Hard frost coming should I heavily water?

[Dav4]

Is there something unique about Trident physiology? Roots more sensitive to frost?

You'll hear this about tridents from time to time. In my experience with them, I've found them to be very cold hardy when fully dormant and didn't blink at having their root ball frozen for months at a time... but once they've started to grow, they become very sensitive to frosts and freezes, and perhaps more so then other trees. Again, that's just my experience. Fwiw, most of my tridents will be riding out tonight's freeze outside, on the ground, with trash cans and blankets thrown over them. Low tonight of 29F, but my micro climate usually is 4-7 degrees warmer, so I'm more concerned about frost damage to the leaves. By the way, when I get home from work, everything is gonna get watered... a lot!

 

[discusmike]

Dave answered your ?, it's been warm recently in my area do my tridents n other trees are pushing leaves,tridents can be fussy when there roots freeze after coming out of dormancy

 

[miker]

Weather.com has us (Wyomissing) down to 12F a couple nights from now. Safe to say that would totally destroy and buds, new growth, leaves, etc. on anything in the landscape or bonsai.

 

[miker]

According to a curator at Duke Gardens we have had 50% of the normal dormancy time at this point of the year.

Whereas here, we have had over 2,000 chilling hours since November 1, despite the mild winter, so everything should be more than ready to grow, weather permitting.

 

[GrimLore]

Whereas here, we have had over 2,000 chilling hours since November 1, despite the mild winter, so everything should be more than ready to grow, weather permitting.

There where you are I have a friend and what seems to be a disaster really is not. After a few more warm days including one of 72f where I cleaned out water reserves for Bald Cypress thet where frozen this morning. They defrosted at 35F today, I poured more water in and a chopstick in one. I expect it to be frozen solid in the morning as it will be 20F or lower tonight... I took a picture of the defrosted, and I will take another in the morning frozen, and continue to do so until mid week and post them... The plants will be just fine.
I am saying all of that to prove, at least here depending on the plant they can and do easily handle freezing and defrosting and it is natural. "If" a plant cannot rather then dance or worry grow plants that require less worry outdoors...

Indoors for Winter is far more difficult and keeps you very busy if that is what you like for the Winter.

Grimmy

 

[miker]

Well said Grimmy. I have put almost everything in the shed (except spruce, fir and my JWP seedling) since I am new to keeping bonsai up north so I am not really sure just how dormant most of my trees are at this exact point.

The forecast for tomorrow night keeps inching downward and Accuweather now predicts a low of 10F, a temperature that would get my attention in the dead of winter, protection-wise. I darn sure am not leaving anything except the sub-arctic conifers unprotected for 10F in March.

 

[GrimLore]

The forecast for tomorrow night keeps inching downward and Accuweather now predicts a low of 10F, a temperature that would get my attention in the dead of winter, protection-wise. I darn sure am not leaving anything except the sub-arctic conifers unprotected for 10F in March.

It is 20F here this morning and the Bald Cypress have all frozen solid again. They will most likely defrost today at 34F but here it is also going down to 10F tonight. I am talking about the Bald Cypress and Willows as an EXTREME example of water protection and the remainder just received a heavy watering prior to this cold snap.

Yesterday after thawing at 5:09PM -



This morning at 7:21AM over 3 inches deep frozen solid, yes those are roots in there -



It was 72F last Saturday and the roller coaster of freezing and defrosting will continue for a few days -



Grimmy

 

[Dav4]

You'll hear this about tridents from time to time. In my experience with them, I've found them to be very cold hardy when fully dormant and didn't blink at having their root ball frozen for months at a time... but once they've started to grow, they become very sensitive to frosts and freezes, and perhaps more so then other trees. Again, that's just my experience. Fwiw, most of my tridents will be riding out tonight's freeze outside, on the ground, with trash cans and blankets thrown over them. Low tonight of 29F, but my micro climate usually is 4-7 degrees warmer, so I'm more concerned about frost damage to the leaves. By the way, when I get home from work, everything is gonna get watered... a lot!

So, it was 27F this am at the local weather station 5 miles south of me... 35F in my back yard.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It didn't freeze here either. Time to start repotting today...

 

[Dav4]

It didn't freeze here either. Time to start repotting today...

I'm still amazed you haven't had to start yet. Folks are repotting now all the way up into New England. I started repotting my deciduous trees 6 weeks ago. I have one palmatum and a hackberry left, then it's on to the pines... at least half of the JBP have candles that have extended by at least 2-3" and some are over 5"... crazy.

I suspect you're going to be pretty tired come tomorrow night.

 

[GrimLore]

Safe to say that would totally destroy and buds, new growth, leaves, etc. on anything in the landscape or bonsai.

And a good reason to water heavily after a warming when followed by cold. What I mean is I am certain all of the plants I did not and never need to worry about are still not moving enough to have damaged leaf or bud - keeping them cold slows them down.
It is still March and where you there will be a few more weeks of this up and down weather and if they were slowed a bit as mine are you would not need to move them at all. Downside is I cannot turn on the outside water yet and all watering is being done by hand - neighbors must think it odd but they must think I am anyways

Grimmy

 

[backroadstraveler]

I have tridents, black pine, elms, bald cypress that I have repotted and have new leaves. Will they be okay if I leave them out unprotected if the temperature only drops to 37 degrees? If yes, what would be the lowest temp. that you would chance? Thanks

 

[Dav4]

I have tridents, black pine, elms, bald cypress that I have repotted and have new leaves. Will they be okay if I leave them out unprotected if the temperature only drops to 37 degrees? If yes, what would be the lowest temp. that you would chance? Thanks

37 F won't do anything to your trees... if temps were forecast to fall into the mid to low 30's, I'd be covering up the trees in leaf.

 

[LanceMac10]

37 F won't do anything to your trees... if temps were forecast to fall into the mid to low 30's, I'd be covering up the trees in leaf.

'bout 30 last night...but for a short time....we'll see how it goes......funny thing, thru all this, a friggen' Wisteria seemed the only plant with really visible damage on the new "tender bits".....

 

[rockm]

37 F won't do anything to your trees... if temps were forecast to fall into the mid to low 30's, I'd be covering up the trees in leaf.

If the temperature is forecast to drop to 37 or so and it's clear, the air is dry and there is no wind, expect frost. I cover trees at night when temps are forecast to drop to 36 or so. Radiational cooling can produce frost with temps as high as 40 in areas exposed to the sky. Trees on benches with no overhead cover can get nipped hard in such situations. The frost typically comes just before dawn, when it's coldest. You can blunt the frost by spraying the foliage down with water...

 

[Dav4]

If the temperature is forecast to drop to 37 or so and it's clear, the air is dry and there is no wind, expect frost. I cover trees at night when temps are forecast to drop to 36 or so. Radiational cooling can produce frost with temps as high as 40 in areas exposed to the sky. Trees on benches with no overhead cover can get nipped hard in such situations. The frost typically comes just before dawn, when it's coldest. You can blunt the frost by spraying the foliage down with water...

I guess I've been lucky... no frost ever in my yards in MA or GA without temps falling to or below 35 F, landscape or potted trees included.

 

[rockm]

I guess I've been lucky... no frost ever in my yards in MA or GA without temps falling to or below 35 F, landscape or potted trees included.

Had a 39 degree morning on Saturday. Frost on all the roofs in my neighbors houses...

"A local study done on frost formation relating temperature to dew point has these guidelines for frost: temperatures from 38 to 42 F can lead to patchy frost, 33 to 37 areas of frost, and 32 and below widespread frost/freeze. Note that the study did not factor in other considerations to frost, such as sky cover and wind speeds."

What Causes Frost?