Yea...I think that was the winter we hit -18F.

I remember going outside trying to tack some
plastic back down 😯 ...when I first walked
out in sweatpants and tennis shoes(obviously a coat
and gloves)I remember thinking,it aint that cold.......
then my ankles started to become stiff...no kidding
they were starting to freeze.

tack some plastic back down

and the plastic is brittle... 😆

doesn't seem like a good idea to me. These barrels take up a lot of room, my intent will be to throw them out behind my shed during the summer time for storage. I have 5 6-8 foot tall palms that I have to box up each winter. If you want to monkey with batting, you might as well wrap the palm in frost cloth, mummy wrap with the batting and then cover with a tarp. Just my opinion....

I don't want to monkey with any of it LOL! R13 batts and a plastic moisture cover has kept my palms going on the coldest nights of winter for several years. Just roll the batts up and into the attic they go. I guess if you roughed up the inside of the barrels the foam will stick better, but it may not last real long with that much exposure. It's been my experience that the foam exposed to the elements gets brittle and crumbles. I'll be curious how your method works, because it's alot of work to wrap them up the old fashioned way. I don't even have that many to protect, but I got lazy and my euro fans suffered this year from it.

doesn't seem like a good idea to me. These barrels take up a lot of room, my intent will be to throw them out behind my shed during the summer time for storage. I have 5 6-8 foot tall palms that I have to box up each winter. If you want to monkey with batting, you might as well wrap the palm in frost cloth, mummy wrap with the batting and then cover with a tarp. Just my opinion....

I don't want to monkey with any of it LOL! R13 batts and a plastic moisture cover has kept my palms going on the coldest nights of winter for several years. Just roll the batts up and into the attic they go. I guess if you roughed up the inside of the barrels the foam will stick better, but it may not last real long with that much exposure. It's been my experience that the foam exposed to the elements gets brittle and crumbles. I'll be curious how your method works, because it's alot of work to wrap them up the old fashioned way. I don't even have that many to protect, but I got lazy and my euro fans suffered this year from it.

Where are you located? Care to show pics of your winterizing method step by step on what you do?

Well have two barrels done now for winter 2015/2016 Foam lined all the way around and sticking nicely. One thing about these two barrels is how they stack, so something to keep in mind if anyone else is looking for this type of set up when looking for barrels. Ends are tapered enough to where they are meant to stack on top of each other in the way they fit as shown in picture. I'll simply use the industrial strength plastic wrap to hold the two..or three or more barrels together.

On the outside, will use the fence posts in the ground in 3 spots with PVC tubing over the top of the metal posts and ratchet strap it all together. It worked well with much more flimsy wire cage method in the wind. I might add some eye let/bolts and nuts to the barrels in case I need to add further support from the barrels to the ground attached to a tent stake or cinder block.

For the top barrel or "cap" I'll just use a barrel that I leave the bottom in and flip it upside down. I plan also on adding some small circular vents into the sides as well. I've seen a bag of 10 for sale at home improvement stores for minimal costs. With the louvers it will allow it to breathe yet now allow water in from any winters rains we might get.

Where are you located? Care to show pics of your winterizing method step by step on what you do?

I'm in Oklahoma. I don't think I have a step by step photo essay, and I've already unwrapped everything except my musa basjoo. My trachies protection is pretty much what you described, I bundle the fronds, place r13 batts, then cover with 4mil plastic. I leave the top open unless extreme cold or precip is forecast. I'm going to use lights on the euros next year...if they lived. They basically had no protection this time, completely defoliated, and were trunk-cut. One is pushing a spear, but the other is not. My silver chamaerops looks better than the green but still took a beating.

KrisK, would so be so kind as to start a new thread? 🙂

I'm guessing all is out now!

Where are you located? Care to show pics of your winterizing method step by step on what you do?

I'm in Oklahoma. I don't think I have a step by step photo essay, and I've already unwrapped everything except my musa basjoo. My trachies protection is pretty much what you described, I bundle the fronds, place r13 batts, then cover with 4mil plastic. I leave the top open unless extreme cold or precip is forecast. I'm going to use lights on the euros next year...if they lived. They basically had no protection this time, completely defoliated, and were trunk-cut. One is pushing a spear, but the other is not. My silver chamaerops looks better than the green but still took a beating.

What do you get for temp ranges over a winter? Anything near 0 to -10?

Erik I do need to post some pics. Just not much time these days.

No, we usually stay closer to 0 > 10f. I think we got below 0 in February 2011.