Do I need Christmas lights (or heating cables) for my Needle Palm in 6b? Or a winter box + thick layer of mulch should be enough?

[PashkaTLT]

Hello everyone,

In winter, I usually add Christmas lights or heating cables to all of my palm trees.

This year, I planted a Needle Palm (previously in a 7-gallon pot), and I’m not sure if it needs additional heating or if a winter box with 0.5 feet of mulch will be sufficient. Could heating it just be an unnecessary expense?

For reference, I’m located in New Jersey, zone 6b, about 5–10 miles from zone 7a.

Kind regards,
Pavel

[Allen]

 

[PashkaTLT]

Thank you, @Allen!

[Subtropical LIS]

On 12/2/2024 at 9:58 PM, PashkaTLT said:

Hello everyone,

In winter, I usually add Christmas lights or heating cables to all of my palm trees.

This year, I planted a Needle Palm (previously in a 7-gallon pot), and I’m not sure if it needs additional heating or if a winter box with 0.5 feet of mulch will be sufficient. Could heating it just be an unnecessary expense?

For reference, I’m located in New Jersey, zone 6b, about 5–10 miles from zone 7a.

Kind regards,
Pavel

You 're not too far from two places I've planted them (Ocean City, MD - 8a) and coastal Ct (7a) which are both a bit warmer zones, but close to the same. I would say no - you don't need any type of heat at all . If your anywhere in NJ with the exception of NW NJ (highlands colder area), the lowest temp will rarely get below 5 - 10 F.  If temps below 10 F are expected ...you can throw a carboard box or plastic can over them just to be safe. In my experince, Needle Palms need about 2 years on the middle East Coast (Va to NYC area) to get established and cold hardy.

If this is a first year planting...I would spray the crown with copper fungcide (get at Home Depot/lowes) 4 times in each winter month (Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar). Make sure you get the shot of fungcide down the area where the spear is growing. With the typical East Coast summer heat and thundershowers (which they LOVE) they will be bullet proof by the end of the 2nd growing season.   They are known to handle low temps down to -15 F annually in places like OH and PA . If we have a dry late summer/fall like this year, I would water them a bit.  They don't like dry conditions.

I have one planted at mothers house in Ocean City and mine in CT and they grow like mad if kept hot and soil moist. In a few years you'll love the way they look., very jungle like. Here's the one along the Connecticut coast planted from a 2 gallon about 7 years ago (about 6 feet tall). The one at moms house in Maryland a bit smaller, but it's only 4 years old:

 

 

[PAPalmtrees]

On 12/5/2024 at 12:53 PM, Subtropical LIS said:

You 're not too far from two places I've planted them (Ocean City, MD - 8a) and coastal Ct (7a) which are both a bit warmer zones, but close to the same. I would say no - you don't need any type of heat at all . If your anywhere in NJ with the exception of NW NJ (highlands colder area), the lowest temp will rarely get below 5 - 10 F.  If temps below 10 F are expected ...you can throw a carboard box or plastic can over them just to be safe. In my experince, Needle Palms need about 2 years on the middle East Coast (Va to NYC area) to get established and cold hardy.

If this is a first year planting...I would spray the crown with copper fungcide (get at Home Depot/lowes) 4 times in each winter month (Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar). Make sure you get the shot of fungcide down the area where the spear is growing. With the typical East Coast summer heat and thundershowers (which they LOVE) they will be bullet proof by the end of the 2nd growing season.   They are known to handle low temps down to -15 F annually in places like OH and PA . If we have a dry late summer/fall like this year, I would water them a bit.  They don't like dry conditions.

I have one planted at mothers house in Ocean City and mine in CT and they grow like mad if kept hot and soil moist. In a few years you'll love the way they look., very jungle like. Here's the one along the Connecticut coast planted from a 2 gallon about 7 years ago (about 6 feet tall). The one at moms house in Maryland a bit smaller, but it's only 4 years old:

 

 

 I agree with everything you're saying but I have to correct you on one thing not all of Pennsylvania  get down the  -15 annually Unless you live in the Northern mountains or near New York Because where I live it's  rare to get under zero, Great information Also

[westfork]

Well, I am probably doing it wrong but our needles and minors get no electricity or a winter box.  When the ground starts freezing solid in the fall I put some bags of lava rock around the base to help insulate the ground,  When the temps start staying below 5 f I put half a styrofoam chest over the tops during the cold periods.  Last winter this worked great with temps down to -23f and a couple daytime highs at -10f,  but some snow cover helped.  One sabal minor even set seed after that.  Here a couple months ago after two growing seasons and one winter behind it and on its first single digit f morning this fall.

The needles don't like it so much here, probably because they are on the dry side.