All palms protected now

[Beny]

This year im trying 5 differents method to protect my palms outside. The styrofoam box 2.5 inch with 2 CFL 23 watts pluged on Thermocube T3 with a 12 feets heat cable at the base, not plugged on the T3, do the job well for almost all the cold hardy palms.
Im trying another mommywrap with my talest Trachycarpus almost 9 feets hight. This one is wrapped with arbotex,40 feets heat cable plugged on T3, another arbotex then tarp. I putted a 9 feets heat cable with their own thermostat at the base. Hope it will go trough the winter, ill check the foliage during the winter and will be ready to put the box on, in case. I did not put the post, as i did with the other Trachy, and i see a big difference on my wireless thermostat. There s almost no solar effect with the mommywrap without post( that make a air space between layers of arbotex ).
Ben

[hardyjim]

Probably need some insulation over the heat tape if it gets cold there.

[lucky1]

40 feets heat cable plugged on T3

Beny, I'm curious why you use a thermocube with a heat cable on the tallest Trachy...
the pipe heating cable has its own thermostat to turn on/off at certain temps.

That big Trachy is one gorgeous specimen!

How about wrapping "mummy wrap" a couple more times around?
No solar gain anyway, so additional wraps might be warranted?

Thanks for the new pics, Beny.
Barb

[Beny]

Hey barb, thx for the comment. That heat cable has no thermostat, that s the one for melting snow and ice for the rooftop of house. And i use another one at the base, that one has is own thermostat. So i have two thermostat, one for the trunck and foliage and one for the roots.
And it my be surprising, but yes i have a solar gain during the day, when it was +10c today, i got +15c inside the wrapping. The heat tape turn off at +7c. I made 2 layers of burlap, cause i think it will keep i bit longer the heat near the trunck. Its like a winter coat. More air space, more better is.
Ben

[hardyjim]

No worries.....

[lucky1]

has no thermostat, that s the one for melting snow and ice for the rooftop of house

ok, beny, I completely forgot about those roof things!
Now I understand, thanks!

Barb

[sidpook]

looks good and thorough, I have a question though; does one need to ensure the ground and roots around the tree also remain dry and frost free?

[Beny]

Mike,
Yes i need a heat cable at the base to prevent the soil to freeze. But if using a stryrofoam box with mulch outside the box, the light alone do the job. But when using the tent method, i need heat cable, one at the base (on the ground), another around the truck and foliage.
But, you, in New Jersey, i don t think your soil freeze hard like me here near Montreal, the frost line go down as far then 3 feets depth.

Ben

[sidpook]

Mike,
Yes i need a heat cable at the base to prevent the soil to freeze. But if using a stryrofoam box with mulch outside the box, the light alone do the job. But when using the tent method, i need heat cable, one at the base (on the ground), another around the truck and foliage.
But, you, in New Jersey, i don t think your soil freeze hard like me here near Montreal, the frost line go down as far then 3 feets depth.

Ben

Thanks for the reply Ben. I'm sure we do not get the long freezes that you get there. We havent had a freeze yet, just a night or two of frost so far this year, BUT it does get cold here. January and February can be brutal...I used to like the winters, now I despise them!