Yea...the curved contour really is not effected by wind to much.

<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 100_7717_zps5986b7e9.jpg"/></a>

Here's an update on things. I uncovered 3 of my 5 tonight. Let's just say the drums were 10x easier to remove and drag behind my shed for storage this summer vs the solid core doors!

Also, I have to say that the palm covered with the drums (uninsulated by the way) is in better shape than the other two so far. The first wooden box I took off only had one strand of c9 lights in it and i found it fell off it's palm boot makeshift hook and was laying on the ground all winter.... that left most of my foliage on that tree essentially dead...

Here's the tree in the drums:
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.12.17_zps8f4hofqi.jpg"/></a>

My son helper
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.12.22_zpsk5r6kzbj.jpg"/></a>

frost cloth removed.
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.14.03_zps8neyfluj.jpg"/></a>

Freezer burn
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.14.06_zpskhlzlm3g.jpg"/></a>

unstrapped
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.17.45_zpsjm5cgmkt.jpg"/></a>

Second tree with one strand of lights - this one was boxed.
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.38.46_zps0xekxqfw.jpg"/></a>

how i found it
<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 19.38.49_zpskmi4md84.jpg"/></a>

Last tree. In better shape than the second, but still some burn on it.

<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo 2015-04-06 20.19.53_zpsjxu0sqdp.jpg"/></a>

Nice, good job...as i can see, you did not put light around the foliage right ? So the heat produced by the light at the base of the palm go up and heat the foliage. That what i should do with the wrapping. Its almost the same way instead of having plastic barrel its Ayrfoil and tarp. Finally it does the same job i think 😉

Ben

Doug, good results considering the winter you folks had.

Hilarious that the lights are still in the manufacturer's retail holders. 😆
Obviously worked.

I always lay my C9s on the ground to keep the ground from freezing.
And as Beny says, heat goes up, keeping the fronds warmish.

Thanks for the update.
Barb

Barb, I got sick of unwrapping the lights that i had draped all around the tree and figured this was much easier. I think next year I will be looking at putting two heat lamps in two stakes in the ground facing up because I literally get about one year out of the c9 bulbs before they all blow. I'm also going to look at doing spray foam in the barrels as well.

Beny, getting some sort of light up in the foliage is a good idea b/c I can see how mine took a hit.

I will say the drum was one of the easiest things to deconstruct.... I unwrapped it, pulled it apart, moved it from around the tree and dragged it behind my shed. I have a new plan on making new ones to make them more sturdy in the future, but they seem to be the way to go at this point and I can scale them up quite easily as the trees grow.

These cheap made in China Christmas lights and bulbs are just not worth relying on. Had so many bulb failures this winter. Going more Cocoanuts mikes route and using better insulation and lower watt bulbs, possibly CFL's.

Barrels I used this past winter I have began spraying with foam insulation and it sticks great to the walls so should provide great insulation to retain the little heat CFL's put out.

cheap made in China Christmas lights and bulbs

Yup, total crap.

No one thought of using a heat lamp in a socket on a stake in the ground pointing up?

Well it's all or nothing this winter. All four (lost my smallest one this past spring) of my palms are now "barreled up." I have two 150 watt heat lamps in each box, one near the crown and the other at the base facing up with the thermocube about 2 feet away from the lamp on the ground. So far this evening I am getting cycling on and off.

I'll have to snap some pics, but basically the drums are better built versions of what I used last year with success. Inside the fronds are pulled up and then wrapped with frost cloth (couple layers) and then I stuffed some insulation batting in on the areas where the frost cloth was touching the barrels. I bought some pipe insulation to put on the vertical slit and I am using ratchet straps to pull everything tight. I finish everything off by making the top watertight with a cheap harbor freight tarp and then throw 3 bags of 3 cubic feet mulch around the base.

Next year my oldest and largest three I think is going to need a four barrel enclosure.... I'm not as beat physically as I was in years past building boxes with solid core doors so I think I'm making progress in that regard. Now if global warming would just rid Michigan of proper winters I would be happy.... Wish my job allowed me to move to south florida...

I'm by no means an insulation expert or a palm winterization guru, but speaking in generalities, I believe the best insulation is AIR. So, if you can provide and air gap between a casing and another casing, that form of insulation is desirable. Take double-pane windows for example; or an igloo cooler with its two separate shells and foam that fills the air gap. Just thought I'd throw that out there and get the wheels turning. Good luck to all you palm nuts this winter!

From what I've read on El Nino, you have apx. a 50/50 chance depending on where you live, of either being cold and wet or warm and dry.

Best wishes! Yes, snap pics when you can. --Erik

Photo from tonight. 3 of my drums I think need to have the thermocube moved closer to the lights. One is dialed in perfectly. The black vertical lines are the slits I cut up each barrel set to open up and wrap around the palms. Then there's 1/2 inch pipe insulation to help seal the opening once I put the ratchet straps around it.

<a href=" .html" target="_blank"><img src=" " border="0" alt=" photo A6B5058E-FABD-44D0-A776-3005C51F0A80_zpsogjtsbei.jpg"/></a>

Just a quick update, pulled everything out this past weekend. The three palms around my deck/pergola came out great but the one that is out by my shed lost all of it's fronds again (happened two years ago) Only thing I can figure is that it's out in the open with only the shed to it's northeast for protection. I'm going to try upping the heat and possibly taking some old doors and arranging them in a wedge on the west side after putting the barrels on next year to break the wind, that's assuming that it comes back this year.

Side note, don't use a heat lamp unless you can keep it away from the tree at least a few inches. I had some literal burning happen on some trees b/c the lights shifted and touched the trees. surprised one didn't go up in flames!!!

Just a quick update, pulled everything out this past weekend. The three palms around my deck/pergola came out great but the one that is out by my shed lost all of it's fronds again (happened two years ago) Only thing I can figure is that it's out in the open with only the shed to it's northeast for protection. I'm going to try upping the heat and possibly taking some old doors and arranging them in a wedge on the west side after putting the barrels on next year to break the wind, that's assuming that it comes back this year.

Side note, don't use a heat lamp unless you can keep it away from the tree at least a few inches. I had some literal burning happen on some trees b/c the lights shifted and touched the trees. surprised one didn't go up in flames!!!

Did you foam the inside of the barrels? or the one specifically by the shed?

Just a quick update, pulled everything out this past weekend. The three palms around my deck/pergola came out great but the one that is out by my shed lost all of it's fronds again (happened two years ago) Only thing I can figure is that it's out in the open with only the shed to it's northeast for protection. I'm going to try upping the heat and possibly taking some old doors and arranging them in a wedge on the west side after putting the barrels on next year to break the wind, that's assuming that it comes back this year.

Side note, don't use a heat lamp unless you can keep it away from the tree at least a few inches. I had some literal burning happen on some trees b/c the lights shifted and touched the trees. surprised one didn't go up in flames!!!

Did you foam the inside of the barrels? or the one specifically by the shed?

I did not put any foam inside of the barrels. I will be looking into that next year as well as using some wrapping like beny did (like a blanket or reflective foil).