Man you have inspired me!!!!!!!
You have earned the title as master of the cold hardy palm!!!!
I hope to learn from you as well as everybody else here!
Well done if I could reach you,I'd pat you on the back for a job well done!!!!

Don

Thanx but I think there are other people on this board who deserve that. I see so many beautiful palms in canada and other places. I love coming to this board becuase they are always full of ideas and advice. Anything I do I probably learned , heard or saw it from some one else on here.

I don't want to discourage you, but I hope you understand that you are going to need some huge protection for those Sabals. They will not take repeated cold in the winter. Good luck with them, but you are in for a very large task keeping them alive in Chicago...

Thats actually what the told me about the butia. I have never had even a burt leaf on it. I know its a monsterouss task, thats what I live for. My mico climate I have going is great. This wont be the first time I over winter palms and I am 100 % ready to go to what ever extreme I need to protect them. I think I might use a hoop style cold frame for these guys.
Today I put down edging around the needle and skinny sabal I also put the fat sabal in the ground today.

More power to you.

It is nice to have someone who is as much in Zone Denial as I am.

Allen

After a -1F Winter, my Robusta looks great with using just a couple of old windows, plywood and a small heater.

If you enjoy growing what you have - that is all that matters.... 8)

Steve

Did the robusta in the ground? and did it loose its leaves?

I've been waiting to see your palm photos all winter Macario..

Very impressive..Please remember to post more photos as you get things up and running..

Palmettoman z6-Ajax, On

I sure will.

It's the one in this thread,
http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=406&start=30

One frond browned out but it also opened one more. Everything still looks great!

I'm going to build a quantity of 3' x 3' x 4"wood squares this Summer. (Some will be covered with plastic and others solid)
Next winter all I'll have to do is stack them up like Legos around my outside stuff, connect them together, seal them up and I'm good to go 😆

Thats very interesting. What type of wood you use and what size? Dp you staple the plastic or glue or nail? I may just do that for my 2 filifera.

For last Winter,used 3/8" OSB Sheathing, (The cheap stuff) a coat of paint did seem to seal it OK.
Other than that, nails, screws, and whatever else I had laying around.

The wood squares for next winter will just be basic 2" X 4" construction with a plywood covering. The clear ones will be plastic stapled on both sides.

With the winds, hail, and storms we get here I use a lot of plywood. If your weather is more moderate, then plastic on each side of a 2" X 4" construction would probably be all you would need.

Steve

Used a 1500W heater on the low setting last Winter ( 750W), Calibrated the t'stat to about 38*F
A couple of spot lights would probably have done well too.

You have some nice Palms! Don't forget the Photos 😆

I was always under the impression that "zonal denial" is a close match for your zone but not quite in some or many cases.
I grow a number of zone 9a and 9b palms in my 8b climate. Beyond those boundaries (a zone or half zone) it's not zonal denial but more like zonal insanity. At least it's a not criminal offense.

Cheers, Barrie.

And Barrie you do have beautiful palms. I want what you have thats for sure.