Trachycarpus palm seedlings hardiness

[jdhdbw]

Hello!

Does anyone have experiences in Trachycarpus fortunei / takil seedlings (or any other palm seedlings) hardiness?

I want to grow palms from seed and overwinter them in an unheated foil tent in pots with mulch. I live in Hungary, approximately USDA zone 7a/b.

I appreciate any help.

[Allen]

3 hours ago, jdhdbw said:

Hello!

Does anyone have experiences in Trachycarpus fortunei / takil seedlings (or any other palm seedlings) hardiness?

I want to grow palms from seed and overwinter them in an unheated foil tent in pots with mulch. I live in Hungary, approximately USDA zone 7a/b.

I appreciate any help.

In pots I would bring in at least under 25F or if mine small seedlings under freezing

[Las Palmas Norte]

I left a couple of dozen T. fortunei seedlings with several strap leaves outside year round on a couple of occasions. I had no intentions of doing that, but I suspect they survived only because of snow cover.  I can't give exact temperatures from those cases but my best estimate would in the 20°F to 25°F (-6.7°C to -3.9°C) overnight. These seedlings endured this on a couple of instances, and in at least one time, this lasted close to a week. I don't recommend this as a routine method if you what assurances of survival, especially in colder or prolonged mentioned conditions.

[jdhdbw]

2 hours ago, Allen said:

In pots I would bring in at least under 25F or if mine small seedlings under freezing

Okay, thank you.

[jdhdbw]

36 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

I left a couple of dozen T. fortunei seedlings with several strap leaves outside year round on a couple of occasions. I had no intentions of doing that, but I suspect they survived only because of snow cover.  I can't give exact temperatures from those cases but my best estimate would in the 20°F to 25°F (-6.7°C to -3.9°C) overnight. These seedlings endured this on a couple of instances, and in at least one time, this lasted close to a week. I don't recommend this as a routine method if you what assurances of survival, especially in colder or prolonged mentioned conditions.

I see, thank you.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

The Trachy seedlings are pretty darn tough.  You're going to need prolonged temps under 32.0 F to take them out (in all likelihood).  A short duration of 5 F might take out some wimpy ones.  Plants are a giant gray area really.  This is not a black and white World in the plant kingdom.

*My experience is with trachy seedlings that are around 3-4 years of age.  I have not seen anything below 7F (cold snaps are for a short duration here).  So, I am estimating.  Also, I do have the benefit of a microclimate by the south facing building here.  

[tarnado]

I overwintered my last batch of Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings in the ground and it was below freezing for a couple of weeks; we also had some rain and snow mixed events about the same time (a year ago, in fact). We experienced temperatures around -10 C or less each at night. I mulched up around the seedlings a bit for protection, that was all.

If they are in pots, I can't speak to the whole root ball freezing, though. Best offer some protection.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

38 minutes ago, tarnado said:

I overwintered my last batch of Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings in the ground and it was below freezing for a couple of weeks; we also had some rain and snow mixed events about the same time (a year ago, in fact). We experienced temperatures around -10 C or less each at night. I mulched up around the seedlings a bit for protection, that was all.

If they are in pots, I can't speak to the whole root ball freezing, though. Best offer some protection.

They can take some cold, no doubt.

[RichardS]

Trachycarpus Fortunei seedlings survive even in mountainous parts of Slovakia that are colder than Budapest, when they are in the ground. I don't think an average Budapest winter can damage them, it's more of a zone 7b/8a nowadays. Another thing is that, when the coldest temperatures occur, it's usually when snow cover is present, so the seedlings are going to be protected by that. In pots it's a bit more complicated, but if you give them the protection you described, I think they should survive without any major problems. I don't know about Trachycarpus Takil though.