Kent,
I've never seen that much growth on seedlings in one year...truly amazing 😀

No doubt because of the 18 FEET (inches?) of leaves on top. 😆 😆

Really impressed with the Chinese Fan Palm too.
Who would've thought it would make it without heat/styrofoam.

Look forward to seeing your winter protection pics.

Barb

18" of leaves is correct. I edited my post for clarity. Thanks Barb.

Just teasing you Kent.

Was going to ask how you found them again with 18 feet of leaves on top. :booty:

Good that winter hasn't yet arrived at your place.
Barb

Fantastic work, Oppalm! The survival of that Livistona is surprising!

I, too was surprised when the Livistonia chinensis grew back this year. who woulda thunk it?

put Trachy #1 to sleep for the winter last weekend. This is the first trachy I planted in ground in 2006. It was a 1 year old seedling at the time I planted it. It has never received supplemental heat during winter, just a hut with leaves crammed in it.

Heres a pic with the box around it. the box is about 3' X 3' x 3' high.

Heres a pic with the hut full of leaves. I'll put a piece of plastic over the top to keep the moisture out and shes good for 5 months. I should also say that I spray the entire tree liberally with a fungicide and allow it dry for a few hours before I pack the leaves in the hut.

Kent, good looking Trachy.
South side of your house?

What's the lowest temp since 2006?

Barb

south side of house. However, because of sun angle and the dam neighbors house the sun does not reach this palm. lowest temp is probably around 0F (-17C) over the past 5-6 years. I will add that I did an experiment 2-3 years ago where I put a remote thermometer in the bottom of a leaf pile that was was 6' long by 4' wide and 2' deep and the lowest temp inside that leaf pile was about 27F (-2C) during the winter where we had lows of about 0F (-17C). My point being that leaves will insulate and hold temps.

Thanks for sharing that info, Kent.
A 15C gain is considerable.
Presume you don't get strong winds there if neighbor's house blocks the sun from enclosure.

Wish now I had planted Trachies out front -- versus 2 Washy filifera (inside the blue "igloos")
Between the two washies are 3 y.rostrata.
I'm heating all 5 enclosures with Christmas lights on a thermocube, so I was reluctant to use leaves inside in case of fire.

I filled garbage bags with leaves and stacked them around y.rostratas hoping to keep surrounding ground warmer.
Still have lots more leaves to bag and place there.

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6320158531/" title="DSC05082 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC05082"></a>

Looks like a garbage strike... 😐
H isn't impressed.

With our lowest temps at -23C (-9F) for at least a few days every winter, do you think leaf enclosures ALONE would work?
Probably riskier, huh?

Barb

whats the blue exterior material made of? FWIW my wife would not be impressed with those blue igloos, but I am. It shows creativity and a "get er done" attitude. I like.

I don't think leaf enclosures will cut it for washy's with your or my low temps. Keep in mind, inside my leaf pile, the remote thermometer was nearly on the ground, sitting about 2" off the ground so it was bascially measuring the soil temp on top of the ground. Now, if that remote thermometer had been 2' in the air, I think it would have been much colder , possibly as cold as outside air temp. I think you are doing the right thing by using lights on a thermocube for your washys.

Barb-did you put a sensor in there to monitor the temps over winter?

Sorry to derail your thread Kent but I knew you'd be interested in how nice your protection looks versus mine 😆

whats the blue exterior material made of? FWIW my wife would not be impressed with those blue igloos

a roll of hardwood floor underlayment that I found in the basement. Score! (free)
I love digging around the barn/shop/basement and using stuff I find...dusty stuff.
Agree w your wife (so does my H); it is ugly as sin.
Fortunately our property slopes UP from the road behind a berm of junipers, so traffic can't see the blue igloos.
Otherwise H would've VETOED it...(the presidential veto) 😥

did you put a sensor in there

Yup, sensor is suspended about a foot off the ground.
But it's the bloody laCrosse sensor whose display is OFF more than ON.
Every time I look at it, it reads "--".
Have only seen it register a temperature once since installation... 😕

And I can't see the Christmas lights ON, since no lights shine through all the wrap/insulation/foam.

This is definitely a trial for the Washies and yucca rostratas.

Sorry Kent...back to your thread.

Barb

Looks good guys n gals!

We"be been fairly fortunate here in OK
I mean winter-weather-wise,
We may have to come up with Earthquake, Tornado, and high summer temp protection tho!

Kent, do you grow any bananas? If so how do you protect them? We had a frost a few wks ago that zapped all the leaves from bananas, ee's, etc. So now I just have a bunch of big tall P-stems with one leaf lol. It's too soon to protect them but I use a method much like you use for the trachy. It paid off as I got a bloom and tiny bananas this year.

Last year I think I wrapped everyone up about mid Dec. I'll have to document it like you two have done here.

KrisK - yes I grow banana plants. I have one musa basjoo I leave in ground, cut the stem down to about 12" high, and then mulch with about 24" of leaves and cover with plastic. Its been in ground about 3 years, and has grown larger each year, yet no pups. Not sure why I have no pups. I have several types of bananas that I dig out of the ground and store in the basement and replant in late spring. I'll post a pic. I cut the stem as high as possible to store, have sizes ranging from 4' to 8' p-stem.

Would love to see pics of what you are doing.

I'm keen to see what KrisK does as well.
Kent, did you really only get to 0 F last February, when Don, Kris and I were more like -20 F?
Must be the case, with your Livistonia being alive....