Comments on: How To Protect Palm Trees From Freezing

By: Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:08:05 +0000

I have (4) Windmill & (1) 12ft Sable Palmento palm, 40 miles NE of Atlanta GA. 5 yrs ago I took the Christmas light idea one step further.
Being from the north I used snow melt electric cables used to melt snow from the roof, and wrapped it around the trunk of the tree and the fronds in the same manner as the Chritmas Lights. The wire is warm enough to hold continiously, but never hot. It can be purchased in most Home Depot, Lowes or online. It’s low maintenance since I leave it up all year, and turn it on/off the nights required from by bedroom window, using an outdoor remote control. Great not only on frosty nights but during ice storms.
No… I never noticed any difference in my power bill.
It works great for me, and my trees love it.

By: Bob Trevino

Bob Trevino — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:51:46 +0000

For the last hard freezing winters I have covered my queen palms with a/c duct flexable pipe. I usually cover the base with an old quilt and duct tape tight and also do the same on where the leaves come out. I usually leave the leafs out because they turn brown anyway and they get sun during the day. After that I put the duct over it and duct tape the top and hold the base with bricks. It works beautifully because the duct is far away from the truck and it avoids rot.

I like your christmas light idea. I am going to try that next with the duct pipe.

Enjoy another method in avoiding freezes for palms. BT

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:22:30 +0000

Trachycarpus fortunei (aka windmill palm) are some of the most cold hardy palms in the world. I used to have a picture of one that was covered in snow in Canada shown on my website, but they people didn’t like the fact that I was using their image without permission.

Anyways, if you search Google images you will find it is one of the most photographed palm covered in snow. Mine get some damage and my Queen palms are completely defoliated every year but come back just fine. Some of this depends on the age of the palm, as younger palms are a little more sensitive to the cold than mature palms. Even Phoenix roebillini’s here in NE Florida usually recover nicely, and they are nowhere near as cold hardy of a palm as the windmill palm.

I’d cut off the dead fronds and wait for signs of life. I’m sure they will rebound nicely.

By: Randy

Randy — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:45:32 +0000

I live in south west Utah, high desert. I have four Windmill Palms in my backyard. This last winter was very cold. The palms got covered in snow. 90% of the fronds are now brown and are starting to break off. Is there any hope for these plants?

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:08:55 +0000

That depends on how warm daytime temps are going to get. I’d say of it is going to stay at or near freezing, even upwards to the low 40′s then you could leave it covered without any issues. The problem comes when you have a extremely warm day and the protection traps too much heat, which could cook your plants depending on what you used to cover them.

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:47:26 +0000

Should I remove the protection during the day? In other words, it will be cold again tonite, 3rd nite in a row. I didn’t remove the protection on the second day but I am not sure if I should remove the protection on the 3rd day before the frost tonite again.