Hibernate the hemp palm & make it winterproof

Even if the hemp palm comes from the tropics, it can survive our winters. We show you how to properly overwinter your hemp palm in pots or beds.

Hemp palms (Trachycarpus) with proper preparation can withstand snow and freezing temperatures outdoors. But how exactly does the hemp palm have to be protected?

Palm trees are commonly associated with the beach, warmth and sunshine. But even in our regions there are quite a few species that, with the right care, also thrive in your own garden - the hemp palms are one of them. With a size of older specimens of ten meters, it will be difficult to find a place to hibernate anyway. Therefore, we will show you here how you can easily get your hemp palm through the winter.

Hibernate the hemp palm: when does it get too cold for the hemp palm?

Since hemp palms also grow in high altitude areas in the Himalayas, they are quite resistant to the cold. They can withstand cold of down to -17 ° C if they don't last too long and snow doesn't harm them either. However, at such low temperatures, the leaves will die if they are not properly protected. For this reason, you should make your plant winter-proof from night temperatures below -10 ° C or when the daytime temperatures drop below freezing point for a longer period of time.

However, hemp palms that are less than three years old should be overwintered indoors as they are even more sensitive. The species too Trachycarpus kumaon and Trachycarpus nepal do not tolerate such low temperatures. Maximum -13 ° C resp. These species should be exposed to -10 ° C.

Hibernate the hemp palm in the bed

Hemp palms have two particularly sensitive organs: on the one hand the roots, on the other hand the heart. It's a good idea to protect these two places, especially if your palm is less than a meter.

• To protect the roots, you should put a layer of mulch about 20 to 30 centimeters thick around the trunk on the ground. Straw or fir branches are also suitable. If the palm has been growing outdoors for several years, it has probably already moved its roots far from the uppermost soil layer, which is at risk of frost, into deeper layers. This protection is of course still useful, especially for palm trees that were only planted last spring.
• The heart, i.e. the point at which all the leaves converge, requires special protection against cold and moisture. To do this, tie the leaves together at the top, but please do not tie them too tightly so as not to damage the leaves. For additional protection, especially in cold regions, you can also fill the cavity above the heart with straw and wrap it with light winter fleece.
• For longer periods of rain, put a transparent bag over the crown to protect against moisture. Make sure, however, that any condensation that forms can run off downwards and remove the bag again after the rainy season.
• In extreme cold it makes sense to also protect the trunk and wrap it with fleece or hemp mats. In fact, a tube of light also helps here, which also looks decorative in the dark months.

Hibernate the hemp palm in a pot

If hemp palms are to be overwintered outside in the pot, the same applies in principle as in the case when they are overwintered in the bed. In addition, however, the pot must be packed with straw mats or the like to prevent the cold from penetrating from the side. More permeable and not soaked substrate make it easier for the plant to survive frost unscathed. It is also best to protect your hemp palm in the bucket in a sunny location near a house wall, which can store heat and absorb wind.

If you prefer to overwinter your hemp palm indoors, you should choose a cool location. Temperatures of 6 ° C to 10 ° C are quite okay, in a rather poorly lighted location it should be colder than too warm. Since the air is often very dry in winter, especially in houses, you should occasionally spray the hemp palm with water in order to Spider mites to prevent.

Care for the hemp palm after the winter

After the hemp palm was only able to grow slowly due to the cold and less light in winter, it can really start again in spring. To do this, of course, it again needs more nutrients and water than in winter. And as soon as it stays in the positive temperature range again at night, she looks forward to a location outside. Work such as repotting that may be necessary is now on the agenda again.

More details on the topic Care of hemp palms You will find here.