You should use one of those yllow halogen worklights that they sell at home depot. get a 200 watt one you will see a big difference!

Allen,
Good you were watching as soon as temperatures dropped.
How about adding a string of Chrismas lights at ground level inside the shelter? (most folks have an extra string or two).
As long as they're not LED lights, which emit only negligible heat.
Barb

Thanks for the suggestion Macario. I want to avoid putting too much light inside the shelter as I want the palms etc. to be close to dormant and I am concerned with damaging anything directly inline with the light.

Barb, I got rid of all of our xmas lights and converted to LEDs last year. I wish I had kept some of the lights now.

I think that I will stay with a heat cable that I can attach to the underside of the copper pipe next fall. While it is another $50 it does have it's own thermostat and it will apply even heat throughout the shelter.

However, any and all suggestions are welcome. The forum's suggestions helped me to design the shelter and make it light and easy to access and take down.

Allen

Allen...

With the temps that cold, I would suggest a small ceramic heater to keep your temps steady...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

Allen, brrrr, it's gettin' darn cold!
Forecast for Friday is low of -13 ... 😥

I also converted all the Christmas lights LED...like an idiot!
Wish I'd saved 'em.

Good luck with your shelter heating amendments.
Barb

I'll check into one when I go shopping. I hope that they have thermostats that go down to under 40* F/5* C.

Barb, I can't believe that it would get that cold at your place this early. I thought that Edmonton was the only place that cold before Dec 1st.

Allen

Allen & Barb ..I hope those cold temps don't come my way...it looks like the snow however is coming....driving will be hell!

I still have 5 or 6 potted hardy palms-butias, euro's and saw palmetto's in the ground so it will be a test to see how they stand up over the next 2-3 days of lows that may dip to -4C...

Macario..Thanks for the tip on the light..I'll pick one up for my garage greenhouse...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

I know it's no comparison, but here's a shelter for my Washingtonia robusta (last year). A simple 2x2 frame (2x6 base) screwed together and 6 mil poly cover. I bungee cord the fronds together to save space and leave the back open for ventilation, closing it only during a cold snap. No heat is needed in the enclosure as it's never been cold enough to do damage. I have used burlap around the growth point during the coldest weather, removed as soon as the weather breaks.
Good luck with yours Allen! Keep us posted.

Cheers, Barrie.

Allen, forecast for Friday now amended to -5 C.
Last nite at 9:30 pm it was -6 C ...

Barrie, that's a super shelter you have. And up against the house, more protected from wind so it doesn't need to be 2x4s.

palmettoman, so you'll post the first "palms in snow" pics this season?
Were they in the ground last winter?
Barb

Yes Barb ... it's in a very sheltered spot with big Rhodos around it. The shelter is about 18" from the siding and open on the bottom half for venting (closed during cold spells).
We had our first frost last night 30.1f (-1c). I'll be looking at my Ensete ventricosum 'Maurellii' which now has frosted leaves. I'll cut it back and cover it with an insulated box for the frosty weather.

Cheers, Barrie.

Barrie..I have similiar palm houses for trachy palms..except...I have a ceramic heater's and spot grow lights which will kick in this evening...(-6C lows)...

Barb..My potted palms are hanging in after some sleet and the snow this am..These will stay out as far as I can push them covered with good old felt wrap and tarp and flood lights for heat @ night... My in ground palms are year #1...I'm trying to find a new photo server since image station looks like its toast..I'm looking forward to posting these for viewing...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

Saw TO's morning rush hour on TV...man, wow. Our turn on Sunday I hear.

We've all been lucky with a nice long and mild fall.
Yourour palms will probably just shrug off the sleet and snow.

Jay (administrator) has a photo hosting website, maybe PM him (he said it was EASY).
I can't remember where the link was.

Looking forward to seeing those wintery pics 😉
Barb

"I have similiar palm houses for trachy palms...(-6C lows)..."

They should easily shrug off temps of that low without adding any heat. Save your energy bill for when the palm really needs it.

Cheers, Barrie.

Those wood and 6 mil plastic palm houses look a lot nicer than mine. I wish that I could get away with just them.

Barb, I'm glad that the weather is moderating. We were forecast for -20* C Sunday night. The forecast low has been reduced to -16* C and pushed back to Monday. If I can just get Barry to send a bigger Island High, maybe the cold snap will be delayed until after my grand niece arrives. Then I can drop her into the shelter and get her to plug the second Heat cable into the cord for the original so that I don't have to use another long extension cord. She is tiny and precocious for almost 3 and will do almost anything that 'paw paw 2' asks.

Allen

Allen, looks aren't important (form follows function).
And dead palms wouldn't add curb appeal next summer.

"...drop her into the shelter". 😆 😆
Two stepladders (one outside, one inside) should allow YOU in to check her work. 😉

Thankfully, min. temps are moderating a bit.
Barb