Protecting your tropical plants in a cold climate

Below are some ways to protect your tropical plants from frost. Keeping these methods in mind, it is possible to create a wonderful tropical garden where ever you live. New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, South Australia, the tropical plant world is accessible to everyone!

1.    Make sure the plants are planted in a warm, sunny spot with protection from strong winds.

2.    Protect palm trunks by wrapping it with cardboard, blankets etc.

3.    Place a cardboard box or blanket over the top of small palms for cold protection. Remember to remove this cover after 4-5 days.

4.    In severe frost, you can build a mount of mulch around the whole plant, or as high as possible, for protection. The mulch should be removed as soon as the weather builds up.

5.    Another way for protection is to create a wire cage bigger than the plant you plan to protect. Line the cage with plastic, and fill the cage with dried leaves. Cover the entire plant. Fold excess plastic over at the top and secure it.

6.    If you are serious about protection you could build a mini-greenhouse, and heat it with heating pads, lights bulbs, Christmas lights etc. Ensure you are giving the plant adequate oxygen, open it up during a nice sunny winter day!

7.    Wrap the whole plants up in a breathable material, like paper, with heating wire underneath it. Very effective in keeping your tropical plant warm, but can cause serious leaf damage, especially in stiff-foliage plants like Fan Palms. Not recommended unless absolutely necessary. Alternatively, you can just wrap the trunks with light bulbs/Christmas lights. The older leaves on the plant have a good chance of survival, and hopefully young leaves will grow back. This method protects the growing core of the palm without human-inflicted leaf damage. You will need to check for fungi, bacteria, mould etc. periodically if these methods are used for any length of time.

8.    For small plants you can use a cardboard box in the same way as the wire cage method. Place the whole box over the plant and fill with leaves, newspaper or other insulating material. Manure can also be used to raise the temperature.

9.    A tricky way of protection often used on citrus is to water during the freeze. You can turn a sprinkler system on as a last resorts. When water freezes it gives off heat, and this heat warms the area. You must however keep watering until the sun melts the ice, otherwise the ice layer will grab heat from the plant as it thaws. Please note there are some plants, specifically palms, that rather keep dry during a freeze, like Phoenix, Brahea and trithrinax. If water enter the growth centre of the palm, ice forming around the growth bud can cause damage and may result in death of the palm. If you must use the sprinkler, cover the spear with alu foil or plastic to keep it dry.

10.  Mulch! A good thick layer of mulch is an excellent way of frost protection. Place a deep layer at least 6” deep around the base of the plant. A lot of tender roots run close to the surface. Mulch helps soil retain warmth for short periods of time. Mulch will also improve soil and the overall health of your plants!

11.  Chemicals. There’s many chemical products available these days to help you protect your tropical plant during frost, like Anti-stress 550, a latex and acrylic based anti-transpirant, Wilt-Pruf, or a combination of Tri-sodium phosphate and Tri-sodium chloride. When mixed these chemicals generate heat. We do not recommend mixing chemicals yourself!