Cotoneaster winter care

Zac

Mame
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Hi I lost my cotoneaster this past winter it never came out of winter dormancy. The place I purchased it from said it was the way I overwintered it. I live in South Central PA in zone 6b. I had read online to place it in an unheated garage or shed so I put 1 inch ridged foam insulation around the pot and placed in shed where it still received light I had a thermometer in shed and the temps in there only got down to 10 degrees a couple of nights but it did get warm in there several days because the winter was weird with warm and cold weeks. The place I bought it from said I should of brought inside for winter but their website has it listed as deciduous so it needs the cold exposure. They are located in southern California and said tree never saw temps below 40 degrees. I purchased a new tree to try again so I'm looking for suggestions on how to care for it this winter thanks
 

Scorpius

Chumono
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All my trees stay out till the nighttime temps start dipping below 20 degrees which can be as late as Christmas time for my area. After that they all go into the greenhouse that never gets below 20 degrees till springtime.
 

Flowerhouse

Shohin
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There are 70 to 300 species of cotoneaster, and they might not all be hardy in 6b. What species did you have? The hardiness of your particular species will dictate how you overwinter it. The cotoneasters I have are C. acutifolius, hardy zones 4-7. I'm in 5a, so mine spend the winter on the ground on the north side of my house. I fence to protect them from deer, water if they don't have snow cover, and otherwise let them sleep the winter away.
 

Zac

Mame
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I do not have a green house but looking into building a cold frame with greenhouse auto vent openers to regulate the temp when I'm at work. As for the type the online bonsai supplier I purchased from only has it listed as a deciduous cotoneaster I contacted them for the scientific name of the specie I received thanks for your info
 

Zac

Mame
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I contacted the online bonsai supplier I purchased from they said can't give me zone specific info but they did give me the scientific name cotoneaster dammeri lowfast if that helps thanks
 

Tums

Shohin
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I contacted the online bonsai supplier I purchased from they said can't give me zone specific info but they did give me the scientific name cotoneaster dammeri lowfast if that helps thanks
If you google the scientific name, it should be hardy down to zone 5. I think in that case it would be easier to keep it mulched in or buried somewhere outside rather than have to worry about your garage getting too hot. Not mentioned yet, how did you water it over the winter?
 

Paradox

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I do not have a green house but looking into building a cold frame with greenhouse auto vent openers to regulate the temp when I'm at work. As for the type the online bonsai supplier I purchased from only has it listed as a deciduous cotoneaster I contacted them for the scientific name of the specie I received thanks for your info

You dont need greenhouse vent openers.

I have a coldframe built out of cement block on the north side of my house.
The north side is best because it gets the least sun and you want it to stay colder
I put all my deciduous trees, including my cotoneaster in there when temps go down to 30 degrees.
I cover the cold frame when temperatures are below 30 and open it when it gets warmer
The heat radiating off the foundation mitigates temperatures.
I put my most cold sensitive plants in the window wells and against the foundation walls.
Colder tolerant trees go along the outside edges.
Ive used this system for a number of years with no problems
 

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Deep Sea Diver

Masterpiece
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Not sure it’s the cold that did your plant in. It’s listed as zone 5b, so even in a pot it should of lasted in zone 6b…. 10F wouldn’t be an issue as long as you watered before freezes.

Look at the other factors involved, watering, fungus, etc. Yet, as others mentioned, outside is a better place for this plant.

cheers
DSD sends
 

Flowerhouse

Shohin
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If you google the scientific name, it should be hardy down to zone 5. I think in that case it would be easier to keep it mulched in or buried somewhere outside rather than have to worry about your garage getting too hot. Not mentioned yet, how did you water it over the winter?
What @Tums said, with one suggestion: Trees wintered on the sunny side of your house are vulnerable to those warm spells. If you winter them on the north side they don't get the same warming effects.
 

Zac

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Thank you. I'm new to the year round outside bonsai except for a juniper that I place in shed by window in winter. My other trees are tropical and subtropical so they come in for winter. I was thinking of using my window wells as cold frames because don't have much room to build one. The north side of my house is only 2 feet from neighbors driveway so not safe there they plow their snow there. I was going to use green house vent openers so if temps rise while I'm at work it'll open up by itself. I go into work at 5:00 am and don't get home till 3-5 pm so wouldn't be home when temps are going up. I sent pictures and detailed description of my care and placement of tree to the supplier and pictures of the roots and they said it was the way I wintered it that it got too cold but who knows I'm still learning and your info is greatly appreciated
 

Zac

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Correction I just reread their email they said was probably temps fluctuating warm to cold waking tree up then getting to cold. They also stated in email that since they're in southern California that their trees never see temps below 40 degrees so I should bring trees inside when temps drop to 50 degrees. I don't think that'll be good for the trees but maybe they're right?
 

Tums

Shohin
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No, I think if the tree experiences fall in your area and is hardy, then it should be able to winter outside. Can you also answer if you continued watering the tree in your garage?
 

Scorpius

Chumono
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Cotoneaster are fussy shrubs as well. I treat them like fruit trees. Lots of preventative sprays.
 

Zac

Mame
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Yes I checked on the trees in my shed everyday when I got home from work. I have a wood skewer stuck in the dirt of all my trees to check moisture level of soil. If skewer was not wet I watered so the soil stayed moist the whole
 

Scorpius

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What all sprays do you use scorpius?
I rotate four different fungicide sprays. I use Bonide Infuse for systemic fungicide. For insects I use Bayer Tree and Shrub and they make a spray for mites.
 

Zac

Mame
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Ok thank you I have the Bayer stuff but I don't have any fungicides
 

Paradox

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Thank you. I'm new to the year round outside bonsai except for a juniper that I place in shed by window in winter. My other trees are tropical and subtropical so they come in for winter. I was thinking of using my window wells as cold frames because don't have much room to build one. The north side of my house is only 2 feet from neighbors driveway so not safe there they plow their snow there. I was going to use green house vent openers so if temps rise while I'm at work it'll open up by itself. I go into work at 5:00 am and don't get home till 3-5 pm so wouldn't be home when temps are going up. I sent pictures and detailed description of my care and placement of tree to the supplier and pictures of the roots and they said it was the way I wintered it that it got too cold but who knows I'm still learning and your info is greatly appreciated

Do you have room on the east side of your house? That would be the second best option probably
 

Zac

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Yes around window wells rest is flower beds. My house is sitting on the north south line at an angle so the back length of house is facing almost exactly east
 

WNC Bonsai

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My cotoneaster has survived several winters outside in zone 6b-7a. How often did you water yours in the garage? You need to keep the roots from drying out. I doubt it was due to the temp fluctuations.
 
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