Scott, I can tell you (from when I used to keep reptiles) that the heat lamps (if we're talking about the same type 😆 ) won't be able to spread out the heat as evenly as c9 lights. They're good at emitting a lot of heat in a small area, but if you only have 1 lamp near the top of a palm, the top leaves will absorb all of the heat (and probably burn after awhile), while the leaves at the bottom won't receive much heat at all. With c9 lights, you can wrap them all the way around the palms and spread out the heat more evenly 😀

I agree, Scott, that is all part of the fun. My wife always wants me to dig it all up and bring it inside, and I say the protection planning is integral to the hobby!
Also, I now feel that winter protection is less time consuming and cheaper than Summer protection. I spend SO much time watering lately, and the water bills exceed the extra electricity I use in winter.
And with the heat, it is refreshing to think that winter will come. Eventually.
😆
Basically, the more I protected last winter, the better palms came out of winter and the faster it has grown. So, more is better. Except for bananas where less was more.
I have a lot of trouble with rot in late winter, so I don't think the leaf pile method is good for me unless I refresh it regularly.
I was very happy with my two trials with plumber's heat tape and so will do more of that.
As for a palm hut, my 4' cube will be way too small for the Butia. It has grown like crazy. I'll share a photo sometime next month as no one will believe it otherwise. I'm thinking of more like 8' cube and including the three new Cham. radicalis. No idea how to heat that big a volume, if I should even try. I don't know anything about thermocubes, so I'll investigate them.
My biggest challenge will be that huge cabbage palm. It is far from any electric outlets, so it would need a very long extension cord to get C-9 lights out there.
Anyway, I have a lot longer to figure this all out than the rest of you, so I'll be paying following your threads and asking questions. --Erik

Scott I have used the 200 watt infrared heat lamps for the last four winters. I aim them on the trunk at about six inches from ground level. The coldest My Trachy`s have been is -17.3c and have done really well so far. Works for me so I`ll keep using them.

John

John,
that's interesting. We use a bunch of those 200w infrared bulbs in the barn for chickens and baby goats so I am very familiar with them. They do get quite hot (that's the point!) so we have to be careful to not start a fire.
Are the Trachys you use these lamps on enclosed in palm huts or out in the open?
--Erik

Erik I use them under my 2"x2" wood framed clear plastic palm huts. I will turn on as many as three depending on how cold it is outside. Hopefully I won`t have to use all of them this winter.

John

How much insulation are you planning on using?

To me heat lamps are a lot of watts and not particularly effective,not saying they don't work
but at least in the case of c-7 or c-9 bulbs you can spread them out.

I found some large bubble,bubble wrap( in 125' rolls) I am trying this year,more insulation
less watts,I am hoping to cut the number of bulbs down to 1/2 or less and increase
the heat retention,in conjunction with thermocubes.

Interesting topic Scotty!

I've decided to get better insulation for my 'Palm hut' since I want it to stay above -15C...

I think I'll continue to use the mini-lights since I've had really good luck with them in the past! I have not decided how to protect my BBB yet... I think it'll need lights and a wrapping to avoid too much damage. I might also give it a trunk wrap with that white frost cloth to avoid trunk split form the late freezes (or early freezes) that happen in my area!

I'm still toying with the idea of placing a bunch of Trachy seedlings in a leaf pile to make more room for more interesting seedlings in the basement.

Not sure about the insulation.. Was thinking of wrapping the trunk with burlap then the c-9 light around that, then putting stakes around the palm all wrapped up and wrapping it in clear plastic. I have a thermo cube that is a 20f on 30f off, so hopefully wont run all the time during the winter.

I didn't know you got a magnolia Paul?? How big?? Mine has completly bounced back from last winter and has even more growth than last year. I'm trying two magnolia's with out any wrap this year.. I'm fairly optomistic..

Scotty- Awesome. Southern Magnolia is one that I only played with once and lost first winter. I don't know if anyone in our area has had success for more than a year, and certainly no one has tried one without a wrapping! I'll be very interested in how they fare. What cultivar are they?

I'm going to give mine 5 years or so to get established before I consider trying it unwrapped. My fear is always that we'll drop below -30C, which would be death to many of the borderline plants.

I'd say the Mag is maybe 5 feet high... It was a great deal, so I couldn't pass it up!

That's cool Paul! I have a BBB, a DD Blanchard a little Gem and 2 Edith Bogues. I planted my BBB at the end of last Aug. Wrapped it in plastic in mid Dec. 80% lost it's leaves by April but my June had put on more than it had last year. No stem dieback. Gave it Bordo and wilt pruf many times before wrapping it...

Aug 2009

Nov 2009

March 2010

July 2010

Behind the castor.

Forgot to mention that it saw one low of minus 18.9c and a few nights in the mid minus teens.. I watered it when it got mild but left the bottom of the wrapping open so snow and rain could get in..

Ya, it looks really good... I think I'll give mine more protection than you gave yours, only because it's smaller and I'm a bit colder up by my place! But, I mean worst case scenario is I lose a 30 dollar Magnolia, and really, that's not so bad.

I have a few other Mag's in the ground now too, they're small, but I think I'll post the pics in my recent thread because they are some interesting plants!

How many times has your BBB bloomed?

Yeah you should, I would love to see them! They are my favourite other than palms!!
The BBB put out one bloom in mid July and looks like a few more might be coming in the next 6 weeks or so.. It looks like it wants to leaf out again too...

Kevin from Southcoastgardens suggested to wrap the magnolia in white sheet in the winter. Brown burlap may attract too much sun and burn the leaves.

Tavi