siege2050

When I was younger, I saw a story on the news about a lady that grows palms in our zone 7 and stores them under the house after giving them treatment like you would an ensete, cutting off leaves and just wrapping the rootball. Does anyone know if this is possible? I read that majesty palms take a minimum of around 28 degrees F and would like to know if I could just dig them up and put them under the house till spring. I chose this type because it is fast growing, and the Sabals, Needle palms, and Windmill palms take forever to grow. I do have an unattached garage that has about 15 foot ceilings, but I am sure it probably gets pretty cold in the winter as its not attached, although I am not sure how cold. I plan on monitoring that this winter as it would really make things much easier if it remains warm enough.

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Funkthulhu

When you say Majesty Palm, do you mean Ravenea rivularis?

I had two I had kept alive for several years (up until fungus killed one this spring). They were both in large pots and I had to bring them indoors over the winter. Cold hardy for a palm, as you say, but Nebraska isn't going to let that slide. I usually keep them under lights in my basement and only ever trim leaves when they're down and brown. Incidentally, after a hit of hydrogen peroxide, the larger of the two pulled through and is currently under grow lights downstairs pushing 3 spears at once. But I expect it to slow down soon.

They usually recover from overwintering under lights, but even with the lack of heat and sun they still push spears all winter. I don't know I would trust them to "hibernate" the whole winter. I expect you'd end up with a bunch of stunted or bent spears when you pulled it out in the spring. The plant would then have to put out new ones to catch sun before they could take off again. That being said, it may not recover completely before you put it back under the next winter.

However, considering how "cheap" R.rivularis is (Every year I see 5-7 footers in nursery pots for 15 bucks), I say go for it. Call it an experiment of sorts, and if it doesn't work there is no big loss.

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"Ph'nglui musaglw'nanna Funkthulhu R'Omahaea wgah'basjoo fhtagn"
"In his house at Omaha, dread Funkthulhu plants bananas."

siege2050

Thats kinda what I am thinking, they are cheap so might as well try. The cold hardy palms just grow too slow, and even if I pay 150 dollars for one, they are still too short in my opinion. I don't want to have to wait 30 years before I get to enjoy em lol

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Funkthulhu

I think if you're going to "Enjoy Them" in the way I think you are, you'll be quicker to build a tall enough green house over the spot you want to plant...

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"Ph'nglui musaglw'nanna Funkthulhu R'Omahaea wgah'basjoo fhtagn"
"In his house at Omaha, dread Funkthulhu plants bananas."

Kat2

I'd put them in an unheated garage before I'd stick them under the house. If I had spares, I'd also leave 1 out that I trimmed and then caged with leaves just to see what happens.

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siege2050

Thought about that too, but we usually get at least one -5F day. I am not sure the stem wouldn't freeze, but only one way to find out.

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siege2050

I think I will try in the garage with leaves on, I can make a christmas palmtree with lights lol. I wish I could find a source for a good sized windmill palm. I emailed a guy that sales em at a sight called chilly palm that had good sized ones that were decent, but he never emailed me back. I am a bit scared of making a purchase without doing a little research on the site before I give them my money.

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Kat2

I took a fig tree from MD (technically zone 7a but microclimate 8a/b) to Ohio (6a) and put her in the ground in a "sheltered place" (Like there is any place sheltered up there!)

Her top died the 1st winter with protection and again the 2nd; though a breba and fall crop variety, she didn't flower until that 3rd summer when we picked a few fall figs. How's she doing? House sold and the moron buyers didn't want advice about plantings because they were "smarter" so she's probably dead but she did acclimate or was trying. Plants do that IME. Testing their limits is really hard--if you have only 1--don't. If you have spares, take a ride on the wild side.

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siege2050

Yeah I am starting to see plants can take quite a bit more than they are supposed to. i grew about 200 annual Vinca from seed, they are not supposed to be able to handle cold at all. It got down in the lower 30's twice now and they are still blooming away.

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Kat2

But always hold 1 back under great care--just in case.

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siege2050

Ok I bought two of these palms from Wal-mart for 12 dollars apiece, I am gonna put them in the unattached garage this winter and see what happens, some people are saying they can take down to 25 F so well will see. It would be cool they survive, they are so cheap I could make it look like a jungle here. The most protection I will give them are Christmas lights. I will post updates as winter starts and passes.

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orinoko

Thanks siege2050 for the question,

I got the link from the palm to a lovely Interactive palmmag.

Flash Page Flip

Enjoy!

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[url="http://flowersnpalms.com/lancalass/[/URL]