Are you still alive in there?

It was a nice warm and fairly dry day today so I decided to open up the palm tree enclosures and have a peak. They don't look much different than when I closed them up in November. They had already lost quite a few fronds during the late summer and fall, but no more loss since closing them up. It stays pretty warm and humid in the enclosures, so that should keep them happy and healthy. Palm trees don't go dormant in the cold, but growth is slowed so I don't expect much to happen until warm summer temperatures and lots of sun.

Glowing and Snowing Greenhouses

 A cold winter night, the ThermoCube is on, the lights are glowing, and the heaters are keeping the palms warm.


Each enclosure has a wireless thermometer so I can monitor the temperature inside the enclosure and compare it to the outside temperature.

Even in the snow, the palms should be nice and cozy in the greenhouse. When the sun starts to shine, the inside of the greenhouse can increase 20-30 degrees.

Finishing the Greenhouse

Once the frame was built, it was covered with 6 mil plastic. Wood blocks were screwed into each corner to anchor the plastic and stretch it over the curved top of the greenhouse. The ends were fan folded and a wood block was used to anchor the ends of the plastic. I left enough room below the wood blocks to be able to access the end of the greenhouse for watering or adjusting of the heaters.


500 watt Optimus H-6002 mini oil heaters were added to each enclosure to keep the trees warm when the temperature drops below 20 deg F. The heaters are plugged into Thermo Cubes.









The Thermo Cube provides power when the temperature drops below 35 degrees F. I added a string of red Christmas lights so that I could see when the power was on and off. The heaters also have built-in thermostats. When the temperature outside dropped to 20 Deg F, I adjusted the heater thermostats on. 

Building a greenhouse

Each palm tree has its own miniature greenhouse. The frame was constructed using PVC pipe. The outer frame is 3/4" schedule 40 electrical conduit. The electrical conduit is much cheaper than the PVC pipe used for drains. It also seemed more flexible. I used the elbows and tees from the plumbing fittings since there is a better selection.

The side arc is glued together as one piece. I just bent the pvc in a u-shape and glued cross-braces with pvc glue. The tees that connect the two arcs are 1"x1"x3/4 tees that slide over the arc so I can adjust them. The cross pieces are glued into one side, but are screwed into the other. This way I can take the two sides apart and store them flat.

I covered the arc with green mesh plastic fencing to give it stability for a snow load. The mesh is attached with plastic zip ties so it is easy to remove.

I used some leftover political yard signs to harvest some very stiff metal wire. I bent it in a u-shape and used it to anchor the pvc tubing to the ground. I also built a wood frame around the bottom to attach the plastic and keep the wind from blowing under the greenhouse.

The base of the tree is wrapped in burlap to keep it warm. I will also be installing heaters, heater controllers, lights, and thermometers.

About Windmill Palms

The Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) is a cold hardy palm. The fronds develop into a symmetrical crown that can cover up to 8 feet. The trunk is covered by a loose mat of coarse grey or brown fiber. The tree can reach heights of 20 to 40 feet tall, but are slow growing. Windmill palms like well drained soil and are tolerant of temperatures down to 10 degree Fahrenheit.

Here is zone 6, we can reach temperatures of -10 degree Fahrenheit, which is a bit cold for my palm. The soil here is mostly clay, which is a far cry from the sandy, well-draining soil that the palm likes. My challenge is to keep my palms warm during the Winter and try not to drown them when the spring rains come.
First things first, lets try to keep them alive until spring.

Getting Started

Sunday July 15th 2012 - Windmill Palms planted

My two Windmill Palms were planted on Sunday July 15th, 2012. Both were 4-5 ft. tall to the tip of the fronds.

The palms were purchased from TyTy Nursery in Georgia and shipped UPS.
(www.tytyga.com)