Winter proofing palms

Question

I wanted to know if there are ways to winter proof my coconut palm without having to bring it inside for the winter months, and a banana plant I planted in the ground recently, because it is a pain to dig it up and re pot it when the winter comes.

Answer 1

If you live in an area that gets cold, your coconut plant will need to come inside for the winter. These plants are very cold sensative and will not thrive well, even if you were to mulch the plant heavily (though in zones 7-8, you can likely get away with this).

As for the banana, this too needs winter protection and outside of zone 7 with heavy mulching (for hardier varieties), will not survive outdoors over winter.

One way to make moving these plants easier is to use plant rollers or containers with wheels. These are specifically designed for larger plants or container trees.

Answer 2

I live in zone 9a and I was thinking that when my palm grows in size, and I want to plant it in the ground, could I wrap heating cable around the root ball, to maybe add some warmth to the soil so the water in the nearby soil will melt therefore giving more water to the palm while warming it? And for the trunk I thought I could wrap a few Christmas lights around the trunk and insulate it with some sort of blanket or similar. But do you think that the warmth given off from the Christmas lights might protect the fronds too if I put a frost cloth over the fronds? Thought it was an idea, and wanted to hear your input. Thank you!