@Allen was Right

[GregVirginia7]

@Allen was right. He said wait till spring to determine damage after the short lived Christmas freeze and he was right…I thought my unprotected Trachy made it through relatively unscathed but by early spring I could see it didn’t…fronds were pretty much all affected…hoping by end of summer it will have recovered completely…

It is really sending out inflorescence…I cut about 8 off three weeks ago and will remove this latest round. I really want the energy to go to frond growth and not seeds. The unprotected Brazoria has 3 new fronds on the move but it lost several as well…flower spike emerging as well.

The unprotected Needle was unaffected. In fact, given the somewhat mild winter we had overall, I think it grew quite a bit during winter!

The green form Medi took a big hit, even with heat and cover but is rebounding nicely…will be way easier to protect this winter…the smaller trunks on the left did way better than the main trunk:

Before:

But I have to say, it’s coming back very fast.

The frogs wintered in the rocks of the pond…doing better than the palms. Well, that’s the update so far…unprotected Sabal minors and McCurtain and Needles untouched as one would expect. The others a bit affected. I read a theory on here that I think sums up the damage…given the mild winter we were having then adding a couple single digit nights and sub freezing days hit hard since they were not acclimated to the sudden and drastic drop in temperature…I know the Trachy has withstood far worse and long duration cold in the past unprotected…but this scenario was definitely different as its condition shows…oh, and one last palm companion plant that seems well suited for zone 7…potted! and unprotected Agave Ovatifolia…excellent, though somewhat dangerous plant…🙂

[Allen]

Your yard is looking great though.  Hoping that type of cold doesn't hit again.

[PalmatierMeg]

Everything looks pretty good to me. Your yard is beautiful and lush. I was raised in No VA and lived there most of my life until I moved to FL. Beautiful area esp in spring & summer

[PaPalmTrees]

love the garden🌴

[GregVirginia7]

7 hours ago, Allen said:

Your yard is looking great though.  Hoping that type of cold doesn't hit again.

Thank you…the Trachy damage surprised me the most…it honestly looked unaffected, like it always did in the worst of cold invasions…but I do think, very mild, moderated winter temps suddenly followed by single digits shocked it…not enough to kill it but definitely enough to affect all exposed fronds, including emerging spears…but not enough to kill the heart so it’s off to the races…all fertilized mulched and watered! Hope you fared well…I know your TN winter temps are way worse than ours here in NOVA…

[GregVirginia7]

5 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Everything looks pretty good to me. Your yard is beautiful and lush. I was raised in No VA and lived there most of my life until I moved to FL. Beautiful area esp in spring & summer

Thank you…we have had a really wet and cool spring…the lushy plants love it but the cool temps are slowing the palm growth a bit, but it’s early…I’ll feed the palms again mid June and they’ll be in good shape…hope the FL weather is being cooperative…looks like some parts have been very dry? maybe prior to this spring…I do prefer the change in seasons but that FL climate, especially coastal would really open up some variety in growing palms.

[GregVirginia7]

2 hours ago, PaPalmTree said:

love the garden🌴

Thank you…the fronds and birds love it, too! You can’t believe the different birds that get condensed into my small, suburban back yard when you feed them…even a steady flow of spring and fall Warblers passing through, regularly…I always tell my family up there in rural Hesston, PA…I see more animals and birds in my yard than they ever will in theirs…amazing how wooded suburbs condense the animal and bird populations!

[GregVirginia7]

Just now, GregVirginia7 said:

Thank you…the fronds and birds love it, too! You can’t believe the different birds that get condensed into my small, suburban back yard when you feed them…even a steady flow of spring and fall Warblers passing through, regularly…I always tell my family up there in rural Hesston, PA…I see more animals and birds in my yard than they ever will in theirs…amazing how wooded suburbs condense the animal and bird populations!

That’s frogs…not fronds…