Once your palm acclimates to winter weather it will be fine if you keep the crown dry-to some degree the plam getting to warm(in an inclosure) is more dangerous then to cold,if your protection is good.You could go with something that is opaque and has a large flap that you can open or something closed up like a styrofoam box but a more minimalistic approach is probably more appropriate in zone 7

This is going to be my first winter with a windmill palm in the ground too. I am probably going to put a clear plastic tarp over it with 4 cheap poles holding up the plastic. I am also going to put some mulch around it to keep it warmer and on cold nights I will surround the base with christmas lights. Hopefully the plastic will act as a greenhouse and warm up the mulch below with the sun. The are gets about 5 full hours of sun during the summer months and about 3-4 during the winter.

Also if a night even threatens to reach at or below 5F I will put a garbage bin over it with the chrismas lights inside inside the bin and maybe even some dry leaves as well.

Good luck

Its important to keep the ground warm and add water when using an enclosure. If the above the ground portion of the plant heats up and the ground remains too cool, the plant can die from water loss. Clear covers can make do more harm than good.

I agree with turtile,,,My first winter,,I didnt water it at all,,,My enclosure kept temps above 50 degrees,,when the sun was out,,it rose to 80 degrees,,,Important to have a window,,for sunlight,,,and a means of getting inside to water it,,,,Keep a fan on low all the time,,,air movement is important,,,,Mine came out of winter green with 3 new shoots,,,thats how it will be for now on,,Mine has gone from 24 inches,,,to 72 inches,,,2 ft to 6ft in 3 years,,,Bill

I swear by the poly enclosures. I think its opague enough to shield some of the sun, but it still lets a good amount of light in. I don't water at all during the winter. I let melting snow seep in from around the enclosure. Washingtonia Robusta in the background and Trachycarpus Fortunei in the foreground:

Here is how they look recently:

Robusta:

Trachycarpus Fortunei:

The trachycarpus fortunei had zero frond loss/damage in the winter. Low was -15F, and it was below freezing almost every day from Thanksgiving to mid March (for highs).

I was thinking of doing an enclosure for my pindo palm. It looks like it shouldnt be too hard to make. I was reading this and wondering if you use any artificial heat to make your enclosure warmer. Also for air circulation would a battery operated, small fan do any good becuase I dont want to keep anything pluged in outside for an entire winter because of the possible fire hazard.

Thanks in advance and good luck with your palms!

I use a 125 watt heat lamp and a string of mini christmas lights in each enclosure. I wrap the christmas lights around the trunk and fronds. I don't use a fan, didn't seem like it was needed. That method has kept them above freezing even when its below zero outside.

Thanks alot for the help! I will probably only use christmas lights in my enclosure though to save on energy because I also want to cover my sabal minor, and also becasue I dont think it needs too much heat in my zone. Sounds like a great way to protect my palm though. Its looks like it worked on your palms really well, they look happy and healthy.

Thanks again.

Hi,

I never give my Trachy's any lite over the winter; They are

1) Burlapped and treated with antifungal NEEM,copper and or sulfur powder
2)Wrapped in sheets of straw about
8 inches
3) Tarped with an opaque white tarp
4) Bungie corded
5) secured at the bottom with stakes and heavy stones

That's it!

They have survived for 7 years now without artificial heat,lite etc in really cold Connecticut

Best,

DrZ

The 2" thick Styrofoam boxes I have used (some for 17 years) with screw in florescent light bulbs for a little heat, give no light to the palms other than what they get from the light bulbs. I leave the boxes on in my zone 4 climate from mid October through mid April. My palms are as green the day I take them off in Spring, as the day I put the boxes on in the Fall. My palms also don't get any sunburn in the Spring. My tallest palm is a 10' Trachy. Since they go somewhat dormant in the winter, they really don't need light to survive.

Kevin

Thanks guys.
What about water? I know they don't need much, but occasionally? I've had some people on here tell me to leave an opening so they can be watered through winter and some say they don't water them all winter at all.