First real winters night

Deep Sea Diver

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imho Yep..,leave the snow on the trees before you tarp over the lot.

The tarp will help by providing shelter. The snow will still insulate

Other ideas

Dig the pots in to just below the lip, bark on top and under.

If that’s not possible, bark the pots while they are on the ground.

Medium sifted bark nuggets.

Good luck
DSD sendd
 

Shogun610

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imho Yep..,leave the snow on the trees before you tarp over the lot.

The tarp will help by providing shelter. The snow will still insulate

Other ideas

Dig the pots in to just below the lip, bark on top and under.

If that’s not possible, bark the pots while they are on the ground.

Medium sifted bark nuggets.

Good luck
DSD sendd
Yeah they’re all close w leaves on them instead of mulch and the snow .. just tonight and tomorrow night while it’s 10 at night. Rest of week will be in mid 20’s
 

Dav4

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It’s going down to 10 tonight.. I have a tarp over my trees just to hold the thermal heat from the home in since they’re next to the house. There is still snow over them too so there is insulation that way… am I over thinking it ?
The K.I.S.S. principle doubly applies with winter storage, so I think you're overthinking it. For cold hardy trees in your zone, put them on the ground out of the sun and wind, mulch the pots... done! I might set some spring loaded mouse traps on top of the mulch but that'd be it. Having to lay out a tarp every time the temps were forecast to dip into the low teens would get tedious, and you're apt to damage your trees.
 

Shogun610

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The K.I.S.S. principle doubly applies with winter storage, so I think you're overthinking it. For cold hardy trees in your zone, put them on the ground out of the sun and wind, mulch the pots... done! I might set some spring loaded mouse traps on top of the mulch but that'd be it. Having to lay out a tarp every time the temps were forecast to dip into the low teens would get tedious, and you're apt to damage your trees.
I didn’t mulch the pots this year just had leaves and next to home w burlap/ pallets as wind blockers. Thanks for the advice I’ll it’s just for tonight , remove then tomorrow night… but yeah I see your point
 

rockm

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The K.I.S.S. principle doubly applies with winter storage, so I think you're overthinking it. For cold hardy trees in your zone, put them on the ground out of the sun and wind, mulch the pots... done! I might set some spring loaded mouse traps on top of the mulch but that'd be it. Having to lay out a tarp every time the temps were forecast to dip into the low teens would get tedious, and you're apt to damage your trees.
A tarp will make the area MORE attractive to mice, rodents...The advice on putting them on the ground and mulching over is good. Tarp is completely unnecessary and complicates things more than it helps. Mice and voles etc. will appreciate the dry sheltered environment under the tarp. Additionally, the tarp will prevent moisture from getting to the trees.

Simply leaving the tarp off will allow the rain/snow to wet the mulch through. Not a bad thing at all, mice won't appreciate the wet/icy mulch. The precipitation will keep your trees watered through the winter. The moisture will also act as an insulator from extreme cold as well...
 

Pitoon

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Its was chilly this morning....25 degrees when I left for work.
 

Underdog

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They say it's 9* in Ohio. dang.... I'm not there.
 

Shogun610

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A tarp will make the area MORE attractive to mice, rodents...The advice on putting them on the ground and mulching over is good. Tarp is completely unnecessary and complicates things more than it helps. Mice and voles etc. will appreciate the dry sheltered environment under the tarp. Additionally, the tarp will prevent moisture from getting to the trees.

Simply leaving the tarp off will allow the rain/snow to wet the mulch through. Not a bad thing at all, mice won't appreciate the wet/icy mulch. The precipitation will keep your trees watered through the winter. The moisture will also act as an insulator from extreme cold as well...
Yeah I only had the tarp on last night because it was 10 depgrees and like I said I only have leaves not mulch but next to the house.. it’s already off taken off this morning. Won’t use tarp again, there is a coating of ice and snow on all my trees already w leaves underneath..I know how ground temp and insulation works w snow was just paranoid last night ..
 
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