It's still July, after all...

[leatherback]

Oh my.. talking about outdated threads!

August..

 

[berzerkules]

August..

...and I'm already planning for winter in zone 2.

 

[HorseloverFat]

...and I'm already planning for winter in zone 2.

We need to talk!! I was JUST discussing my fascination with Zone 3 Trees.. I’d be fascinated to talk COLDER!!! How COOOOL!!!

Also... your Name makes me laugh.. AUDIBLY.. EVERY single time!!

 

[berzerkules]

We need to talk!! I was JUST discussing my fascination with Zone 3 Trees.. I’d be fascinated to talk COLDER!!! How COOOOL!!!

Also... your Name makes me laugh.. AUDIBLY.. EVERY single time!!

I'm in my first year still, kind of just went all in on this trees in pots thing in my typical berserker style and collected every local species I could. Propegated a bunch of cuttings and I'm up to almost 150 trees. Our growing season is real short but we have long days so plants just explode when they get the chance.

What's crazy is we almost hit 90f in July and it was 45°f last night. Midwinter we hit -40°f or colder regularly. This April we had a 93 degree temperature difference over an 8 day period (-30°f to 60°+f). Needless to say the varieties of trees i have available is limited.

I know I can collect, propagate and care for trees in the summer but I'll be tested real soon.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I'm in my first year still, kind of just went all in on this trees in pots thing in my typical berserker style and collected every local species I could. Propegated a bunch of cuttings and I'm up to almost 150 trees. Our growing season is real short but we have long days so plants just explode when they get the chance.

What's crazy is we almost hit 90f in July and it was 45°f last night. Midwinter we hit -40°f or colder regularly. This April we had a 93 degree temperature difference over an 8 day period (-30°f to 60°+f). Needless to say the varieties of trees i have available is limited.

I know I can collect, propagate and care for trees in the summer but I'll be tested real soon.

Consistency of your transition seasons will test you... even HERE.. ALMOST everything (In containers) needs special winter protection. Coldframes, Sheds, pits, Angle-houses (not sure if that’s the correct term) are your FRIEND... plan well.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Our coldest streaks here (not gonna count swings cause those are NUTS) Average -5 to -13 F but that’s AT IT’S COLDEST consistent temperatures.. it is because of lake Michigan.. always a lil warmer in the winter, and a lil cooler in the summer.

 

[berzerkules]

Consistency of your transition seasons will test you... even HERE.. ALMOST everything (In containers) needs special winter protection. Coldframes, Sheds, pits, Angle-houses (not sure if that’s the correct term) are your FRIEND... plan well.

My plan is dig a trench, pack everything in there tight as I can, put a little hoop house over it, bury in mulch and pack with hay or something. That will keep them a fairly consistent temp while the outside temps waiver back and forth above and below freezing. Once it's consistently below freezing I should be able to mostly close off the structure, maybe put burlap and spruce boughs over top of that and let it get buried in snow for insulation. I'll need to line everything in some wire mesh to make it rodent proof too.

I've had some success with with other plants using hoop houses over trenches to extend the growing season and I'll just modify that.

Knock on wood and hope for the best i guess.

 

[HorseloverFat]

My plan is dig a trench, pack everything in there tight as I can, put a little hoop house over it, bury in mulch and pack with hay or something. That will keep them a fairly consistent temp while the outside temps waiver back and forth above and below freezing. Once it's consistently below freezing I should be able to mostly close off the structure, maybe put burlap and spruce boughs over top of that and let it get buried in snow for insulation. I'll need to line everything in some wire mesh to make it rodent proof too.

I've had some success with with other plants using hoop houses over trenches to extend the growing season and I'll just modify that.

Knock on wood and hope for the best i guess.

Absolutely!! Totally doable.. just wanted to make sure you were prepared.. seems like you know!

 

[berzerkules]

Absolutely!! Totally doable.. just wanted to make sure you were prepared.. seems like you know!

The other variable in the equation is I have to leave for 3 weeks of work in 4 days and my wife will be caretaker. If weather the holds out I'll be fine.

Edit: oh yeah, I'll also be moving end of September and I'll have to move my trees to a vacant lot property I have when I get back from work.

The weak and lame might not make it. Keep up or get left behind.

 

[leatherback]

My plan is dig a trench, pack everything in there tight as I can, put a little hoop house over it, bury in mulch and pack with hay or something.

This might just be what rodents think of, when they think of heaven. Take appropriate measures if you have mice etc. trenching in the snow.

 

[berzerkules]

This might just be what rodents think of, when they think of heaven. Take appropriate measures if you have mice etc. trenching in the snow.

I hadn't even thought about rodents being a threat until I had a flat of cuttings completely destroyed by voles earlier this summer.

I'll do my best to line my shelter with a fine wire mesh but them shrews and voles are little and determined.

Since I'm still very new to this I don't have much that would be missed, any losses I have will be a learning experience.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I hadn't even thought about rodents being a threat until I had a flat of cuttings completely destroyed by voles earlier this summer.

I'll do my best to line my shelter with a fine wire mesh but them shrews and voles are little and determined.

Since I'm still very new to this I don't have much that would be missed, any losses I have will be a learning experience.

Yeah! When I pictured your trench in my head.. it was lined.. with concrete!

@leatherback is absolutely right...

There is mention of a similar situation in “Bonsai Heresy”

 

[Forsoothe!]

A good part of dealing with mice is to not put things down until after the mice have found wintering quarters. Early down, early done, they prefer to live in the nice sheltered conditions of a food locker, like in a trench or other covered area, or underneath a large pot covered with leaves. You have to put some mouse food in there anyway, for the stragglers.

 

[HorseloverFat]

A good part of dealing with mice is to not put things down until after the mice have found wintering quarters. Early down, early done, they prefer to live in the nice sheltered conditions of a food locker, like in a trench or other covered area, or underneath a large pot covered with leaves. You have to put some mouse food in there anyway, for the stragglers.

Nice! Never considered the timing!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Just gotta ask.. so like what do you got growing in Zone 2?..
(I could google, but why, you’re right here)
I’d imagine Birches and Firs, predominantly.

Aaaand do you jump out of airplanes?

Sorry, I have a friend Who mow lives in alaska. a “Little Monster” (Muscular, shorter guy) who Jumps out of planes.

 

[berzerkules]

Just gotta ask.. so like what do you got growing in Zone 2?..
(I could google, but why, you’re right here)
I’d imagine Birches and Firs, predominantly.

Aaaand do you jump out of airplanes?

Sorry, I have a friend Who mow lives in alaska. a “Little Monster” (Muscular, shorter guy) who Jumps out of planes.

There aren't many native trees in my area, birch, alder, poplar, cottonwood, larch, black/white spruce and a couple types of willow.

Alder and willow seem damn near bullet proof, I've been testing the limits collecting off season and on days with high temps, have not killed a willow or alder yet. Birch is finicky but I've relatively good success collecting. White spruce is like 50/50, the ones I still have look great but the others crashed hard after reserves were spent. Cottonwood and aspen are trash and I composted all the ones I collected.

There are more ornamentals and stuff I see around. Chokecherry is invasive and everywhere, I've had real good success with those. The university actually has a lot of non-native trees growing well. There are assorted cherries and apples, crab apples, there are a couple young maples that look like trash, I think there are some elms and some amur chokecherry that I really want. They normally mow under the trees to keep the grass looking nice but they have been slacking and I've plucked quite a few seedling that were on the chopping block. They also never prune their trees, if they do its a hack job, plenty of potential cuttings.

My ID on non-native trees are sketchy at best so I really don't know what all I have.

Never jumped out of airplanes but I've spent a lot of time in helicopters. Worked almost a decade as a core driller and got to see a lot of Alaska that very few people get to see. We get flown out to the middle of nowhere and heli is our taxi to work. Damn taxi ride cost more than my labor.

I assume tour friend is a smoke jumper?

 

[Tieball]

This might just be what rodents think of, when they think of heaven. Take appropriate measures if you have mice etc. trenching in the snow.

Exactly what I experienced.

And,
in my 6a area I prune for the last time at the end of July. The first week of August is the latest I prune. My trees are beginning to think about dormancy after the regrowth begins and the new buds are tree-prepared fir the long winter.