Palms and winter

The recommended protection depends on which palm it is, how cold it is, the position of the palm etc. In the mildest areas it is probably not necessary to protect palms like Trachycarpus, Rhapidophyllum hystrix and Sabal minor. If the cold period’s length is not more than some days, it is nothing to worry about. But the ground around palms like Phoenix canariensis and Sabal palmetto should be covered no matter what during the winter. In the more cold areas like the South-coast of Norway, the eastern parts of Denmark and the inland generally, protection could be necessary even for the hardiest palms.

If the temperature has a habit of dropping fare down, it is wise to prepare yourself for this situation by making boxes and other sheltering installations. Inside the box, the palm can be covered with leafs to create an insulating effect. Leca stones and branches have also a god effect on the palm. By adding large cans of warm water, the local air temperature will rise dramatically. It is wise to use cans that are sealed because of the damaging steam. But by applying warm water, you should be prepared for some work since the water should be regular renewed. The water gets easily cooled down, if the temperature is very low.

Plastic cover should be avoided, because it does not breathe. This can lead to isolated air and high humidity, which probably will start a process where the palm starts to decay and rot. Palms that have began to rotten are often doomed in Scandinavia, since their position here are not strong.

By placing a table or something similar above the palm, it is helped a great deal. The table creates a small greenhouse effect. Just look under a tree, after a night with light frost, and you can notice that the lawn under the tree has not frozen. The tree/table reflects back the heat waves from the ground.

Most palms have leafs that are fragile when it comes to frost. It could therefore be an idea to wrap the leafs together with a blanket. No water should reach the leafs, so it could be wise to seal the top properly with plastic or something other that stops the water from penetrating the cover. The method of wrapping the leafs together has shown useful when it comes to preserve the innermost leafs. The cover should be removed in milder periods.