Before a cold snap, small palms are covered to the ground with a frost blanket or box, tall palms have their trunks wrapped, and the bud at the top center, the palm's single growing point, gets the most protection. A frost blanket keeps the air beneath it up to 6 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer, and a copper fungicide spray before the freeze and again after any damage helps keep cold weakened tissue from rotting.

Why does a cold snap threaten palms in Florida and Texas?

Because many palms planted there are not adapted to freezing. Frost damages leaf and trunk tissue, limits water movement through the trunk, and slows the roots, and a weakened palm becomes open to bacteria and disease.

How is a palm covered before a freeze?

From the bud down, with the cover removed once it warms. Fabric that lets half the light through while holding warmth is the core of the TreeHelp Cold Weather Tree Blanket, tied around the trunk with its eyelet clasps so the bud stays covered. Tall palms have their trunks wrapped tightly in burlap or blankets, and small palms can be mounded with straw.

What protects a palm from rot after the cold?

A copper spray before and after the freeze. That is how Liquid Copper Fungicide Spray is put to work on palms: applied before temperatures drop to lower harmful bacteria, then applied again to the trunk once damaged fronds are cut away.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can a cover stay on a palm?

No more than about five days, and it comes off as soon as the weather warms to prevent rot.

Does watering before a freeze help?

Yes. Moist soil holds and releases more heat overnight than dry soil.

Can string lights under the cover add warmth?

Older incandescent bulbs give off some heat, while LED lights give off very little.

Which palms handle cold best?

Windmill and cabbage palms are among the more cold tolerant species.