DYPSIS DECIPIENS - Winter protection

[Rod]

Hi all ~ Well its this time of year again and i have just finished building my frames to protect against radiational frosts this Winter.
This is their first winter in the ground ( Been in the ground 6-months ) - will do this until fully established and acclimatised to this climate ( That's if they survive )

[flounder]

Sorry Rod, had to laugh
We've finally got a summer with temps in the mid to high twenties....and you're shutting down for the winter. It'll be our turn to show a bit of blue sky whilst you're all fleeced up

[Trudytropics]

You are going to a great deal of trouble there Rod, so I really hope everything comes through the winter for you. You have such lovely plants, so here's hoping for a mildish winter

[Rod]

Sorry Rod, had to laugh
We've finally got a summer with temps in the mid to high twenties....and you're shutting down for the winter. It'll be our turn to show a bit of blue sky whilst you're all fleeced up

Hi Gary ~ Yeah funny eh
I will just have to watch all your plants growing while mine are dormant.

[Rod]

You are going to a great deal of trouble there Rod, so I really hope everything comes through the winter for you. You have such lovely plants, so here's hoping for a mildish winter

Hi Trudy ~ I hope these frames work, as these palms are not established yet and need at least another year in the ground.

[Rod]

UPDATE - 15 months after planting and they got through the cold 2012 Winter.
Large plants are slow to get going in a new and cooler climate.
This spear was only 4-inches long when i planted it, and its now 1.1 metres, and it is finally opening now, next year hopefully faster.
It still amazes me that a Sub-tropical, Madagascan Palm, which grows naturally at around 16°S is growing in my garden ?
Still a long way to go yet, as i will be evaluating it again a year from now, to see if it is any better.

[JBALLY]

Well done getting it through winter and I hope it carries on growing well for you . I only hope that my non subtropical palms grow just as well when planted out over the winter.

[Troppoz]

Good work Rod and a nice palm.

As someone fairly unfamiliar with protecting plants from frosts I would have thought that you would have enclosed it on all sides, not just on top

[Rod]

Well done getting it through winter and I hope it carries on growing well for you . I only hope that my non subtropical palms grow just as well when planted out over the winter.

Thanks JBALLY

[Rod]

Good work Rod and a nice palm.

As someone fairly unfamiliar with protecting plants from frosts I would have thought that you would have enclosed it on all sides, not just on top

Hi Troppoz - The reason for the roof was protection against radiational frosts as well as a Winter rain cover for the first year. ( The less stress the better, as the Palm was still acclimatising ) - I left it open on all sides for airflow.
I will still have a cover over it this coming winter, but it will be constructed different. ( A more simple design )
I need to get more leaves growing without losing any more. I have lost 2x leaves due to hot sun in the last 15-months ( They were burnt to a crisp ) As they were not acclimatised to our hot sun.

[JBALLY]

That is one thing I do not have to worry about, the sun crisping any of my palms leaves as we have not even seen it in months lol.

[Rod]

That is one thing I do not have to worry about, the sun crisping any of my palms leaves as we have not even seen it in months lol.

Hi JBALLY - What species of palms have you got ( In pots or planted out )

[JBALLY]

The list of palms I grow is quite long but I will write some off the top of my head. 5 types of butia and a couple of hybrids, jubaea x butia and butia x jubaea both f1 crosses, 4 types of chamaerops including 7 cerfiera 2 of them with 30 cm of trunk and 3 vulcano, 3 types of chamadorea, 3 types of phoenix palms, 5 jubaea one of them over 5ft and two just a bit smaller, 3 types of livistona , 2 types of trithrinax , 2 plants of rapidophillium hystrix, 3 types of sabal, 3 types of brahea , 2 types of washingtonia and a hybrid and just about every kind of trachycarpus. I have probably forgot one or two but I am still collecting and I am getting more adventurous so looking into getting a syagrus and some parajubaea as well as others. Only one or two of the plants mentioned are seedlings so take up a lot of space so what is not planted will eventually be planted to make room in one of my three greenhouses.

[Rod]

The list of palms I grow is quite long but I will write some off the top of my head. 5 types of butia and a couple of hybrids, jubaea x butia and butia x jubaea both f1 crosses, 4 types of chamaerops including 7 cerfiera 2 of them with 30 cm of trunk and 3 vulcano, 3 types of chamadorea, 3 types of phoenix palms, 5 jubaea one of them over 5ft and two just a bit smaller, 3 types of livistona , 2 types of trithrinax , 2 plants of rapidophillium hystrix, 3 types of sabal, 3 types of brahea , 2 types of washingtonia and a hybrid and just about every kind of trachycarpus. I have probably forgot one or two but I am still collecting and I am getting more adventurous so looking into getting a syagrus and some parajubaea as well as others. Only one or two of the plants mentioned are seedlings so take up a lot of space so what is not planted will eventually be planted to make room in one of my three greenhouses.

WOW - Amazing list - have you posted any photos on the forum somewhere ? - If not can we see some in a new post ?

[JBALLY]

I have never posted any photos on here but since I got an iphone a couple of weeks ago I can now post some pictures and they will not come out as blurred silhouettes. And as soon as the weather gets a bit better I will be starting a new change around and planting scheme on my front garden so will give me the perfect opportunity to both plant some of my hardier palms and do a blog about the transformation.