Yeah, I'm not going to wait till mid December to protect the palms. I'll start putting up the boards mid November. The mags I'll wait till mid Dec depending on the weather..

Stumbled on some protection pics here:
http://palmae.free.fr/protection.htm

minimum protection for those needing only a bit.

Barb

Thanks for the link Barb, it had a method I'm already going to use. Will show it to hubby, as he's constructing the frame.

As we speak he's run to the local building supply shop to grab some scrap fiberglass roofing for me at a cheap cheap price! I called ahead of time and they want to get rid of it, so we're getting two 12 ft. sheets for $5 each! Perfect amount to cover each palm measuring 4ft. X 4ft.

WOO HOO!
oh and did I mention I'm excited?
😆

Heidi

Made a video today kind of describing what I am planning to do this winter for protection..
http://www.youtube.com/user/ScottyOn1#p/a/u/0/GWdANFJfSxI

Love taking a walk through your beautiful garden Scotty, thanks for the video! It gives me ideas for my garden too. I sort of jumped the gun last year puting my overwinter plan into action as well, but this year I think I've got it. Each year is trial and error isn't it...we learn from one year to the next!

Heidi

Thanks Heidi.. It's true, we learn so much each year and from all the other vets on this board who gladly share thei ideas with us!

Well,you asked for feedback so,now your going to get it! 😯

You probably know this already but here goes-what's up with the Trachy and the Mag so close together
in the front yard?
One of those needs to be moved.
I have the same problem in my yard,not enough sheltered spaces to grow everything I want,so
I put plants next to my palms that will die before I need to cover them-like Cannas.

I vote the Mag next spring(-:

As far as the buckets with leaves,I think you need more,skip the buckets-you will need to use wire fencing/
or the like with about 2' of leaves out from the center,try and find some burlap to wrap the plants in first and then
cover from moisture an inch or two out from that-you need a thick leaf pile to insulate without heat.
I covered my Needle this way the first year and it JUST made it and they are tough!
Not a bad idea to cover the leaf enclosure with plastic as well.

I don't know if you have bought your thermocubes yet but I would consider bumping up to 35-45F model,otherwise
your palms could stay below freezing for months,depending on if the enclosure warms in the sun or not-if it does the cube
will go off anyway.

Your Washy will not take repeated 20F temps all winter and will be mush by spring-take extra care to keep the Washys/Butias roots dry and
WELL mulched(6"+) during winter-I would also put some edging in a C shape around the Basjoo on the hill to keep it dry and also
use a foot of mulch for it and your other clump,then cover with plastic.

I would try and save the Washy leaves by wrapping them up(lift them and tie them up),they will provide some extra protection to the spear this way and if
they live will give it a nice jump in spring.
The Washys and Butia roots need special care as they are much more susceptible to cold damp soil then Trachys and Sabals.

What I learned last year is that it's better to protect early and uncover earlier than the other way around.

I hope you don't think I an being critical or bossy but I have tried a lot of different protection methods
and am finally getting a clue as to what works.....and why it doesn't!

Good luck Scotty,you've done an amazing job and have some beeeeeeeautiful palms!

Jim, from us novices, thanks.
As for Butia and Washy, I agree that they are more difficult than they get credit for.
Butia is worth the effort; I am not so sure about Washy.
I went big with needle palms, Sabal and Trachy this year in hopes they are less challenging. Even down here all will get protection.
I find Jim's idea of removing protection earlier appealing. Despite a horrid late December/early January, we were marginally zone 8 from mid-January on. Yet I protected palms through March. --Erik

When your wife let's you plant a Washy,you will love them 😉 😈

I think pulling the protection off earlier would require spraying with wiltpruf
so they are not decimated by cold wind and inactive roots.

I should qualify the early removal plan as requiring a long enough/mild enough
stretch that soil @ 4" will warm to 50F.
3 days of sunny 50-60F weather usually does it by late Feb-here.

They should still be covered if significant rain and cold temps(below 20F) are expected.

I didn't actually want your honest opinion Jim, jeeezzzz.. Haha, just kidding!

Yeah I did plant the mag and Trachy close and for that reason I don't have many sheltered spots in the yard. You think move the Mag eh?? I have no where else sheltered to put it!

When it comes to the 20 on 30 off I hear what you're saying. For the most part we never stay below freezing for months. Sometimes a few weeks at a time beofre a thaw. Anyways, if the trachy in the front dies I won't have to move it, haha. There was a guy in Niagara that uses that method and has been successful. I might have to look into a 35-45. I just don't want to spend so much on electricity if I can with the space heater running in the palm hut, you know.. But I may see if I can change the order..

Thanks for the advice on the nanas! I'll do that for sure!

I'm thinking about getting the protection on the palms by the second weekend on November even if the weather is still nice. I will take your advice and not wait to long!

I appreciate your advice and know you have lots of experience so I will take what you have said seriously!!

Thanks again!!

When your wife let's you plant a Washy,you will love them 😉 😈 .

She has good cause to not trust me with Washingtonia. Killing that large W. filifera a couple years ago was all my fault.

I'll be following your protection removal advice in late winter. I do monitor soil temperature.

My most challenging palms by taxa this winter will be the tiny Brahea armata and the three small Chameadorea radicalis. I am not sure if anyone else on this forum has tried those in the ground over winter. If so, please let me know.

That huge cabbage palm will also be a challenge. W paid for it and she is determined to keep it alive!
--Erik

I've got two two-year old Brahea armata in pots.
While somewhat cold tolerant (but not when compared to Needles or Trachies), they apparently hate cold wet soil.

Mine are going into the warm house this winter, versus the cold barely-heated building.
I won't risk them to an enclosure in zone 5-something.

Barb

Barb,
thanks.
I've grown this Brahea armata in a pot for four years. It was happy. Have yours done well?
I probably should have left well enough alone, but seeing as how I did not lose any palms this past winter I went ahead and planted the little guy last Spring. I regret that now, but I'm going to give it a try. It is ~2' from an electric outlet so heat tape will be easy, plus it will be covered. --Erik

Yes Erik mine are getting more blue with each hot summer.
The less I water them the better the color!

I'm reminded of the Vegas pics, where Blue Hesper palms are out front of the big lion sculpture.
I'd like to see them get that blue on the patio in pots (the only way I'm sure to get them thru a Cdn winter).
...just don't want the stress of worrying about stuff outdoors.

Good that yours is well situated for winter protection.
And a mild winter would we welcomed by all of us.
With your 40F soil temps under the snow, you'll have no trouble keeping it viable.

Our long-range predicts a very cold January and February...Yikes.

I look forward to your continuing Butia updates.
Fingers crossed on that baby!
Barb

Barb,
Those Vegas Brahea were astounding. I've never seen a big one "in the flesh" but hope to someday.
If I can keep this little one alive this winter, I'll shop for a larger one the next time I am in south Texas.
I like the blue. However, my new Sabal is almost as blue. That is one I really want to keep alive!
Speaking of blue, the old but small "avatar" Butia is quite blue in color this year. Very nice palm. Despite winter defoliation, it is bigger than it was this time last year.
The newer but larger Butia, well, I am not optimistic. 😥 Over the past few days, it has declined. Slowly (compared to the shockingly fast pace when the disease struck) but the trend is in the wrong direction.
Back to this thread, W and I were designing increasingly large palm huts for the big Butia as it rocketed upward all Summer. I now doubt we'll have to do all that. However, I still want a heated palm hut over the Chammies. I like the thermocube idea as I want to keep them >20 oF (hopefully much above) all winter. They may be "root hardy" but I want to keep their great foliage.
--Erik

Above 20F is a good idea,I think the 20-30F Thermocube would work if you get
warmth from the sun in the protection,I just think the potential is there for it to stay to cold-
probably not in Oklahoma though.

Scotty that's a tough one with the Mag and Trachy-every year they survive you will get more attached to them both-
it ain't like you cant dig up the Trachy in a few years if they crowd each other,not a bad problem to have. 😀

Eirk

I think Washys are one palm that needs a little protection later into the spring,
Bill and I kept ours covered longer than any other palms and I think that's why they did
so good.
We both had to uncover when temps of 115F+(inside enclosure) made it a little silly to keep them covered.

If you do try uncovering something earlier(weather permitting)make sure you keep it dry.

I uncovered one of my Waggies at the end of Feb(had to rip the protection out of the frozen ground!) and sprayed it with "freezepruf"[:x],
it was the first to start growing,I did shelter it when rain/cold was forecast.

The only reason I did this was because I wanted to plant a Princeps in it's spot 😈
I should point out that it was one of only 3 Trachys to not have some kind of spear pull.
It is one of 2 Waggies that have shown themselves o be the toughest of all
😀

Barb,
here is a photo of that little Brahea from this morning (sorry for bad cell phone photo quality):

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href=" http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1V8pBpRkbx4jPJx_Id9GQw?feat=embedwebsit e"><img src=" " /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href=" http://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/Palms2010?feat=embedwebsit e">Palms 2010</a></td></tr></table>

So, you said they like standing in cold water, right? 😆

The bricks are there to keep the dogs from digging it up. I suspect they know more than I do.
😳
How about I just dig it up and re-pot it?

Jim,
I'm thinking of the 35 - 45 oF thermocube for the three Chammies.
Also, I planted a new Musa basjoo just to their West for shade. If I made the palm hut bigger, I could include it.
I don't know why that wouldn't work. If it did, the Chammies could get shade next Spring. Any thoughts?
--Erik