Winter Preparation-What Do You Do

ghues

Omono
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Using the "search" I found a couple threads.........but they were a little specific to areas....so not wanting to crash them I thought we could share what we do.......for those of us that "have to"
All my accents, small/medium sized pots (and more vulnerable ones) go into the raised vegetable garden, med-large ones are put onto ground and only the largest stay on the bench.
Cheers G.
 

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sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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I have 2 shaded not so windy spots I am going to move to.
Possibly with more windbreak built in,
Especially for my lil hinoki cypress, my crypto, and my recently repotted Corntoneaster.

Too many signs of mice to put anything on the ground....and I already had a Bitch Ass squirrel take a bite of a couple recently.

New place. New winter!

Sorce
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
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Using the "search" I found a couple threads.........but they were a little specific to areas....so not wanting to crash them I thought we could share what we do.......for those of us that "have to"
All my accents, small/medium sized pots (and more vulnerable ones) go into the raised vegetable garden, med-large ones are put onto ground and only the largest stay on the bench.
Cheers G.
The posts were specific to areas because that is the driving force behind winter storage. What works for one place may, or may not work for another. If I kept my bigger trees on the benches for the winter, I'd wind up with big dead trees come springtime. I mulch all my trees into winter beds with eight to ten inches of shredded hardwood mulch over their pots. More sensitive trees are put in a foot deep cold pit and covered with more mulch. We get sustained temps down in the low teens in mid-late winter here in Va. A lot of freezing and thawing too. Mulch helps even things out by keeping a more constant-but cold-temperature for the trees. It also keeps the coldest AND warmest winter temperatures from the roots.

Species is tied for first place with location for winter storage too. I can leave my Amur maples and ponderosa pine out on the benches in the coldest part of the winter. Can't do that with my live oak and bald cypress though. Conifers tend to do better in the cold than deciduous trees by and large, but even that can be variable depending on location and species of conifer and deciduous trees.
 

watchndsky

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I have 2 shaded not so windy spots I am going to move to.
Possibly with more windbreak built in,
Especially for my lil hinoki cypress, my crypto, and my recently repotted Corntoneaster.

Too many signs of mice to put anything on the ground....and I already had a Bitch Ass squirrel take a bite of a couple recently.

New place. New winter!

Sorce

squirrels are like ninjas. except deadlier and more cunning. ive been losing the battle with one over the last two weeks.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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squirrels are like ninjas. except deadlier and more cunning. ive been losing the battle with one over the last two weeks.

I got one that sits over the fence and taunts the shit out of my dog.

@mainefalconer where does one buy a redtailed hawk!?

I'm gonna lightsaber his Ass!

Sorce
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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Good luck this winter in your new digs bro.

Thanks!

I'd almost rather not have the options!
Keep my simple live or die method.

But.....I think it's going to work out!

Long as it doesn't become "work"!

Sorce
 

Vance Wood

Lord Mugo
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I got one that sits over the fence and taunts the shit out of my dog.

@mainefalconer where does one buy a redtailed hawk!?

I'm gonna lightsaber his Ass!

Sorce
Get your self a BB gun of the gas or pump powered version. A well placed shot will solve your privileged rat problem. Maybe your not so good a shot? A little practice and you will be.
 

watchndsky

Chumono
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Get your self a BB gun of the gas or pump powered version. A well placed shot will solve your privileged rat problem. Maybe your not so good a shot? A little practice and you will be.

i can hit a shotshell at 100 yards with my rugers or marlins - i cant hit a squirrel at 20 in my backyard with my beeman pellet gun.

problem is i actually like squirrels and hate to kill anything but a snake. the chipmunks,groundhogs and rabbits get a pass because they never do any damage. the squirrels and deer are another story. ive been working on the squirrel relocation program (suprisingly its not a federally funded program) and the little things are somehow managing to eat all the food from the traps without setting it off. (and no idea why)

random comment i guess - but i just came in from outside and noticed the cage was void of both food and squirrels, so the thought was fresh on my mind.
 

Paradox

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I have a cold frame against the north side of my house made of cement blocks. It is currently 4x8, and will soon be 4x16.
I used it the first time last year and it did great. The temps were perfect pretty much all winter.
I also use my unheated, attached garage for the more sensitive trees that can do fine with a bit warmer dormancy. The average temperature in the garage can vary year to year depending on the outside conditions.
 

Arcto

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Last winter, the toughies on the ground and mulched in. I benefited from 2-3' snow cover too. A few marginals went in an insulated, unheated garage that never got below 28F. All tenders were in a heated greenhouse. This fall, the greenhouse is already full of tenders and trees just wired. I have had more problems in the shoulder seasons with early and late freezes. @ghues I guess you've heard there is a monster storm due to hit Sat-Sun where you are. Better tie those trees down.
 

JudyB

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Did you make your cold storage house or did you buy it prefab?
We built it. I had a small prefab for a couple years before this one, but as it was twin wall, it was too hard to keep it cold enough with all the sun heat buildup. Most greenhouses are designed to collect sun and warmth, the opposite of what you need in a winter shelter. A building type, like we did is much easier to maintain what you want. It's always easier to warm it up than cool it down... Here's a link to a thread I posted about it.
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-cold-green-house.10624/
 

lordy

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I build an enclosure using old doors as a windscreen against the north-facing foundation of my house. Lattice on top to keep the heavy snow out but lets lighter precipitation in for watering purposes. No sun from Oct to April helps moderate the temps. Pine straw around the pots which sit directly on the ground.IMG_2681.JPG IMG_2683.JPG IMG_2684.JPG IMG_2685.JPG
 

Grant Hamby

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Last year, my first bonsai winter, I put the maples & such in the unheated garage on a shelf. The shelf was on an outer wall near the garage door. The little pines went in a big plastic tub filled with mulch a little over the top of the pots. Everything came out okay, but I'm trying to have a better plan for this winter. We have one of those cheap sheds made of plastic-type stuff, I plan to monitor the temp in there and see if it would work better. I don't have too many trees yet, so it's a little easier for me right now.
 
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