Ontario Zone 7 Palm Protection

[seedscanada]

So I got outside today to really work on our palm protection measures

The lean-to over the Butia and many Yuccas:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173584584/" title="LincolSouth side lean to over yuccas and Butia by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8482/8173 ... d307_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="LincolSouth side lean to over yuccas and Butia"></a>

The sabal minor tent built and thermocube in there to trigger the space heater under glass lean to, which in turn blows in to sabal tent then back in to lean-to.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173592698/" title="Vented by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8478/8173 ... d8a9_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Vented"></a>

Butia capitata under glass again this year with a few water buckets to buffer:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173592042/" title="Butia under glass by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8477/8173 ... d242_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Butia under glass"></a>

Finished view
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173591504/" title="Final look by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8200/8173 ... b1a4_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Final look"></a>

Trachycarpus fortunei insulated glass box with removable front insulation panel for sunny cold days (water buffer inside at front):
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173590524/" title="Insulated glass box by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8342/8173 ... 58f5_z.jpg" width="478" height="640" alt="Insulated glass box"></a>

Two of our Washingtonia filiferas under foam and HEAVILY mulched
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173589894/" title="Boxes by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8173 ... 594f_z.jpg" width="640" height="478" alt="Boxes"></a>

Glass box with thermocube actuated 100w bulb and water buffer for the silver mediterannean fan palm
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173589266/" title="Glass box by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8065/8173 ... 55ae_z.jpg" width="478" height="640" alt="Glass box"></a>

Brahea armata
Now we have insulated this box. It has its own thermocube and 9 c9 bulbs
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/8173597451/" title="Brahea armata by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8173 ... 8d4a_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Brahea armata"></a>

Hope you all are keeping your palms happy too! Cheers!

[hardyjim]

Everything looks great,I like the heater exchange dealeo and the window "boxes".

[TimMAz6]

The protection looks good...........I hope for another mild winter. It was actually warm here today......I was in a short sleeve shirt.

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Nice work, Adam! Do you protect anything with just mulch and something covering the plant? i.e. no heat?

[seedscanada]

Thanks! I protect my basjoo bananas without heat. My trachycarpus has no heat. One of my other Washingtonia filiferas has only very heavy mulch with a bucket over it. And only wind protection for the pomegranate tree and the loquat tree.

[lucky1]

Clever solutions, Adam.

Question: that glass box for the med fan palm, does it get any direct sun during winter? Temps might get really high in sun?

Glad to see someone else using the red drywall tape.
I used it this year too and hope it stays better than duct tape which peels off in moisture.

Barb

[seedscanada]

Barb, thank you. The glass box gets first sun as it faces the East, so it has four to five hours to warm up before the sun is blocked by the house.

The red tape seems to hold up all winter. We constructed our hoop house using red tape and vapour barrier the past four years, with patching needed only on a few very windy occasions!

[hardyjim]

Do you ever try throwing a cover over the Cerifera in the window box?

I know those can be hard to keep warm,sometimes a quilt can give you another 20F.

[lucky1]

Adam,
I meant "red vapour barrier tape" instead of drywall tape.
Good to know it'll hold up well.

One other thing:
Would it be a benefit to wrap with insulation the duct/pipe that transfers heat?
Might equate to less heat loss.

Barb

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

I'm looking forward to seeing how the loquat and pomegranate do with just wind protection. Do your Goji plants lose all of their leaves in the winter?

[seedscanada]

This is the loquat's second winter in ground with only wind protection. Its the thirty other one year-old loquats I have in the back yard I am curious about how they'll fare. Gojiberry plants seem to lose most of their leaves. Their second winter outside tooo, no fruit this year, but flowers in September. And the pomegranates... maybe I should wrap them, maybe they'll be okay... but I am not giving them heat.

[Henoh_Croatia]

Well done! Please, keep us informed over the winter, especially about your Butia.