Arctic blast winter help...

[fourteener]

It has been obnoxiously cold with very little snowfall this year. Glad I built the cold frame in my garage. It's been a nice 25 degrees in there. It actually felt warm when I walked into the room. I think the worst I've seen is -24. We get insulated by Lake Superior though and it's been -40 in some other places here in the northland. The wind has been the worst though. The metal bridge on my glasses makes my forehead hurt.

 

[M. Frary]

It has been obnoxiously cold with very little snowfall this year. Glad I built the cold frame in my garage. It's been a nice 25 degrees in there. It actually felt warm when I walked into the room. I think the worst I've seen is -24. We get insulated by Lake Superior though and it's been -40 in some other places here in the northland. The wind has been the worst though. The metal bridge on my glasses makes my forehead hurt.

Going to build a cold frame this year. Probably won't need it with all the global warming I'm reading about here but going to build it any way. Peace of mind and all.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

This makes my worries about -3 seem pretty rediculous. Anywho, my black pines in training pots are covered in mulch, wrapped in burlap on the ground and now covered in about 6" of snow, they are away from the light.

I have a Korean hornbeam, shimpaku, black pine and juni in their pots in the ground, Gome over with mulch and now covered in snow. I surrounded them with burlap to reduce the effect of wind.

My only recourse at this point is to see what happens when they start to wake up late next month, but so far they look fine. I chose this approach so that they could come out of winter a little easier.

 

[fourteener]

Going to build a cold frame this year. Probably won't need it with all the global warming I'm reading about here but going to build it any way. Peace of mind and all.

One bit of advice I learned, waterproof light fixtures. Lights mounted to wall instead of ceiling. My problem is humidity escaping through fixture, freezing, the on a warm day melting and coming back through the fixture.

 

[coh]

One bit of advice I learned, waterproof light fixtures. Lights mounted to wall instead of ceiling. My problem is humidity escaping through fixture, freezing, the on a warm day melting and coming back through the fixture.

I found out about this after upping the level of insulation on my shelter this winter. Now I have ice all along the top, which is simply plastic draped over a frame...so it sags and creates low areas where the water gathers and freezes. I had to move /cover my thermostat and heater to avoid water getting on them when it warms up, which might not have a good outcome.

 

[Cadillactaste]

-22F last night without wind chill factored in. Talk of wind chill being -40F. My greenhouse at 3am was sitting just under 40F. Though...gave myself a complete headache at 3am. Someone switched my thermostat to reading indoors. It was on 22C when I switched it to Fahrenheit it jumped into the 70's of course. Which wigged me out...not understanding why my alarm didn't go off that is set to go off just below 40F so I can open windows. When I realized I was not looking at the greenhouse temps. I was relieved to see it was just under 40F at 3 am. With the wind howling...I was quite relieved. But I've still carrying a headache from the instant stress of thinking my trees were in temps in the 70's. If I thought about it...no heater was on 70. My electric portable was set on the lowest temp of 50's. So...with the cold it should never reached 70...it was that that make me think...what's going on. Figuring it out.

 

[M. Frary]

One bit of advice I learned, waterproof light fixtures. Lights mounted to wall instead of ceiling. My problem is humidity escaping through fixture, freezing, the on a warm day melting and coming back through the fixture.

Good tip. But why do you have lights? Just to see or for the trees needs?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Our lights are meant to handle moisture. Our main light is a light meant to go outside...and the smaller lights are also outdoor safe. (We used to have a hot tub in that area so we prepared with lighting that could handle moisture from humidity. ) Never thought of it with the cold greenhouse though...they were in place already.

 

[fourteener]

Lights because I have no windows.

 

[edprocoat]

-22F last night without wind chill factored in. Talk of wind chill being -40F. My greenhouse at 3am was sitting just under 40F. Though...gave myself a complete headache at 3am. Someone switched my thermostat to reading indoors. It was on 22C when I switched it to Fahrenheit it jumped into the 70's of course. Which wigged me out...not understanding why my alarm didn't go off that is set to go off just below 40F so I can open windows. When I realized I was not looking at the greenhouse temps. I was relieved to see it was just under 40F at 3 am. With the wind howling...I was quite relieved. But I've still carrying a headache from the instant stress of thinking my trees were in temps in the 70's. If I thought about it...no heater was on 70. My electric portable was set on the lowest temp of 50's. So...with the cold it should never reached 70...it was that that make me think...what's going on. Figuring it out.

Darlene it seems you are always stressed or in panic mode ! I am beginning to think that's the way you like it, one drama after another.

ed

 

[barrosinc]

so it just rained with a hailstorm... first time that I can remember in full on summer.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Darlene it seems you are always stressed or in panic mode ! I am beginning to think that's the way you like it, one drama after another.

ed

It had to do with being tired Ed...it was 3am and I thought my trees were to warm. 70F for dormant trees is a no brainer "not good"...my FIRST winter wintering bonsai with arctic air...I believe I'm allowed to wig out. Drama...one after another...scratching my head over that one. Learning yes...that my trees shouldn't hit 50F and I thought they had and far exceded that...if that's Drama...okay...(I'm pretty sure many northerners were having moments of concern for their trees with this arctic air. Mine all night was if I could keep my room warm enough as the -40 windchill rolled through. If anyone had seen 70's for dormant trees...I'm sure they would have felt my panic." )

Not sure it's lack of sleep...or I can't read your tone. But...I'm going to use my ignore option. Sorry Ed. Maybe you should do the same. Then you won't have to see my "drama"

Have a great day Ed...

 

[Dav4]

Fwiw, this is a BAD winter to be cutting your teeth on keeping bonsai. Good luck.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Fwiw, this is a BAD winter to be cutting your teeth on keeping bonsai. Good luck.

Don't I know it...fortunately...I've had some amazing food to chew on for great advice. I've taken those tidbits and stored them. All I can do is hope for the best and try to give them the protection I can. Can't imagine how stressful it is for those wintering their trees outside in the elements.

Thanks Dave...I know I'm not alone in my concern...but...it being my first year is teeth grinding at times. Last night was quite stressful with the temps so cold...and fearing kill zone temps for roots.

 

[Dav4]

All I can tell you is that cold hardy trees are TOUGH when healthy. The goal during winter dormancy should always be to keep them protected from the most severe winter cold/wind while keeping them dormant...many of my trees have seen below 0 F temps (in MA) for long stretches and did just fine. If anything, too much heat is the enemy, particularly as winter transitions into spring. Granted, you're living in a colder climate then I did, but the goals are the same.

 

[Cadillactaste]

True...I try and stay between 28F-35F. (Which I found to be true to many northern bonsai folk) It's just when we up north have chances to go into single digits and kill zone temps. I've been told by someone I totally respect it's best to focus on even going into the 40's for few days...than those kill zone temps we get here. So that is how I'm going to look at it. You just don't know how your heat source will handle the arctic air...

Even nurseries around here are handling things differently after much loss from arctic temps last winter. It's making us northern folk stay on our toes that's for sure.

 

[milehigh_7]

I might be late in the game here but read this for some great info:
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/frzekill.htm

Also, snow and ice are fantastic insulators. I could build a snow shelter which would stay in the 70F with nothing but body heat. If you ever lived on a ranch you will see livestock out in subzero temps with snow on their backs and doing just fine.

Sometimes I am glad to live in Vegas but I do remember many subzero temps in the mountains of Colorado as I lived above 8000 feet.

One time I was staying at a camp on Mount Princeton Colorado where there are hot springs. Well it was a balmy -30F and we decided it would be a good idea to go swimming. So we did! Lots of fun till you stand up and the water covering your body flash freezes! What a weird feeling! Then the dash back to the cabin... LOL what mountain folks do for fun!

 

[LanceMac10]

Princeton was my first fourteener. Wasn't there some old-school pink stucco motel in the area? It was over twenty years ago.

 

[milehigh_7]

Not sure, the town down below is Buena Vista.

 

[crust]

Never has a larger group of people been sold a lager crock of Bovine Scatology. Because the world is getting warmer we are freezing our collective asses off. So what would happen if we were going to have another Ice Age bear down on us??? Maybe we would be running around in speedos and worrying about heat stroke? There is an old proverb I have heard: Figures don't lie but liars can figure.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/...e-The-Stalled-Jet-Stream-Wave?detail=facebook