Syanno, Stop at car washes as the soap comes in those barrels, or just about any place that has floor scrubbing machine. I get mine from work and we re-manufacture transmission and the empty barrels are stacked for some company to take and re cycle. I try and get the semi clear ones so some sunlight comes through.

Here is my stash...some I cut in 1/2 to use on smaller palms and use thick plexiglass cover cut in 2x2 squares and just put brick on top.

great ill look this weekend!
If when you cut the bottom leave a lip that can be fastened together to keep out moisture and on the top do the same. would that work with insulation in between the two barrels. and no moisture in the insulation.

I'm pretty sure the Roxul panels will ply with the inner curve of the barrels. I just dont now how to glue them onto the inner side of the barrel.
I like Syano10's idea of shrink wrap to fasten the barrel wall shut.
In your picture you have that re-bar mesh in the back, that can be your structure wrapped in bubble wrap as your insulation instead.... just a thought, perhaps you've done that already.

That is a wire mesh that I use to also protect palms. I wrap the mesh once it's around the palm with industrial strength shrink wrap that I also get from work. The beauty of using that is I can easily make the cage any height that I want by simply adding 5 ft sections.

I think this year I'm going to use the drums on the palm that lost all of it's fronds last season. It put out 6-8 fronds this summer, but it'll be much easier to inclose that than the fuller trees. I'm thinking Frost Cloth wrapped around the fronds 4-5 times, does this sound right? Then wrap a batting at least around the fronds and follow with the C9 lights.

I have found that c9 lights are only good for about two seasons before the bulbs are shot, at least in my area, with how much they need to be one. Granted I wasn't making real air tight enclosures with my wood doors so I know they were on ALOT. I still have 8-10 new in box strands, but I want to get to the point where I can put a couple fluorescence bulbs in to keep electrical costs down and simplify.

Do you think wrapping the trunk and then concentrate the remainder of the bulbs around the crown won't be too hot? I normally put two stands in each box, but I'm thinking with the drums I can get away with one, or at the least, less bulbs around the thermo cube and more around the ground.

I will have bags of mulch around the base of the drums for sure since the foot prints are smaller than my 3 x 3.5 foot boxes normally are.

I think anything you can do to insulate, yet not trap moisture will be a good thing.

I think anything you can do to insulate, yet not trap moisture will be a good thing.

Those ideas seem to be in competition with each other.

You make the structure so it vents by drilling holes, or simply not keeping it air tight.

Im agree 905, but if i use the fiberglass insulation , i will put it over the small insulation ( for hot water reservoir, AYRFOIL). So between the tarp and the AYRFOIL. Like that, never the fiberglass insulation will touch the fronds and that will prevent the fronds to touch the cold tarp 🙂 ...

Ben

Any issues I've had hasn't been keeping them "warm" enough, it's been the ones that get limited winter sun so they tend to get more fungus from moisture (condensation)

Another reason why I leave tops off protection as much as I can so they can breathe. Palms on South side of the house get plenty of sun, and issue is over heating in structure not so much moisture build up. It's a learning thing, to know what specifics you have to do for individual palms of the same species based on where they are located.

I have purposely kept things not air tight with my boxes and have had no issues with fungus. Obviously the barrels will be a bit more air tight, I just need to figure out how I want to work with them this winter.

Will be anxious to see what you come up with. Beauty of these forums is really to share and learn new protection methods.

So far it seems the lights are on more in the drum set up test than in the wooden boxes..... We'll see what damage I'm looking at when it gets really cold for the season. So far we things have warmed and they're talking like we will get an El nino winter which means warmer than normal.

Doug, I'm guessing that the slab wood of the doors is a better insulator against cold than 1/4 inch thick plastic.

Barb

Doug, I'm guessing that the slab wood of the doors is a better insulator against cold than 1/4 inch thick plastic.

Barb

I don't disagree, but as my trees get taller I have to figure something out that will grow with them and building wooden boxes over 10 feet tall starts to get dangerous. I will say so far with some basic bracing the drums have done awesome with the winds that I get here (no broad flat sides).