How do you store trees in Winter?

[cmeg1]

I have been thinking of Winter storage recently and while I do have a successful method of storing small bonsai in deep wooden cold frames,I am very curious how others over-Winter bonsai.
My Winter is zone 7 down to about 0F.
I am especially curious of ways poly tunnels,sheds,greenhouses are heated.
Thanks for all replies!

 

[cmeg1]

I will explain the method I have used for my small collections.
I put a wooden box a couple feet into ground without a bottom,just earth. So warmth from ground can fill it.Then gravel on bottom.It is tightly sealed with a hinged wood lid.Total darkness.
I can put a garden hose into it just befor I put trees away and the humidity keeps trees moist practically the whole Winter.Never falls below 27F in there,and there is always dew on bottom of the pots.
This year I am considering low intensity lighting for a bit of heat,although coldframes a little over 2feet deep in my area have never fallen below 27F,that is without additional heat source.
This works great for small bonsai.
I am considering other ,possibly walk in,options though.

 

[M. Frary]

I put them on the ground after their frozen solid. Cover up to the lowest branches with straw and walk away until spring.
I have trees that have survived minus 35 degrees and more. We usually get below zero temps for at least a couple weeks. Minus 20 at least.
But. Our snow cover is key. Without snow my tale might be a tale of woe.

 

[shinmai]

I bought a greenhouse kit on Amazon last year for $275. It’s 6X6, and 7 1/2 feet at the peak, with a sliding door. I’m in 5b. I bought a thermostatic controller for thirty bucks, and set it up with a space heater, to keep the temp between 32 and 40. It worked great, until we had a major cold spell and I added a second heater.
I was not watering enough, and three rhododendrons in the airstream from the second heater got too dry and croaked. We live and learn. Next year the trees will go on shelves, I’ll put a baffle of some sort in front of the heater, and add a fan to circulate the air stream.
Other than those three, the other trees did just fine. If not for operator error......
I should add that I got a wireless indoor/outdoor thermometer for 15 bucks, and the little unit in the greenhouse wirelessly transmitted the greenhouse temp to a digital display in my kitchen, so I could tell what was going on outside.

 

[GGB]

My southern trees (loblolly, BC, etc) get an unheated garage. My Northern trees (Larch, hemlock, jack pine etc) get taken off the bench after 32 degrees and put on the ground in the shade where they stay all winter unless it drops below 23ish degrees, then they spend a night or two in the garage

 

[River's Edge]

I have been thinking of Winter storage recently and while I do have a successful method of storing small bonsai in deep wooden cold frames,I am very curious how others over-Winter bonsai.
My Winter is zone 7 down to about 0F.
I am especially curious of ways poly tunnels,sheds,greenhouses are heated.
Thanks for all replies!

My trees that need a bit more protection go in the greenhouse. I have a small heater that comes on at 2 degree's Celsius to protect from freezing. This is for smaller seedlings, recent grafts, weaker trees in recovery and those that require a bit more protection. Persimmon, Chojubai, Japanese Pepper.
All the rest in pots or grow boxes come off the upper bench and are either placed on the ground or protected with windbreak applied to the bottom bench area. The remaining trees are left in the grow beds for the winter with leaf litter or bark mulch placed on the surface.
Here is a picture of the bench arrangements so you can see what i mean by the lower bench area. It is approximately 4 inches off the ground and somewhat protected by placing poly on one side for the winter.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm in a new house this year and this thread reminded me that I have not thought about winter at so yet...
I'm gonna put everything on my front porch....which is covered by an awning and faces North...
Could use unheated garage for some if needed...probably will for a few...

 

[Stormwater]

What about cascades? Last winter I just buried all my trees (pot and all) in the garden. I got juniper、now cascade, this spring, but cannot wrap my head around how to protect it.

 

[just.wing.it]

What about cascades? Last winter I just buried all my trees (pot and all) in the garden. I got juniper、now cascade, this spring, but cannot wrap my head around how to protect it.

Get dirt...build hill...bury cascade....
If necessary, build wooden box.

 

[bonsai-ben]

IN THE FULL SUN OF FLORIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[Cable]

Last year I stuck all my trees in the breezeway between my house and the garage. I buried my favorite juniper in its nursery pot and the rest I set on the ground and healed in with leaves. I took two and put them down in my basement window wells and covered with leaves and then snow. I lost both of those plus 5 others in our terrible winter without a whole lot of snow.

This year I plan to use the unheated root cellar under my back garage for all my deciduous. I'll probably leave the evergreens out since I'd want them to get some light.

 

[cmeg1]

Last year I stuck all my trees in the breezeway between my house and the garage. I buried my favorite juniper in its nursery pot and the rest I set on the ground and healed in with leaves. I took two and put them down in my basement window wells and covered with leaves and then snow. I lost both of those plus 5 others in our terrible winter without a whole lot of snow.

This year I plan to use the unheated root cellar under my back garage for all my deciduous. I'll probably leave the evergreens out since I'd want them to get some light.

Root cellar sounds pretty good.I was always a fan of having structures set into the ground.Probably cause’ I don’t have a heated greenhouse.lol

 

[River's Edge]

What about cascades? Last winter I just buried all my trees (pot and all) in the garden. I got juniper、now cascade, this spring, but cannot wrap my head around how to protect it.

Got me there! I do not have a cascade in my collection, never had to think about it. Let's see! Tie on short stump. Surround with chicken wire, fill with fall leaves. Oh and burlap sack if needed around the wire. Pain to water though

 

[Anthony]

This is just teasing cmeg1,

in the fridge at crisper temperature, with double plastic
bags around the root section.
For just over two months
Good Day
Anthony

 

[rockm]

What about cascades? Last winter I just buried all my trees (pot and all) in the garden. I got juniper、now cascade, this spring, but cannot wrap my head around how to protect it.

Lean or Lie the pot on its side, with tree pointing up. Make sure it gets water and not too much over the winter...

 

[Silentrunning]

What about watering? Do deciduous trees need to be watered when they are dormant? Also, are Ficus ok to spend the winter in the house?

 

[sorce]

o, are Ficus ok to spend the winter in the house?

A must unless you are @bonsai-ben !

............

 

[JudyB]

I have been thinking of Winter storage recently and while I do have a successful method of storing small bonsai in deep wooden cold frames,I am very curious how others over-Winter bonsai.
My Winter is zone 7 down to about 0F.
I am especially curious of ways poly tunnels,sheds,greenhouses are heated.
Thanks for all replies!

My winter conditions are much different than yours, so don't know how much of the setup I use will help. I think if I lived in a warmer zone, I would forgo the overhead (infrared) heater that I have on a thermostat and just go with heat mats (also on thermostats) in my cold greenhouse/wintering structure. It will keep the roots warm, but the air stays cold enough for dormancy. It basically mimics planting in the ground without some of the issues of actually having the plants outside. I'm sure you've seen it, but if not, here is a thread about my structure.
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/my-cold-green-house.10624/

 

[Stormwater]

Damn, that’s dedication. Wish I had the space and $$$ for that .

 

[Stormwater]

What about watering? Do deciduous trees need to be watered when they are dormant? Also, are Ficus ok to spend the winter in the house?

Mine did fine , even had some growth around January . Kept it about 6” from a window ( shades down at night) on a humidity tray (tray from ikea, stones from the street).