyn96

[Lyn96]

4 hours ago, Chester B said:

Too cold, keep them inside this winter at the very least.  Let them get into some pots and start growing before exposing them to subfreezing temps.

Thanks Chester. If they germinate well I'll have 50 to 80 of them, plus 100 or so of other cold species in 4" x 8" deep pots.. so next winter I can keep them dry and all under a cover, but they'll have to suffer a bit. Winter night temps are usually above freezing and 40 - 60 during the day. It gets a total of about 7 - 14 nights below freezing each year with maybe 3 or 4 in the 20's. That 24F night was the second coldest I've seen in over 20 years. Coldest was 23F. Probably 2 degrees warmer in my back yard and 4 degrees warmer on my covered deck.

I didn't think of less cold hardiness when young with these when buying the seed. I suppose if I have 20% die off then I'll be doing well.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Lyn96

[BeyondTheGarden]

I have strap leaf seedlings in-ground that have taken 17f, no snow pack, out in the open, with no damage.  

But like others are saying, I wouldn't leave them outside if you can put them inside, I don't think they grow below 50F or so. 

Edit, if it makes more sense to leave them outside than rearrange everything, I doubt you're going to hurt them.  Can't guarantee but I have a dozen or so in ground that went through 21f (and low twenties many times) this year and I don't expect any damage at all.  

Edited February 16, 2023 by Jesse PNW

[Chester B]

Yeah but if they just showed up in the mail they're probably bare root.  Not something I would plant in cold ground or have exposed in a pot.  Ones that germinated in the ground is a different scenario, I would feel fine with them taking those temps.

[Lyn96]

4 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

I have strap leaf seedlings in-ground that have taken 17f, no snow pack, out in the open, with no damage.  

But like others are saying, I wouldn't leave them outside if you can put them inside, I don't think they grow below 50F or so. 

Edit, if it makes more sense to leave them outside than rearrange everything, I doubt you're going to hurt them.  Can't guarantee but I have a dozen or so in ground that went through 21f (and low twenties many times) this year and I don't expect any damage at all.  

 

Thank you!! That is good advice for next winter especially. And VERY much a relief!! These I'll keep inside for a while longer, in a state of semi-suspension, sort of, at 35 - 40F at night, above 65 during the day and will put up a heating pad for everything in 2 or 3 weeks. It's not worth putting out the large pads I have for 10. I'll consider it an experiment.

EDIT it's very rare if ever that temps remain above freezing here. Always warms a lot during the day. The ground and even the soil in pots never freezes.  I think next winter I can just put the seedlings in a sheltered place and not worry too much.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Lyn96

[Lyn96]

1 hour ago, Chester B said:

Yeah but if they just showed up in the mail they're probably bare root.  Not something I would plant in cold ground or have exposed in a pot.  Ones that germinated in the ground is a different scenario, I would feel fine with them taking those temps.

They are not even bare root. They're just sprouts..  But there are only 10 of them. I have 100 seeds of these alone so it's not really worth bringing out my 100 watt heating pad yet. I'm going to just keep them in suspension (hopefully) above my gas heater and leave the pilot light on. It'll be an experiment - sprouts in soil at around 35F extreme low at night and 70F during the day for a few weeks. I'm going to bet (but by not much!) that they live.

[Lyn96]

1 hour ago, Chester B said:

Yeah but if they just showed up in the mail they're probably bare root.  Not something I would plant in cold ground or have exposed in a pot.  Ones that germinated in the ground is a different scenario, I would feel fine with them taking those temps.

Nice dog BTW. I lost my old Rotty mix last year. He looked a lot like yours but without the white chest. Was a very good boi.