FreezePruf

Discuss greenhouse related topics and outside weather protection methods.

Moderators: Laaz, lucky1, Alchris, Kansas, Wes North Van

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hardyjim
Palm Grove
Posts: 4703
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: Fairfield Iowa 5b

Post by hardyjim » Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:05 pm

Still it's nice to see the current weather where we all post from :D


<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

Dave Francko
Seed
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:48 pm
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL

Post by Dave Francko » Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:20 pm

Everyone, I'm really anxious to hear reports on how FreezePruf is working for you, now that the cold has started to set in. In response to some of the threads, yes, soak the spear leaf do the formula drips down into the crown cavity - that will protect the bud tissue. As I said earlier, this stuff is COMPLETELY nontoxic and can be used directly on edible fruits and veggies, so no worries there. The stuff is a light brown color, and what you are smelling is probably the anitdessicant, which is a terpene polymer.

Candidly, I am dissapointed by some early feedback I've gotten, primarily from folks in Zone 9 who have just gotten their first cold weather - people are upset that their tropical bananas etc. are "killed" when it got down to 25-26F, but I later learn that it was 2-3 hours at that temp and 8 hours total below freezing and frankly NOTHING will protect a true tropical under those conditions. People are also relying on local weather reports for their low temps, and we all know that might not reflect your home garden temps at all.

PLEASE EMAIL ME ANY AND ALL YOUR RESULTS - BOTH GOOD OR BAD!

For most plants, most people are generally reporting about 4 - 6 degrees of protection - right in the middle of the 2.2 to 9.4 F we claim/report on the label.

We had our first frost here in Tuscaloosa on Nov 27: 28-30F for 2.5 hrs and 5.5 hrs below freezing, and YES, my tropical bananas were heavily damaged, but they were already all yellow and tattered that late in the season. My M. basjoo suffered only perhaps 25% foliar burn and even now, with a low of 25 the other night I still have some green foliage and no real damage to the midribs and pseudostem. No damage to my Philodendron or the Phoenix canariensis, etc.

And I REALLY got a kick out of the pic one of you posted on the lawn chair with my book!!! I'm sorry I didn't jot your name down when I was looking at posts, but thank you - you made my day!

Best,
Dave Francko
Dave Francko
U of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Zone 7b/8a

ScottyON
Seedling
Posts: 336
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:27 pm
Location: Kingston, Ontario zone 5b

Post by ScottyON » Thu Dec 10, 2009 4:03 pm

Thanks David! Loved the book! Inspired me to grow hardy tropicals in my area of Southern Ontario. Read your whole book on my honeymoon in South Carolina this summer.. I think the people who saw me reading a book with a picture of palms with snow on it while I was sitting under a palm tree in South Carolina thought I was pretty strange!

Glad you like it!

Scott

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:03 pm

Great read, David.

Reading on your honeymoon, Scotty?
And...not to be outdone, here's my buddy borrowing my book:

Image

Yes, I did let it run down into the base of the spear a bit.
Light brown??? the liquid was blue/green, and the smell isn't bad at all.
Nothing like the awful reek of insecticidal soap on my 15 plants in the living room...trying to get rid of fungus gnats!

Odd thing happened. Since spraying FreezePruf, the heater went into the palm hut. Still playing with minimum settings, so far it was too cold, so I increased it a bit. Now it's too warm inside again about 8 C 46F, so I've lowered it.

But the nainital has no heat at all, just FreezePruf and cardboard, blanket and tarp. Leaves were too soggy to put around it. So the relatively unprotected nainital will be the test. Coldest so far has been -16C 3F.

One application of FreezePruf lasts about 4-6 weeks. Should be above freezing to apply it, so may have to add some heat for the second application.
Unless of course winter's over :P :P
Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

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BILL MA
Large Palm
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Location: Southern Mass.

Post by BILL MA » Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:41 pm

Light Brown :?: We got screwed Barb, mines blue too! Just kiddin. I bet the light brown ones the concentrate that needs mixing. I have a gallon left that I'm going to apply after we warm up a little on Monday. My new and improved wall-o-waters should be here tomorrow just in time for 20f tomorrow.

I'll post all those pictures when I'm finished. It's all about helping one another right wx :roll:

Bill

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hardyjim
Palm Grove
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Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: Fairfield Iowa 5b

Post by hardyjim » Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:28 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink: :wink: :wink:

Your kill'n me Bill
My freeze-pruf arrived today,it was frozen :wink:
I cant wait to apply this.
Unfortunately some of my Trachys saw 7(F) last night and one that I just had 2 rubber trash cans over saw -2 or -3 :shock:
I just realized this because I put a sensor in it today.
When we get a mild day in about a week or two I will apply some,I want to see if any spears pull first.
It will be interesting to see if the one that saw subzero recovers :oops:
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

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BILL MA
Large Palm
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Location: Southern Mass.

Post by BILL MA » Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:37 pm

Your freeze pruf arrived frozen? I think that's an oxymoron :D

Bill

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:30 pm

Wall-of-Ice...er...a waters? :lol: :lol:

"That'll be 400 dollars for postage..."
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

yoritomo
Seed
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Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:10 pm
Contact:

Post by yoritomo » Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:06 am

Hello i would like to know some news about your sprayed palms, did you got luck or not ?

Here in Belgium is about 6B lately then it is interresting me as well.

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:17 am

Hi, Yoritomo! Welcome.

We won't know the success or failure until winter is over.

Can you post pictures of your palms please?

Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

yoritomo
Seed
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Post by yoritomo » Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:08 am

OK i just made an introduction post on the introcution topic of this forum, there you can see some pictures of my garden.

Cameron_z6a_N.S.
Large Palm
Posts: 1269
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:30 am
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Post by Cameron_z6a_N.S. » Wed Mar 31, 2010 6:06 pm

Well, winter's over! :D
Did people find that this product worked well over the winter?
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71601.gif" alt="Click for Shearwater, Nova Scotia Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:02 pm

Hi Cameron, glad your winter's over...our weather turned cool again :|

As to the freeze-pruf test on my Naini Tal, you can judge for yourself from today's picture:
Others here feel it'll make it...I think it looks worse every day, but am keeping fingers crossed.
This guy saw a month of cold in December, with the lowest -20.6C -5.1F.
No heat, protected with blankets/tarp over a big inverted garbage can.

Image

Enjoy your good weather this weekend!
Send some to the west coast.
Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

Cameron_z6a_N.S.
Large Palm
Posts: 1269
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:30 am
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Post by Cameron_z6a_N.S. » Thu Apr 01, 2010 3:42 pm

ouch! is that the 30 year old one? hopefully it pulls through.
and as for the good weather, we barely get any, so I might have to just keep it for myself right now :lol:
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71601.gif" alt="Click for Shearwater, Nova Scotia Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

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hardyjim
Palm Grove
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Location: Fairfield Iowa 5b

Post by hardyjim » Thu Apr 01, 2010 6:58 pm

Barb
I would say it worked.....
my palm that saw -3(f) doesn't have any leaves left :wink: :D
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:37 am

Cameron, oh God, no that's just the ...(gotta get this correct) Trachycarpus fortunei Nainital.

The 33 year old trachy had the "outhouse" around it this winter, with a heater.
my palm that saw -3(f) doesn't have any leaves left
At least your non-leaves aren't CRUNCHY, Jim.

Don't need a CRDB (cold rated database), we need a CRRS (CRUNCHINESS rating system. )
:lol: :lol:
Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

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hardyjim
Palm Grove
Posts: 4703
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:00 pm
Location: Fairfield Iowa 5b

Post by hardyjim » Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:37 pm

lucky1 wrote:Cameron, oh God, no that's just the ...(gotta get this correct) Trachycarpus fortunei Nainital.

The 33 year old trachy had the "outhouse" around it this winter, with a heater.
my palm that saw -3(f) doesn't have any leaves left
At least your non-leaves aren't CRUNCHY, Jim.

Don't need a CRDB (cold rated database), we need a CRRS (CRUNCHINESS rating system. )
:lol: :lol:
Barb





Not crunchy-powdery!
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

canadianplant
Clumping Palm
Posts: 2399
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:41 pm

Post by canadianplant » Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:33 pm

So where exactly can I purchase this miricle of science:P I have some very "unnative" plants to try here * evil laugh

JackLord
Seedling
Posts: 300
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:54 am
Location: Maryland- Zone 7A

Post by JackLord » Sun Oct 10, 2010 3:37 pm

My thinking was this stuff was but one arrow in the quiver. In other words, I would not rely solely on it, but use it in connection with the usual winter countermeasures.

Should I bother?

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PhilMusa
Seedling
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:56 pm
Location: Vaughan Ontario

Post by PhilMusa » Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:40 am

Hello,

After reading this entire thread I'm still unsure if it actually works.

For those that have used this product in the past, would you buy this product again?

Also, does any know if it is being sold anywhere in southern Ontario?
Thanks
Phil

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