Mine is very close in size with yours, second winter in the ground. It's also planted very close to a fence. At least I know that's easier to get a new one than move the existing one.
Once it outgrows the 8' box, yes, it's a candidate for the wrapping method.

So Beny, two more years to fine tune the method :-).

Yeah, im working on that 😆 ...will unwrap more others this Saturday, but im pretty sure they will have damages 🙁 ...will take off box soon too....

Ben

Just took of the wrapping protection, and guess what......it work well even the horrible winter we had here. Here s a video i toke yesterday. It is in french, but will post other in English for you soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF3tR5ZFVTk&list=UUCnC1GmEEAUNAR4CBYZCrhw&feature=share

Ben

Very cool, will be glad when re posted in English to understand narration.

I wrapped at least 11 ( 2 Butia and 9 Trachy Fortunei, 8-12 feets tall) with the same method: 2 Easyheat cable one 12 feets at the ground and one 16-24 feets around the trunck and foliage, they have their own thermostat. I located the thermostat one on the ground and the other at the crown level. Then i wrap with a small vapor/barier insulation 1/2 inch, then wrap again with arbotex and wrap finally with tarp. I make 2 small opening, one on the side at the top of the trunck and the other at the top of the protection.
Those palms, i don t added the 2-3 inches insulation like i did at my house and i saw i small difference. The one at my house have had less burn tips or fungus problem.
So, i think it s better to add 2-3 inches insulation between the vapor/barier and the tarp.
I m trying to understand why some palms ( without the 2-3 inches insulation) have had more fungus problem, even if i spayed them last fall. Maybe the cold enclosure touching the palm burn them, then the tissue die and come in decomposition 😕

Ben

There you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yn43Jw_go&list=UUCnC1GmEEAUNAR4CBYZCrhw&feature=share

😀

Ben

Beny, that helps a lot seeing materials you used in French video. Now is that the palm you used the LED lights on as well? or was that heat tape?

LED rope lights would be MUCH easier to use that is for sure as long as they put off just enough heat to keep palms from freezing.

In these videos, i used heat tape (Easyheat brand). But at my home, the LED rope did the job too. I think it turn on more often than the heat tape. With adding 2-3 inches insulation between the vapor-barier and tarp, the LED will do the job.
Ben

Thanks Beny.

Just unwrapped last palms near St-Jérôme, 30km north of Montréal, zone 4b....all Trachycarpus looks good, few burn tips thats it 😀 ...so, definitively, that method work well even in very cold climate. So, i will protect the futur palms with that method. No more box 😀 ....

Ben

Nice work Ben! Does that method work for only the Trachy's? or do you recommend boxes for less hardy species? Merci

I tried on a Butia and it had almost no damage, but mine at my home had a bit more burned tips. I ve had a probe Inside 2 wrapping and the lowest temp. i monitorized was -6c even at -28c outside.
So i think this technique can work for Windmill, Butia, Needle and Chamaerops. But for smaller palms i will still protect them with box maybe. With adding more insulation 2-3 inches of fiberglass insulation around the crown, we will be able to wrap Washingtonia i think 😕 ...
Ben

Beny,
Thanks so much for redoing the video in English...that was appreciated 😀

Congrats, especially on that 12 foot Butia.
That's proof...all Trachies will come through totally unscathed if you were able to get a Butia through winter.

Very encouraging for those of us who simply can't build bigger and bigger boxes.

I still can't get over the fact that rope lights have worked.
I have a rope light that I use at Christmas on a handrail in the house...the thing never even feels warm.
So there's a thermocube running the rope light, presumably.

Thanks Beny...you give us hope that our palms can get tall and still survive.

Washies are definitely trickier than Trachy, someone even said they don't like their fronds tied up.

But mummy-wrapping is THE way to go.

Barb

I'm with Barb and the LED rope lights. But glad they work. Lower energy cost and much easier to find and use. So many of the C7 and C9 Christmas lights are crappy made in China ones that tend to fail easy. I'll still use the cages that I've made already until palms grow too tall, but I would suspect that my one Washy next to the house will be the first I'll try since I couldn't move it. I see local home improvement stores sell canvas both as unlined and lined and not expensive to wrap palm trunk in when time comes.

Thx Guy's for your comments 😀 ...the LED rope heat a bit when you put your hand on and wait few minutes, you ll feel the heat. But i think i will continue to use the Easyheat tape, all the palms i wrapped (except the one at my house with the LED) had that tape and i had good result with that.
Cost more than the LED but with the LED rope you need T3 😉 .....So with the Easyheat, you don t need T3, it has is own thermostat...the finally cost will be almost the same...

Ben