I grow 15 different ribes in zone 7-8  plenty of chilling hours (below 45°F). Likely they need a few hundred hours or possibly as much as 1000. Cool partly shaded from west, heat. Maritime climes are cool and likely preferred.  We have 20 native ribes species Western Cascades, Washington. Its 65°F. Average high in July and August. Sufficient chilling and geat tolerance is the question. I know many ribes that are fine with dry heat of 90 to 105°F. But they get plenty of chilling hours.    Because I ship out to many states I am still questioning thd yield of fruiting plants in zone 9-10. Please help! Any NAFEX members out there doing the science of trialing?    Gil Schieber of Skipley Farm

Leon, NAFEX lists Negronne as a synonym for VdB and Bordeaux. I ordered a VdB assuming it was EXACTLY the same. Is there a substantial difference in flavor? I'm not as concerned about production. In fact, I'd be thrilled to get the 15 figs mountainman got last season. Mountainman, Scott, you have both addressed my main concern and that is whether the tree can survive a typical Georgia winter without protection. Georgia winters are typically very mild, in the 40s. I wasn't sure whether to wrap the tree or just let it stand. Do you think a layer of burlap could provide adequate protection for a 1-2 day freeze, say in the low to mid 20s? I have a nice spot for the tree in well-drained soil on the south side of my house. The house is brick so it should be nice and cozy year round.

Here's my results so far: Past 2 years been challenging but the palms that pulled through, Washingtonia filifera/ robusta ( with robusta getting defiolated last winter & this winter) Chamaerhops both green & blue perfect despite cerifera slight damage first winter. Pindos slight damage first year, nothing so far just on 1 recent transplant last year. Phoenix canary's 1st year defiolated this year doing good. Brahea edulis slight damage both years but better this year(strong palm for zone 8b) Sabal pumos slight damage. Trithrinax campestris 2 palm plant 1 had spear pull ( fully recovered & doing fine this winter) nannorrhops arabica ( Iranian silver) slight damage both winters ( seems very promising) planted out at a 1 gal. Trachycarpus fortunei slight damage 1st year none this winter. Sabal blackburniana, this 1 didn't get a fare chance I move it before last winter hit & never recovered but still alive I can't access this 1 properly. Phoenix theophrastii defiolated & spear pull 1st year ( fully recovered) this winter has some damage, canariensis seem a bit hardier but to early to till, planted theophrastii out at a 5 gal. Ok the ones that didn't make it: Queen Palm defiolated 1st year & didn't recover by next winter, didn't make it. Trithrinax brasiliensis planted out at a 15 gal. Died 1st winter( pretty surprised with this 1, but might try again) Acoelorrhaphe wrightii died 1st winter. livistona nitida died 1st winter. Livistona's might not make it up here don't seem to take much cold but I still want to try a few more & try nitida again. 1st winter we had a hand full of low & mid 20's with are lowest being 19*f two nights in a row followed by 22*f the 3rd night with the low going up the next few days! No protection on any palm except a potting bucket over Nannorrhops, livistona nitida, acoelorrhaphe wrightii. This winter almost the same as 1st with are lowest temp so far 20*f. But it's ben nice the past few weeks & I hope it stays this way or lease temps don't get below 22*f I shouldn't get any more damage! Winter protection I put sheets on most palms except Washingtonia's, Chamaerhops, Trachycarpus, butia's. & a bucket over nannorrhops when it rained with sheet.

I can't see the situation you have there so can only guess based on knowing how hot air behaves. Also, calculations based on 'yearly averages' are misleading and can lead to wrong conclusions. A number of palms will cope with moderately cold minimums if the daytime maximums are much higher. However, if daytime is also cool the palms could be dead in a few days regardless of how high the overall yearly average might be. So to get them to survive you have to concentrate on the period of time they're most at risk, not on the offset value of summer time temperatures they might not live to experience. Without doing it in a completely enclosed space, not just behind walls, you're bordering on the impossible. Heated air rises so without some barrier overhead you'll be losing it rapidly. I could imagine the cost keeping heaters going to try and compensate this would be very high. It'd be more economical to build a structure overhead and reduce the amount of heating required. I've seen a few examples (photos on the internet) where people have done that. One was a fanatical Hoya grower who posted photos of an extension he built onto the house. Snow was piled high against it on the outside while Hoyas were growing happily inside. Another was what the owner called an atrium, quite large, filled with lots of tropical plants, mainly aroids. You could do that for palms, just keeping to the smaller species of which there are many beautiful ones. Just a suggestion that could be more easily achievable.