Heidi,
nice H!
I see a lot of evergreens in the background, so I assume wind is not the problem for you that it is for my Trachies. The poor things get blasted here.
If it does get windy, could you staple plastic to the sides? Or throw an old sheet over it all and hold down edges with bricks?
--Erik
P.S. it is hot here still so I am putting off even thinking about winter! 8)

H did a good job Heidi-looks great!

Thank you Jim, I'll tell him his work is being admired! 😀

Erik - lucky you, getting hot weather! We're cooling down here, but still sunny. I'm glad I put these shelters out now to get a head start on keeping any moisture out.
My thoughts were exactly as yours about the plastic sheet. We do have a huge green belt behind the fence, however we still get a lot of the winds coming from the south west. It hasn't been enough to shred any leaves on the bananas or Trachys but I'll add the plastic if needed. it could also most likely blow the shelter over, so I might anchor each post by layering some bricks against them. Still kind of trying to figure that one out. 🙄

Heidi

Hi Heidi,

Great job of the shelters!

Your Trachies have certainly grown a lot this summer. Good dark colour too.
Chances are good that your shelters will suffice for the typical Vancouver winter.

If the la Nina predictions are true, it'll be relatively easy for you to wrap some Christmas lights around the palms after you've tied up the fronds and wrapped them in burlap. The whole structure can then be "shrink-wrapped", you know...like pallets of products arrive at grocery stores...the whole pallet is wrapped in stretchy wrap that's very clingy (to itself and everything else). Shrink-wrap rolls can be bought at Costo I think. Maybe leave a few holes near the top so heat can get out on a sunny warm day in a Vancouver winter.

Or regular old vapour barrier plastic, which needs to be taped with waterproof tape.

To keep sw winds from toppling the wrapped structures, maybe wrap only the 3 windward sides.

Let's hope la Nina fizzles fast.
Barb

Nice Job Heidi! They did a good job making it! Will you be enclosing the sides too?? Hope you don't get that cold!!!

Thank you Barb 😀 I'm very happy with the deep color of green they are right now too. I think they are really enjoying the cooler weather. Thank you for the great tips with the wrap - I'll have to get out and grab some. Should I wrap it right to the bottom or let about a 6" gap? I will be mulching with the wood chips that H saved for me in bags. so maybe I'll wrap to the ground to keep the mulch from blowing around. I also bought some fleece material for the banana pups so any left over I'll use for the trees when/if I need to tie the fronds up.
I agree Barb, let's hope this wicked weather will not stay around long and same goes with you up in the OK! Should be interesting for sure! Do you have your structure put up again yet? I haven't had a lot of time to go through the forum and catch up. These last few weeks have been crazy busy since my baby girl started kindergarten!

Thanks Scotty, hope we don't get as cold as they predict either! YIKES! But after living in Ottawa for 9 yrs and growing up in Alberta, I can take a couple of cold winters here and there..lol! Yes I'm hoping to wrap the sides, as Barb suggested I'll most likely only do 3 sides where we get the most winds. I'd hate for the shelters to be picked up in the air on a blizzard day. Let's hope it doesn't get that bad. 😯

It's so great to get everyone's feedback. Many thanks!

Heidi 😀

Kindergarten? Now that's the exciting news here! Congratulations!

As for me, I have done nothing at all except plan and discuss with W.

For wind, last year I kept adding as I went along. Finally I threw a rope over the top of the Butia palm hut and tied it to anchors pounded into the ground. Tulsa had its first-ever official blizzard on Dec. 24 last year. (Have I said that 100 times yet?)
Anyway, the rope worked in keeping the palm hut on the ground despite winds of about 100 mph. Cold winds. (Have I already said that?)

Anyway, for 99% of the winter, I think you are good. It just makes sense to have a plan you can run out and implement in case a freak blizzard comes your way.

--Erik
Note to self: try to be in Belize on Dec. 24 this year.

Heidi,

Congrats on the little one starting kindergarten...make a second set of car keys (age 16 comes along very fast).

wrap it right to the bottom or let about a 6" gap?

Since it's Vancouver (envy envy), I would leave only a one inch "wrapping gap" at the top (just under the corrugated roof panel).
That way heat from a very warm and sunny winter day could escape without causing a whole bunch of moisture build-up.
Whereas a gap at the bottom would just encourage mice, rabbits, cats, chickens and goats (sorry Erik), to find a warm spot to bed down.

And if a really brutal cold spell is forecasted, you could always add more pallet wrap to cover that little bit of gap, closing in the fourth side too.
If you plan on Christmas lights, and don't need them, that's great.

If/when my carpenter comes back from vacation, my palm hut goes up pronto...but I see that his fifth wheel trailer is gone from his driveway....oh oh!

Erik, very funny post!

try to be in Belize on Dec. 24 this year.

You don't want to see the palm hut moving across the yard?

Kindergarten? Now that's the exciting news here! Congratulations!

That's so nice of you Erik, thank you! yes it's exciting and something to get used to with volunteering in the class and also running her to extracurricular activities....I treasure my weekends a lot more than I used to! 😆

I like your idea of tying the palm hut down with a rope and anchoring it. Great idea! i'm getting some great input here, it's making this year's plan SO much easier! I hope for your sake the 24th is much better than the past...but Belize DOES sound nice at that time of year! 8) 😆

Barb - I'm dreading the teen years already, including lending the car keys! 😆
H told me he's got vapor barrier so I guess I'm armed and ready here. Excellent point on keeping little visitors OUT...I don't want any mice or chickens (Erik 😉 ) invading the hut. This isn't Paradise Hotel ya know! lol
OH NO I hope your carpenter comes back soon! Fingers crossed! Or I'll send H up there to help ya 😆

Heidi

I'll send H up there to help ya

I have six weeks work for a carpenter 😆 😆 😆

If La Nina means the weather we have been having it can stay all winter and spring,
I won't mind watering as long as it's warm 😀

Lucky Erik probably won't need to protect until December,maybe January if it stays like this!

If La Nina means the weather we have been having it can stay all winter and spring,
I won't mind watering as long as it's warm 😀

Lucky Erik probably won't need to protect until December,maybe January if it stays like this!

😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

Very nice job Heidi, that will do the trick for sure. Hopefully winter isn't to awful to you.

Bill

Thanks Bill, I hope it isn't either. 😐