Thanks for that link, Jim
I remember pounding steel rod (solid so it wouldn't fill up with soil/rocks) to make room for PVC to be slipped into it.
Using the sledgehammer, I lost 5 pounds.

Very interesting, great palm protection.
The really nice thing about that is the ability to cut with a hacksaw and add sections to make it taller.
And who hasn't cut, primed and glued miles of PVC in their lives... 😆

That "wiggle wire" is an excellent idea.
Proof again of "where there's a will, there's a way".

Barb

Thanks for that link, Jim

Proof again of "where there's a will, there's a way".

Barb

Yea Barb-

Building any larger structure out of any kind of plastic there is always the issue of
how to close the plastic up,any kind of tape will blow apart on a windy day.
Another is the type of roof,especially in snowy areas.

I made my structures with 3 layers of wire fencing,2 on the inside for strength and
one on the outside over the taped layers to hold it firm against the other layer and
keep it from being blow apart by wind.

The top is a trash can lid with a few layers of insulation between the lid and enclosure,
similar to what he did on the site link I posted with the (looks like a) sled/baby pool.

Jim,
Your wire fencing--while strong--can be beefed up with a vertical broom-handle (like a tent pole) in the middle.
Just have to "soften" the point with an insulation-covered board to spread the weight a bit so it doesn't poke through.

Or your trash can lid 😀

BTW, has he heard of how much fun we are at Palms North? (i.e. join us?) Ahem...

Erik, he was smart to use Sched 40 for his "inserts" into the planter as supports for the PVC.
It's a heck of a lot stronger--but $$$$$--than regular PVC.
My old veggie garden supports were just round metal pipes into which the full-length PVC fit was slipped.
Then I duct-taped the PVC where they entered the metal pipes so they wouldn't pull out in a storm.

Barb

I'm jealous, I covered my trachy with an umbrella greenhouse last year and it rotted, turned to mush....What did I do wrong?? 🙁

Mike,
I often feel jealous when I see the amazing photos and plant successes. You know I'm especially jealous if your bananas.

As for your Trachy, hopefully the Trachy experts will help out, probably by asking detailed questions I wouldn't think to ask.

I'll give it a try, as like most everyone else here I too want to keep Trachy alive this winter.

My recollection is that you did not get super cold--cold, just not extremely cold. Did you have a wet late winter?

I'm trying to let Trachy get better air flow and some morning sunshine currently. And I plan to remove cover earlier this winter. Even though I complained about the cold last winter, it really never got super cold again after mid-January. Yet I left protection up to early April (our 2nd biggest snow was the end of March). Still, not particularly cold.

--Erik

We had a very wet winter and a very wet spring, we were up 18 inches in precipitation over normal average. The snow was insane too, 2 storms of 21" and 25" back to back and one storm of 23"...plus a few other smaller storms...It was a wet winter, and I think I babied my trachy too much and made it too warm and moist inside the covering. That'll learn me. 😕

Good luck with your trachy...They are such cool palms....

Incidentally, In the back yard my bananas are covered and I was able to take in 6 five foot tall pups with a lot of roots...They look nice and get a lot of southern exposure in the front florida room , it is a great place for plants, no room for people right now, just plants...LOL
Chat soon...

Jim,
Your wire fencing--while strong--can be beefed up with a vertical broom-handle (like a tent pole) in the middle.
Just have to "soften" the point with an insulation-covered board to spread the weight a bit so it doesn't poke through.

Barb

So just go ahead and hammer that into the palm then 😉

I anchor all the little palm covers into the ground.... not to exposed here to wind and
not a lot of force acting on a round surface.
The bigger Washy covers have 3 rebar poles woven through the frame and
hammered into the ground,they are then bungee corded to 6' metal poles
that are also hammered into the ground,all this stuff should be even more reinforced
when the ground freezes,if it doesn't at least cold won't be the problem -
just chasing your palm covers down the street!

Mike -

It sounds like to much ground moisture.

You sure did have snow last year Mike 😯 You have a very favorable climate to grow a trachy, I've seen many pictures of them growing unprotected in your area with a super micro climate of course. I'm sure you have a place in mind up against your house somewhere maybe you can dig out a rhodie or azalea in the spring for one 😆 😆 😆

Bill

Jim,
Your wire fencing--while strong--can be beefed up with a vertical broom-handle (like a tent pole) in the middle.
Just have to "soften" the point with an insulation-covered board to spread the weight a bit so it doesn't poke through.

Barb

So just go ahead and hammer that into the palm then 😉

I anchor all the little palm covers into the ground.... not to exposed here to wind and
not a lot of force acting on a round surface.
The bigger Washy covers have 3 rebar poles woven through the frame and
hammered into the ground,they are then bungee corded to 6' metal poles
that are also hammered into the ground,all this stuff should be even more reinforced
when the ground freezes,if it doesn't at least cold won't be the problem -
just chasing your palm covers down the street!

Mike -

It sounds like to much ground moisture.

Could have been, it was insanely moist, I remember seeing duck and gees in lakes and ponds that were formed on people's front lawns....never there before.

You sure did have snow last year Mike 😯 You have a very favorable climate to grow a trachy, I've seen many pictures of them growing unprotected in your area with a super micro climate of course. I'm sure you have a place in mind up against your house somewhere maybe you can dig out a rhodie or azalea in the spring for one 😆 😆 😆

Bill

right....I could find a place i'm sure,