Winter in Ohio.

[ohiogrown]

Can someone kindly tell me what I should do about this! So this is my first winter with trees. My deciduous stuff is in a unheated barn but my conifers are next to my apartment building. As you can see the gutter above must not be working cause the tree is covered in ice. It only seems to be that one and one branch of the tree beside it. So should I bring this in to let it melt off or?

 

[River's Edge]

I would bring it in only long enough to melt the icicles, then place it back in a location that the water will not drip in the pot. It will not be good to keep a lot of water in the pot when the roots are dormant. Root Rot will set in.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Ice is an insulator...they use that technique at nurseries...

 

[markyscott]

How long have all the tips of the needles been brown?



Scott

 

[sorce]

Leave it.

Earth says so.

This is a thread that could legit use a "HELP" in the title.

Sorce

 

[Dav4]

Can you even move it? That pot may be stuck there, frozen to the ground, until the spring thaw. Until it can be moved, I'd place something over it to prevent more icy build up...even a piece of ply wood would do the trick.

 

[ohiogrown]

How long have all the tips of the needles been brown?

View attachment 172912

Scott

They have been brown since summer it was in the hot car too long. Here is info on that:
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-first-jbp.29673/page-2#post-508471

Can you even move it? That pot may be stuck there, frozen to the ground, until the spring thaw. Until it can be moved, I'd place something over it to prevent more icy build up...even a piece of ply wood would do the trick.

I’m not sure if I can move it maybe I’ll try. Would the confers be better off in my unheated shed? They have big glass doors on them so they would still receive light. But it would keep the elements off them?

 

[Dav4]

They have been brown since summer it was in the hot car too long. Here is info on that:
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-first-jbp.29673/page-2#post-508471

I’m not sure if I can move it maybe I’ll try. Would the confers be better off in my unheated shed? They have big glass doors on them so they would still receive light. But it would keep the elements off them?

The tree doesn't need light when dormant. In fact, if the doors have a southerly exposure, I'd be more concerned about the glassed doors letting too much light in which would heat up the shed above 40F which will cause the tree to break dormancy.

 

[ohiogrown]

The tree doesn't need light when dormant. In fact, if the doors have a southerly exposure, I'd be more concerned about the glassed doors letting too much light in which would heat up the shed above 40F which will cause the tree to break dormancy.

Confers don’t need SOME light in winter? Also as of now the temperature stays around the exact same temperature as it is outside. I have a thermometer inside the shed. But In the spring I’m thinking that may become a issue. I just bought a thermostat and was thinking about putting space heaters in there to bring the temps up a little bit. It’s been in the negatives here and there are no signs of it getting warmer anytime soon. So since I do have room in the shed it would not be a bad idea to bring the conifers in out of the elements so they don’t look like the photo? I thought I read that deciduous trees do not need any light but confers do.

 

[Dav4]

Confers don’t need SOME light in winter? Also as of now the temperature stays around the exact same temperature as it is outside. I have a thermometer inside the shed. But In the spring I’m thinking that may become a issue. I just bought a thermostat and was thinking about putting space heaters in there to bring the temps up a little bit. It’s been in the negatives here and there are no signs of it getting warmer anytime soon. So since I do have room in the shed it would not be a bad idea to bring the conifers in out of the elements so they don’t look like the photo? I thought I read that deciduous trees do not need any light but confers do.

It's a sliding scale. Conifers kept at temps nearing or below freezing for long periods of time have no need for light as they're not really photosynthesizing. Conifers in my neck of the woods are rarely subjected to constant subfreezing weather for more then a few days... these trees stay outside in a shaded area until the weather starts to moderate. I overwintered many conifers for the better part of a decade in my unattached garage in zone 6 MA, frozen solid with little light... all grew fine the following spring.


.... but this is all mute as I doubt you're gonna be able to budge that pot from where it is any time soon. Put something over it to keep it from turning into an iceberg and move it when you're able to.

 

[ohiogrown]

It's a sliding scale. Conifers kept at temps nearing or below freezing for long periods of time have no need for light as they're not really photosynthesizing. Conifers in my neck of the woods are rarely subjected to constant subfreezing weather for more then a few days... these trees stay outside in a shaded area until the weather starts to moderate. I overwintered many conifers for the better part of a decade in my unattached garage in zone 6 MA, frozen solid with little light... all grew fine the following spring.


.... but this is all mute as I doubt you're gonna be able to budge that pot from where it is any time soon. Put something over it to keep it from turning into an iceberg and move it when you're able to.

Okay! Thank you for your advise it is much appreciated!

 

[treebeard55]

Bear in mind that while ice is an insulator, it is also heavy. Too much may break branches you don't want broken.

 

[just.wing.it]

Wow that's serious ice there!
I agree with everything above.
Hope it doesn't lose any branches on you.

 

[JudyB]

Bear in mind that while ice is an insulator, it is also heavy. Too much may break branches you don't want broken.

I can vouch for that, lost my best low branch on a larch this way.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I can vouch for that, lost my best low branch on a larch this way.

Never thought of that...oh dear! Glad mine are tucked away...to much of a good thing can be bad.

 

[sorce]

We strive and strive to create the damage this ice may create.

Embrace what Mother Nature is helping with!

Sorce

 

[ohiogrown]

Well at this point all I can do is hope for the best!