Garage vs. ground

[Dav4]

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I think both garage and outdoor trees experienced many freeze/thaw cycles....I dont know how to avoid that.

This year I'm planning on keeping nearly everything outside, but I will be using pine bark mulch and placing them on the ground.

Fingers crossed.

Hoping mulch makes all the difference.

On the ground away from any sun exposure, heavily mulched with wood or bark chips over the soil surface of the pot, and you should be good.

 

[VAFisher]

I've kept all my deciduous trees in my attached garage for the last 5 winters or so with no issues. They usually come in around Thanksgiving and sit on metal shelves off the floor. I leave the window open behind them to keep it colder in there. It will go above 40 at times but not long enough to cause problems. If it's going to be really cold I close the window. The only issue is that they do start moving early in the spring and I have to do the two step. It gives me piece of mind for the species that are marginal in my zone like crape myrtle, and the Louisiana trees. I also get to look them over on a daily basis as I leave and come home from work to make sure all is well.

 

[GSCarlson]

I keep my trees in a detached garage. I set them on the concrete floor, which prevents freeze/thaw cycles.

 

[canoeguide]

I'm imagining a bunch of garages full of crap (or bonsai) and cars parked in the driveway. I park in my garage, and with two daily driven vehicles I can say that hot engines and hot exhaust components sitting in there every evening push temperatures well above 40f even on really cold days.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm imagining a bunch of garages full of crap (or bonsai) and cars parked in the driveway. I park in my garage, and with two daily driven vehicles I can say that hot engines and hot exhaust components sitting in there every evening push temperatures well above 40f even on really cold days.

Great thought.
You're probably right.

 

[Forsoothe!]

In the once great state of Maryland, we get really bad winters....bad for humans and bonsai.

This is going to be my second year in my new place.
Last year I put a bunch of my trees in the garage and a bunch outside under my deck on the North side of the house, wind break on 3 sides.....seemed ideal.

I lost more than half of my trees last winter....garage and outside....didn't matter.

Looking back and trying to figure out what went wrong....
The outdoor trees....I didn't mulch them, and they were on a plank a few inches above the ground.

The garage trees did better overall, but still lost many.
I think both garage and outdoor trees experienced many freeze/thaw cycles....I dont know how to avoid that.

This year I'm planning on keeping nearly everything outside, but I will be using pine bark mulch and placing them on the ground.

Fingers crossed.

Hoping mulch makes all the difference.

You didn't mention how you watered?

 

[just.wing.it]

You didn't mention how you watered?

Probably kept too wet as well....
Another potential killer.
Hoping that the mulch will keep things damp without much, if any, water this winter.

 

[Dav4]

Probably kept too wet as well....
Another potential killer.
Hoping that the mulch will keep things damp without much, if any, water this winter.

I never had to water anything that was mulched outside in my garden for the winter... Ma nature took care of that. As far material mulched on the floor of my garage, it would get watered in once and wouldn't generally get any more again until spring. I'd always apply snow when available to the top of the mulch. In ten years, I think I watered those garaged trees with a hose or can twice at most during any winter. These trees were ALL in a turface mix so pretty wet all by itself. If your trees are healthy, are adequately protected but stay COLD- read this as frozen soil- for most of the winter, and don't dry out, they will sail through winter without any issues.

 

[penumbra]

I have an empty cold frame waitng and a covered hoop tunnel for my more sensitive plants, but I wonder if its ever going to get cold enough to use them this years. We are not showing even a hard frost for at least the next 2-3 weeks.

 

[thams]

I have an empty cold frame waitng and a covered hoop tunnel for my more sensitive plants, but I wonder if its ever going to get cold enough to use them this years. We are not showing even a hard frost for at least the next 2-3 weeks.

According to the Farmer's Almanac the winter is going to be overall more mild this year than average. Although the rainfall is predicted to be higher (at least for me in the southeast). This is good news for me since I have a lot of fall collected material that I need to protect. I'll likely be using some sort of dropcloth to drape over some of my trees to keep them from getting too much water.

 

[just.wing.it]

I never had to water anything that was mulched outside in my garden for the winter... Ma nature took care of that. As far material mulched on the floor of my garage, it would get watered in once and wouldn't generally get any more again until spring. I'd always apply snow when available to the top of the mulch. In ten years, I think I watered those garaged trees with a hose or can twice at most during any winter. These trees were ALL in a turface mix so pretty wet all by itself. If your trees are healthy, are adequately protected but stay COLD- read this as frozen soil- for most of the winter, and don't dry out, they will sail through winter without any issues.

I will have them under my back deck, which has a roof if its own.
Plus my wind break wall also keeps rain out.
I will lay off on the water this year, maybe use chopsticks for moisture indicators.

 

[thams]

I've already started to "dry fit" my heeling in space to see what will fit where. This little exterior corner will work well for most of my trees, but I think I'll need to find other space for my smaller trees. I sort of underestimated how much space my bigger trees really take up. I'm gonna need a fair amount of mulch to heel them in.