Hasty frost protection for 2 Washies 3 Y. rostrata

Barb those Washy`s look like they have put on some growth since I seen them last. I think 2"x2" frame with a thicker clear plastic stapled to it would be the way to go. Your Trachy should breeze through any temps down to -10c especially when day time temps get above freezing. On a scale of 1 to 10 how much a hate winter would be an 11.

John

2"x2" frame with a thicker clear plastic stapled to it would be the way to go.

Sounds better than what I was thinking.
I thought 6 ml was the thickest plastic 😕 ??

On a scale of 1 to 10 how much I hate winter would be an 11.

Yeah, me too John.
I'd be happy if it stayed like this until February, then got warm.

Have you got your frames up?
How about in the driveway circle?
Post some pics when you're done please.

Barb

How will you protect your Washys this winter Barb?

Thermocube and Christmas lights Jim BUT still haven't figured out how to do such a long area.

John suggested individual 2 x 2 wood framed boxes with plastic stapled over (which is a good idea), but nobody here has the skill to do that.

Yet a long single "tunnel" (like my temporary protection) is hard to heat and would collapse under snow.

H is too busy to help with either ideas or construction. 😡

I'm sure something will be in place by February 😆 😆 😆 😆
Barb

Barb

You can do what I did...just get some of the green coated fencing
wrap it in a layer of bubble wrap,then foam wrap,then another
layer of bubble wrap(or 2)again.
Then wrap another layer of fencing over it,this gives it strength
and helps hold the bubble wrap etc,in place.
Then make sure you use 6" of mulch and secure your enclosure to the ground.

You also need to make sure your temps are good in there with at least
one remote sensor.

Here are some different pics of what I did,if you look closely
you can figure it all out,just make sure you have some lids you can put
over them(I used trash can lids),you will also need some type
of insulating cloth or the like to use under the lids-the nice thing
is the lids can be removed to let moisture out when temps allow.

I used bungee cords to hold the lids on.

Alrighty then

Yeah, Jim, I've looked at your protection pics 100s of times and thought "I can do THAT".
But didn't do it because I thought they'd be dug out and potted up (again).
I hadn't noticed that the bubble wrap is in BETWEEN two layers of fencing, certainly good idea.

Once something includes lumber and skil saws and nails/screws, etc. I'm lost.

Off to the hardware store tomorrow (for sure)...fencing wire, bubble wrap.
Seems I already own wire cutters and garbage can lids, and thermocubes and Christmas lights. 8)

My biggest issue will be electrical connections to each of these...'coz it'd have to be a continuous string all the way across/under each "basket".

Now, for the lights string BETWEEN shelters.
Probably should wrap electrical tape around the "in between"/crossings to the next enclosure, with the lights (undone) laying on the ground.

Barb

EDIT: Jim, I've looked closer and now see that you have your lights string lying on the ground between protection.

Yea Barb

Sometime I leave them in and sometimes I take
them out and put electrical tape over them,I don't think
it matters either way as I have also left them empty.

I have also left them empty.

The moisture getting in doesn't blow the line/trip the breaker?
That's the only thing that concerns me.

Barb

ANOTHER EDIT: Or I could just have a snow-tunnel/mouse passage on the ground like Tim??? 😉

We got 2" of snow but the banana leaves are still green! Local school reported a low of 29F. Tonight should be colder with clear skys.

I have also left them empty.

The moisture getting in doesn't blow the line/trip the breaker?
That's the only thing that concerns me.

Barb

ANOTHER EDIT: Or I could just have a snow-tunnel/mouse passage on the ground like Tim??? 😉

Just leave the bulbs in and unscrew them a little,wrap electrical tape around too if you want.

I usually bury mine under mulch as well-don't forget to mulch your Washys in too!

OK, thanks for the latest tips.

Protecting Washies is a whole other ball game than Trachies.

Will take some pics as it goes up.
Barb

I hope you do make separate enclosures,it
will blow your mind how much heat you would
need to heat that Washy tunnel! 😀

Agree it would take a lot of heat.

I was looking forward to building it today.
But some days are good and some aren't so good 😆
Care to guess which it was?

First things first.
Couldn't find the green fencing, so got some black (kinda floppy) fencing.

The dollar store had some aluminum broom handles, and I had some other stuff for the posts too:

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6300375186/" title="DSC05050 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC05050"></a>

I know you said to put 6 inches of mulch at base but I ended up removing it again.
H just finished gravelling that garden bed and he'd give me H if I got bark mulch all over it, so I tried plastic under it.
The bark mulch is from a tree here that's just been chipped.
There's so much fine stuff, I removed it again because it would've been a fire hazard with lights laying on it.

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6300375204/" title="DSC05052 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC05052"></a>

This fencing is soooooo floppy, almost impossible to do it myself. Need 6 hands 😆

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6300375276/" title="DSC05054 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC05054"></a>

Then a hail/windstorm arrived, and I hadn't even finished ONE protection 🙄

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6299920701/" title="DSC05053 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC05053"></a>

Unplugged the thermocube, it was cold and wet now, so plugged in lights to warm ME and the palms and yuccas 😆

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6300389990/" title="DSC05055 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC05055"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6300389996/" title="DSC05056 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC05056"></a>

No time left to install bubble wrap and foam.
BTW, Wal mart had bubble wrap ONLY 12" wide 😐 so that's going back.
Bought a foam remnant at a surplus store, then found some insulation in the basement, also some foam that goes under a wood floor.
The rest goes in tomorrow.

And after all that...I had forgotten to put the remote thermometer and thermocube back inside...aaaargh!

Other plants just got Christmas lights at their base and garbage buckets over them...again.

Your set-up looked so EASY, Jim. Harder than it looks.
That floppy fencing did me in. 😆

Enough whining from me.
Barb

Mulch won't catch fire from the lights but the plastic sure can.

Be creative when you go shopping,any foam and some kind of lid
would work well and be less hassle.
The cool thing is that every year you will get better at it.
They don't have to look good the first year,they just have to work
and be able to stand up to the wind. 😀

Barb looks like your on the right track with that protection. I think I`m going to do a similar protection method as Jim`s and yours for my W. filifera. I have a whole string of old outdoor Christmas lights for the fronds and a heating pad for the trunk, on a thermo cube,and fibreglass insulation to wrap it me thinks. Good luck! We`ll need it!

John