I really wanted the seed collectors to go around another 50 plus miles east or slightly north east, in a area where I know the temps were colder. But the hinge was, I would of had to have paid the seed collectors men wages and gas, for the extra side trip from the main road they were on, heading further south to other collections point, more near the coast. If I had known they were going to come get that close to where I wanted, I might of come up with the extra money. But when you are told, to go further inland, would cost me time wages and gas, I thought the worst, so didn't go for it. Seems like the area, I wanted the collectors to go was Warner, something with a W.
I don't have many Bangalow palms left, it seems when they get more exposure, open sky, they are dead. But under a rood, next to my home, the ones there took down to 21.5F, with no damage. Most of the 1,000s of others in 1 gallon pots, were under 50% sun reducing tan colored shade cloth from Home Depot. Even under the shade cloth, many got burned some, but don't think any were killed, if so not very many. That was also prior to January 2007 last really bad arctic freeze. Before 2007, the most I was getting was a few dips to 28F, preceded by 6 hours below 32F. Since January 2007, my max low has been 25 to 27F, and this January, quite a few 25F, with a 23.5F nestled in the middle. I don't know if we turned colder with January 2007 or we returned to normal, and the winters were seasonably warmer before 2007, from then, looking back to the bad 1989 or was it the 1998, I guess both were much colder.
Before the 2007 freeze, I had some that had a few feet of bare trunk, the winters only partially burning the fronds off. In 2007, they died completely. I was over Jeff Earl's home today, we had not visited in some time. He had a king, not sure what kind, it had like 12 feet of bare trunk; even his fronds got burned this winter,but it was shoving out new ones. I think part of the trick is getting the trunk large enough, to insulate the crown growth point. His is exposed to open sky, the best way is under a tree, even if it is deciduous. I had some King palms next to a shed, the neighboring church parking lot had some old ancient Ash trees in bad shape. Just those leafless branches was enough to protect the young kings from totally frying dead. But a few years ago, the Ash trees came out, too old and rotted limbs and trunks. The next winter, down to 25F, they were dead, even though I had them covered with some frost cloth.
I had some young Queen Palms, gallon size, they often got burned bad over a winter, but not those under the leafless Ash tree limbs. I remember that Phil Nickel in Shafter CA, north of Bakersfield, were ok, under huge deciduous locust trees
David
JeffM wrote:
Thanks David - I checked the NSW map and Burringbar NSW is a bit more near the coast & west from the area I gathered the seed ( I was in a finger of the Yabbra National Forest about 185 km east of Burringbar) on the way towards Urbenville, NSW... I'm thinking the seed I collected are similar in characteristic to the seed you received as these palms were in a native stand in a somewhat open area surrounded by huge gum/eucalyptus trees. I was able to gather seed from a tree which seemed to be most exposed to the open sky on all sides... we'll see what comes of the seeds. Who knows, maybe through survival of the fittest, you will wind up with the most frost hardy plant through each test of the cold winter frosts. Its just my luck that the two kings I bought from Target appear to be the hardiest in my garden thusfar - these two have experienced 27 degrees with only very minor frost damage at the tips of the fronds. My 16' Parajubea's suffered a bit more frond damage than the kings did - I had no idea. This year, one of the kings have flowered in mid-winter and I patiently await the ripening of the seed...
Statistics: Posted by DavidLJ48 — Wed May 01, 2013 9:40 pm