I don't really get pest issues from taking plants outside (unless it's something that's REALLY pest prone. Hi, you stupid A. Squarrosa*. Fortunately, none of the aphids or whiteflies this thing got ever spread). The high humidity outside keeps mites in check. Scale and mealies... I don't see those much around here, and bringing those in on and infested plant from the store is far more likely. I DO tend to get a lot of spiders. I stopped caring about bringing those in with me, so a fringe benefit of growing plants has been that my arachnophobia has improved a lot. Anyway, I'm moving to an apartment next year for gradschool. No dorm means no going home for the summer means no putting plants outside. I think I'll be okay for the most part, except for a few things: * Delonix regia - This doesn't really make a good houseplant, and it's pretty much deciduous. It's actually stayed more-or-less in-leaf this year, but it needs to be outside to get properly leafy. * A. Squarrosa - This doesn't seem to make a good plant indoors or out, although outside it actually grows beyond just replacing old leaves. * Blechnum gibbum - Way too dry for these indoors. It seems perfectly capable of surviving half the year in a fairly brown-and-crispy state, but it *needs* summers outdoors. I might have to set up a humidity tent for it or something. * Pineapples - A little too dry indoors for them, and they need full sun to really grow. Also they're sort of huge. * Key lime - It doesn't grow well indoors. It does okay and won't die, but it just does better outside.

Thanks guys. Johnnieb, WOW, I was down there in September, and did not take any pics, but man those bananas were almost twice the height in Sept 08 than they are in your photo from July. It always amazes me how fast they grow. Ive had Musa basjoo go from 1 foot tall, to 15 feet in just a few months. Definitely the thing to grow if you want fast, and extremely noticeable results. I wonder if they would care if anyone took any of the seedlings? I would guess they would not since there are literally hundreds of them in that planter and the surrounding planters. I wish they would let them go to seed more. When I was there in Sept, I was there twice in two weeks, and the second time I went down I noticed they had removed all of the seed stalks from the Sabal Minor. It was kind of disappointing. I would venture to guess that once enough of those get planted around the DC area, and are left to go to see, we might start seeing them naturalise a bit in and around the city.

arctictropical- Keep the info and pics flowing! You are truly an inspiration here. Awesome job! dln949- I overwintered a smaller 4' trachy (unfortunately it is no longer with us) using a pre-molded styrofoam box, and small string of mini outdoor Christmas lights. I gently tied up the fronds so it would fit in the box. I did get it through one winter, and it was not the cold that killed it. My fault, I didn't take enough care in planting it originally, and it rotted. It didn't drain well enough (I think). It was a small enough tree that I was able to use a box similar to a large styro beverage cooler, 2 bricks on top to hold it down. Very much like I cover my rose bushes, just that the string of lights is in there. Easy and cheap, it was. The newer trachy is taller (5 1/2 feet) but still a bit lanky. Was a 50% shade grown tree. It only has about 2 feet of trunk, it is 6" in diameter at the thickest point. This tree has not been wintered outside here yet. It has been in ground a couple weeks at this point. I'm hoping to get it to thicken up nicely this summer, it is in a 75% full sun spot. I did receive a new needle palm. It is in a pot at the moment, until I find the time to get it in the ground near the trachy, in the same garden/planter. This needle is just shy of 3 feet tall, and it has a very nice thick trunk already. I'd say the trunk is 8" high, and at least 6 inches in diameter. I'm very pleased with it, believe it or not it looks a lot like a 5-gallon trachy. It has a lot of nice big fans, and even suckers. If it wasn't for the needly trunk, you would never tell it apart from a trachy! I have a 3-gal 2 foot trachie next to it at the moment, it is very interesting to compare them. I paid $40 plus shipping, so $60 total for the needle. I bought it from Ryan at Collector Palms, not off of Ebay though, through his own site. He has some very tempting, large yuccas too... Also back to trachys, I saw the ones on Ebay for less than $10. I thought what the heck, I thought I would try my luck. I paid $7.49 plus $15 shipping for a 3 gallon. I was very pleased, it is over 2 feet tall, actually has about 8" of woody trunk already. What a steal. Nice and full, healthy, and tons of fronds. Those on Ebay right now are well worth looking into. I might just have to pick up a few more, especially at that price. I bought the basjoos from a lady in NC, via her Ebay store. She is very helpful and nice, she is shipping me a total of 4 plants, all 2+ feet tall already. They should arrive tomorrow. Under $20 a plant including Priority Mail shipping. Ebay seller: mgmg9495. I'd email her (Martha), she said she does have more to sell. I'll try to get some good pictures of all these plants, both the ones in ground, and the ones in pots, and post them here. Based on experience, and reading about what others here do for winterization of their trachys, I am putting together a good plan for this winter. I know it is early, but it is a good idea to have a plan! We can discuss further when we can get the email thing figured out. My thinking so far is a lightweight version of what acrtictropical does. Build a square frame with 2x2 pine (it's really 1.5x1.5), square about 2'x2', then run 4 more up which will be the corners, then another square frame at the top. Basically a 6-foot tall (in my case) frame built from 2x2s. That is not very heavy at all. Use foam board insulation for walls and roof, caulked in. 2 CFL bulbs inside box, and a remote thermometer, and/or thermostat. Easy, cheap to build, cheap to maintain. Use screws to construct the frame, not nails. Also, possibly extend the 2x2s at the bottom frame about a foot beyond the corners, that way there will be anchor spots. Something to place something heavy on, maybe large bricks, to hold it in place until the snow really secures it. I'll winter the big needle palm just like I did the smaller trachy that died, super easy. Bananas? Cut them back, mulch the heck out of them, leave a foot of stem, foam rosebush covers.

I see this thread hasn't been active for months, but, I wanna ask are any of the good heat giving rope lights solar powered? I'm gonna guess, you can't count on them. And Sasha your last pic above is so damn cute. Seriously, some of those protection methods above are great ideas. I'm in zone 6a, I have 4-6 very small Needle or Windmill palm babies, I;m talking only 2-3 spears per plant. I want to eventually try at least one plant outdoors in the ground, but, I want the plant to look great and not be stressed. I am currently growing a Live oak (Quartz mountain) in zone 6, I have christmas lights on it, and if it gets below zero, I just may wrap it up like as if it were my 1st born. I have yet to try a palm outdoors, I have a potted Live oak protected now until it goes back up to at least the 30'sF. The christmas light wrapped live oak also has it's trunk protected by pipe insulation. This is the hardier Live oak variety, not like those in florida and Mississippi, the great southern Live oak. This is the tougher more cold and drier rougher area Live oak tree. This tougher Live oak grows in Missourri, Oklahoma, the drier parts of Texas. It is said to be as hardy as zone 6. I would think that would not be until it is at least a 6-7 ft tree, maybe larger. I am inclined to protect mine until it's too large to be able to do so anymore.