A few pics to pass the time...

[Cali-wanna-b]

Hi all!

Here are a few pics of the palms I am over-wintering here in Central Pennsylvania as of the end of January. I am using an idea from Kevin in Utah, who some might know for my palm protection this year. The boxes are contstructed of 2" insulation board and heated with a 20 watt landscape spot light. Considering our low was -15F, everything is looking good.

Below is my Needle palm heated with one 20 watt spot light. The box went down into the mid 20'sF during the -15F event. Goods enough for me!!

3 year old sabal brazoria. This palm is in a styrofoam cooler box, filled with mulch, with the bottom cut out and heated with plumber tape that comes on at 38*F.

4 year old Sabal birmingham. This palm got some damage from our very wet spring last year, but so far this winter it is hangin tough with just a 20 watt spot light.

A regular Trachy from Washington State in a styrofoam box and plumber tape.

California fan palm doing very well in an insulation board box wtih a 20 watt spot light and plumber heat tape for back-up.

My largest trachy, a 5 footer with the cold weather leaf curl. Because of a poor lid design, this palm has been through temps in the mid teens.

Outside view of the Trachy box.

[oppalm]

the styrofoam boxes have become quite the trend/rage in 2008. I can hardly wait until next winter when I will build my own s-box. Keep us updated with your experiences with your box and what you would do different next time.

[hardyjim]

Great job Cali-b,I think your washy will really take off next year,this spring/summer is going to be a great one!can't wait!

[Cali-wanna-b]

Knock on wood, everything has done well in the insulation boxes. I did discover spear pull in the Washington state trachy today which is in a styrofoan cooler box. I am still trying to figure out why. The palm looks great and has been protected from cold and rain since November. The only thing I can think of is maybe the styrofoam boxes do not have the R-value that the insulation board does or it got damaged from some mid 20's weather before I covered it. I dunno..........

Next year, I am putting everything in insulation board boxes with a spot light or two.

Craig

[hardyjim]

That would be my guess,damaged before protection,some of my palms have seen brief exposure to single digits but not a single one has been lost to winter,all the problems occured in Nov from a sudden cold snap to 18F that followed heavy rain and temps in the 70s,I was just to busy to cover them and did not expect the temp to go so low,the interesting thing is that now that they are hardened off 18 is no prob- if palms are DRY

[lucky1]

Craig, thanks for the great pics and descriptions of protection.
I'm impressed with the construction and either plumber tape or 20w bulb for heat.

Are your pink styro boxes sunk into the ground several inches?
Or do they sit on top of level ground, perhaps allow a bit of cold air in?

If I used your above-ground box method, I'd have to anchor the structure against strong winds.

Cutting the bottom out of a styro cooler is a great low-cost idea.

BTW, that rainbow signature sure is popular, huh (Wes?)
Barb

[Cali-wanna-b]

Jim,
The weather event you described is likely what caused the damage. We had very simular conditions in November.

Barb,
I have hardwood bark mulch piled up around the base of the pink boxes, maybe a foot or so. We had 60mph winds last week and they didn't move, but the mulch was froze. If the mulch wasn't froze it would of turned out different I think. I did lose one styrofoam cooler boxes. I still don't know where it landed....lol. Next year I will drive a few wood garden stakes into the ground next to the box then screw the stakes to the box.

Concerning my sig...may you all find your own "pot of gold"....

[lucky1]

Hey Craig,
you and Kent are using the same portapotty

Screwing the boxes to stakes plunged into the ground makes sense for areas that suffer from high winter winds.
Good that yours held up...the cooler might come back in spring, ha ha.

Piling bark mulch up around the base is a good idea generally, and would keep drafts to a minimum.

If cans of spray foam weren't so darn expensive, it'd be worthwhile to build a structure and just spray the inside, closing all the little cracks (might save time assembling insulation to fight snugly).

Barb

[hardyjim]

...the cooler might come back in spring, ha ha.
Well played Barb

[Cali-wanna-b]

If cans of spray foam weren't so darn expensive, it'd be worthwhile to build a structure and just spray the inside, closing all the little cracks (might save time assembling insulation to fight snugly).

2 words.......duct tape. I am never allowed to use spray foam again. Last time I had it in my hair and left eyebrow before I was finished.

Kent and I are using the same One? No wonder!!!!!!

[Alchris]

I used spray foam to assemble and crack fill my palm shelter. My wife stood in the doorway until I had stripped off the clothes that had foam on them. Either they stayed outside until the foam hardened or I stayed outside.



Allen

[macario]

That stuff looks great! The pink foam is the sh+T!! I look forward seeing you rpalms get big yer after year with it. There should be faster recovery time. this spring for you