would a high speed fan keep frost away from top of tall palm

[nicebutdim]

It occured to me that as coastal regions don't seem to suffer from frost,I', wondering if a fan would do the same in the garden as covering my tall palm is impractical.Has anyone any knowledge of this?

[stephenprudence]

It occured to me that as coastal regions don't seem to suffer from frost,I', wondering if a fan would do the same in the garden as covering my tall palm is impractical.Has anyone any knowledge of this?

It's possible, it should keep quite a bit off, but coastal regions also benefit from warming from the sea. The only way to replicate would get a heat source about 4-5C warming than the air around it, and blow it on the that way.

For borderline cold hardy palms it might work though.

[tenchy]

what about using a fan heater rather than just a fan?

might cost a few quid though

[nicebutdim]

Hi tenchy, a fan heater would cost an arm and a leg to run,this is outside in the open.I have soil warming cables around the trunk which kept the plant ok last year but the tips of the leaves got frazzled through frozen moisture.or frost on the leaves.

[redsquirrel]

wont blowing frozen air give it a chill factor and make the plant feel even colder?

[stephenprudence]

wont blowing frozen air give it a chill factor and make the plant feel even colder?

Not at all, plants don't feel wind chill, but the wind itself can dry the plant out and cause dehydration.

[Nathan]

Out of interest what type of palm are you trying to protect & where do you live?

[RogerBacardy]

I think the reason that coastal areas are more frost free than inland areas is not so much to do with air circulation, but the buffering effects of the giant thermal mass that is the sea.

The sea cools the land / air in theSummer and warms it in the Winter by stabilising the temperature due to the sea acting as a giant thermal conductor.


The difference between land and sea as thermal masses is that the sea is liquid and will continually refresh itself from other climates, conducting the heat from warm areas to cold ones.


Re: your suggestion. A fan might help to negate the 'ground frost' effect, though, so maybe worth experimenting with.

[countrylover]

Fans are used in orchards to stir the air in order to protect flowers from late Spring frosts. As we all know cold air is heavier and drops down (up to 2 meters above the ground). The warmer air goes up. So fans are usually situated 2-3 meters (or more) above the ground and move the warmer air downwards. So in Winter it won't work, cold air reaches much higher.

[Conifers]

would a high speed fan keep frost away from top of tall palm

No, but it might blow the palm away!

What high speed fan were you thinking of using? A Rolls Royce RB211?

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[redsquirrel]

tie a couple of bristol rovers fans under it,full of hot air

jeez conifers,imagine one of them falling off and landing in your garden

[nicebutdim]

Fans are used in orchards to stir the air in order to protect flowers from late Spring frosts. As we all know cold air is heavier and drops down (up to 2 meters above the ground). The warmer air goes up. So fans are usually situated 2-3 meters (or more) above the ground and move the warmer air downwards. So in Winter it won't work, cold air reaches much higher.

Hi
Hows life back home? My logic with the fan is not too much about moving warm air down but preventing mosture from settling on the leaves burning the ends.I have one oscillating fan and one high powered blaster which cost £30 ,I thought by pointing it upwards from the ground it would prevent the moisture settling.

[countrylover]

Hows life back home? My logic with the fan is not too much about moving warm air down but preventing mosture from settling on the leaves ...

Firstly I'm not home. Still in Jerryland. Fed up with everything.
Secondly you're gonna pay for your electricity bill using a fan. Maybe a better way is to use some anti-dessicant spray on your plants which contains waxes etc. and doesn't allow to settle the moisture....

[nicebutdim]

. Maybe a better way is to use some anti-dessicant spray on your plants which contains waxes etc. and doesn't allow to settle the moisture.

That's a good idea do you know the trade name of this dessicant

[countrylover]

Must find their names again cuz I've lost the website's bookmark after changing my laptop.
What kind of plants are you gonna protect this way?