help with unusual winter damage

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by honolua, Jan 26, 2009.

  1. honolua

    honolua Active Member

    Messages:
    109
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Hi,
    I am in the pacific northwest and boy, have we had an unusual winter with many cold temperature records and some record snowfall. It is NOT at all like the winters we know, usually filled with warmish rain. My windmill palms out back were very loaded down with 15 cm of snow, which I gently cleared. While we often get a day or so of slushy snow, we don't get days, and weeks of cold and snow, down to -6 C at night. So, my palms, now that the snow has cleared, look damaged. They are shrivelled in appearance, and many fronds have brown ice damage. They are about 3-4 years old (I got them 2 years ago) and they are about 5 feet in height, with the trunk being 2 feet in height. They have never been wrapped up as they have been fine, with much growth and have sailed through previous winters.

    Has anybody else in the pacific northwest had this problem? Is there anything I can do to help them....I hope they don't die completely. We are expecting more snow, so I am wondering if they need a good soak of water prior to the freeze, fertilizer, or anything.

    Help!
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,250
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    The beat up ones I see in Stanwood-Camano (Snohomish and Island Counties, WA) look like part of the problem was they got too wet. Probably watering yours at this time would not be of assistance, and perhaps contribute to their troubles. During the summer drought they would surely appreciate it, but getting them wet now might not be so good.
     
  3. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    honolua, this past winter will have decimated the Palms, especially if they had deep freezing in their crown. Keep them protected until March, as February can be equally cold as Dec/Jan.... I had to cover mine to reduce the freeze damage, as Port Moody's temp. dropped to as low as -12c. overnight.... now if we can clear all this snow!

    Water only in the summer, when it really needs it... you will only exacerbate the current problems... good luck!
     
  4. honolua

    honolua Active Member

    Messages:
    109
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Hi,
    thanks for all the advise.......I am struggling now, as wrapping them is no longer an option, as the damage is done, and hopefully, winter on it's way out. I did not wrap them last year, and despite some freezing nights and the snow, they did remarkably well, with a lot of growth in the spring, summer and fall (a bit of a microclimate in my back yard where they are).

    I need some advise on what to do NOW, now that they have been subjected to all this horribly unusual weather. Is there anything to do, other than crossing my fingers and toes and hoping for good luck this spring? Any fertilizer that would give them a head start?
     
  5. K Baron

    K Baron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
    Please wait it out, any further frost will unmitigate your efforts, I would continue to keep them protected...as the roots are dormant too, fertilizing is not recommended, in general, they do not any fertilizer as they they are notoriously slow to grow up here.
     

Share This Page