Heated Cold Frame/Storage

Baldemotions

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I know it is early but that will give me time to work on a project.
I am looking to build a heated storage for my bonsai in the winter. I currently just bring them into my unheated garage. I have aquired some Japanese Black Pines and they will not survive outside in my enviroment in MN during the winter.

So my question to all of you northerners is, what do you do with your trees durring the -30F 6 month long winters?

If you use cold frames/storage I would love to see or know how you build yours.
Thanks
 

davetree

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Why don't you just heat your garage instead of building a cold frame ?
 

fourteener

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Why don't you just heat your garage instead of building a cold frame ?

The first answer is expense.

I used the 2 inch pink foam insulation board. I have a 4X8 sheet on the floor and the ceiling with sheets to construct the walls. I used 1X2 to build and internal frame, spray foam to seal up every crack and the door is a piece of foam that fits in good and snug. I attached the frame to the walls in a few key locations.

I have a piece of plywood covering the floor. I built some very sturdy shelving out of two by fours.

I hung a light from one of the 1x2, brought in some power through the doorway. I keep a sizable fan oscillating all winter, a milk house heater plugged into a thermostat. The thermostat is a specialty piece. Thermostats you buy at hardware stores never go below 45 degrees. You have to go to a farm specialty store or a greenhouse specialty store to find a thermostat to go lower than 40. I keep mine set at 36. Here's a link to the type of thing your looking for. Farm supplies sell the same type of things for barns.

http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/prod1;gs_thermostats_controllers-gs_durostat_thermostats;pgcr2095.html

I'll take some pics and post them in a bit.
 

fourteener

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Here are some pictures of my structure. You can build a much smaller space if you don't need all of this. You will fill up whatever you build!!

it looks like I used 2x2s for the vertical support and 1x2s for the ceiling.

I sealed up everything, but I don't worry about sealing up the door. You need some ventilation and some fresh air to enter. I keep the fan oscillating away from the plants so none of them are getting a direct draft. Moving air is the key and the more plants you put in... the more air movement you need. I defoliate everything before they go in, no use dragging any problems into a confined space and I do give an insecticide/fungicide treatment prior to winter.

It's a mess right now. I will treat the wood with some fungicide and do my best to get it dried out and not harboring problems for next winter. It's not to hard to build, but better to have it ready in August than desperate in Decemburr!!!
 

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davetree

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It's not expensive to heat a garage, it just depends on if it's attached, insulated, etc.
It maybe costs me $50-$100 in electricity for the season to keep my trees at 35 degrees. My garage is unheated, attached, and insulated.
 

coh

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It's not quite as cold here as in Minnesota, but I've built a structure similar to fourteener's in my barn. It's about 10x10' (I think). Biggest difference is that so far I've just used clear plastic (2 layers) to cover it. I also keep it at about 27-28 F using a small space heater and thermostat. So far, no losses with this set up. I do have to improve it, though - there are gaps where rodents have gotten in and damaged some trees. I'm planning to seal it up better before the upcoming winter, either with plywood or foam board (or some combo).

I've got a similar but smaller set up in my garage, that one is just heated with seedling heat mats but since the garage is attached, it stays warmer than the barn.

Chris
 

fourteener

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It's not expensive to heat a garage, it just depends on if it's attached, insulated, etc.
It maybe costs me $50-$100 in electricity for the season to keep my trees at 35 degrees. My garage is unheated, attached, and insulated.

My unnattached, insulation free, drafty garage would cost quite a bit. I could buy several nice pots or one great tree for the price of heating it. The pink room costs me more than $100 to heat. I've considered doubling the walls to help with the cost.
 

Paradox

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I am also in an area that doesnt get as cold as MN but it did get pretty damn cold here this winter. My JBP did fine in my attached, unheated, insulated garage. In fact, there were some days I had to open the door for a few hours to keep it below 40 deg F.
 

fourteener

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It's not quite as cold here as in Minnesota, but I've built a structure similar to fourteener's in my barn. It's about 10x10' (I think). Biggest difference is that so far I've just used clear plastic (2 layers) to cover it. I also keep it at about 27-28 F using a small space heater and thermostat. So far, no losses with this set up. I do have to improve it, though - there are gaps where rodents have gotten in and damaged some trees. I'm planning to seal it up better before the upcoming winter, either with plywood or foam board (or some combo).

I've got a similar but smaller set up in my garage, that one is just heated with seedling heat mats but since the garage is attached, it stays warmer than the barn.

Chris

I supply a buffet table of free food in case of a break in by unwanted vermin.
 

Baldemotions

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It gets pretty cold in my attached insulated north facing garage. Especially when someone forgets to close the garage door.

Thanks fourteener. That's what I have been waiting for.
 
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