Musella lasiocarpa protection 2013

[rburrena]

Wanted to share my Musella lasiocarpa protection method this year.

In September


After forst frost...


Cut leaves off...




And the protection


It's so big now it was much more complicated to protect than before. Hope it is as effective as last year.

And to compare... October 2012! What a difference a year makes!


And 2010!

[Mick C]

That's grown into an impressive clump. Well done, whatever you're doing it's obviously working

[GREVILLE]

Wish you success with that, RB

[miketropic]

mines gets a sack of straw over it and it does fine

[Mick C]

mines gets a sack of straw over it and it does fine

What winter low temperatures do you get Mike?

I always dig mine up having lost one outside (covered) prior to the recent run of bad winters.

[rburrena]

I always dig mine up having lost one outside (covered) prior to the recent run of bad winters.

Maybe worth trying in the ground again with water bottles? Mine got cut to the ground in winter 2010 even with protection, I thought i was dead, but it reappeared in June 2011! Since then its been going strong. It seems a lot hardier now than it was in its first winter, although that was a particularly cold one (2010! down to -9C/-10C here, lots of ice days).

[miketropic]

mines gets a sack of straw over it and it does fine

What winter low temperatures do you get Mike?

I always dig mine up having lost one outside (covered) prior to the recent run of bad winters.

At some point in the winter it will be -12 or -13 c for a few mornings. I think the key here is that most every day gets above freezing and I have it planted south faceing so the bag of straw heats up every day there is sun. I chop it off where the leaves come out and cover it with a pile of straw and a burlap sack..when I open it in early april the top is a bit mush. I cut that back on away it goes. Think I got 10 pups and the main stem this year. didn't divide so I will see how they all far this spring..its already been -8c here for awhile

[daftbanana]

I've left one planted out for the first time this year and gave the small clump a thick wrapping of fleece with bubble wrap just covering the top so I'll see how that goes.

[callin]

Great comparative pictures
I m looking forward to see the musella and canariensis next summer.
A lot of growth on that phoenix in relatively short period of time.
Good job!
Thanks for sharing

[Mick C]

I'll have to try leaving one out again once I've got one to a reasonable size in a pot (Ive already dug up about three small ones this year). The water bottle method sounds like a good idea but i'd never keep it going, a bag of straw I could manage!