Kingston, Ontario winter Juniper box?

Ben Russenholt

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Hello everyone, I posted the other day about a 4" juniper Grower that I was getting and I will post pictures when I have them but my question is about growing the juniper outside and the type of box winter box that I need to be able to leave the tree outside in the winter. I have seen people with really nicely done boxes with lids and ventilation, so I am wondering what the requirements are for this type of box to help my tree survive the winter. Air, light, insulation, etc.

As a side note, I have only ever grown Mallsai's and they have all died because I fell for the whole "gorw them inside" booklet that comes with them.
 

Alain

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Hi there,
In ON you might need to put them in an unheated garage or such during winter due to the butt freezing T...
 

Ben Russenholt

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Hi there,
In ON you might need to put them in an unheated garage or such during winter due to the butt freezing T...
Yes, that was my thought. I would still like to have an enclosure to put them in for outside and in the garage.
 

Robertji

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Welcome Ben, I leave mine outside all winter, heel them into the garden, pot and all. No winter protection at all, ideally buried in snow. I am 1 1/2 hrs west of you, just north of Cobourg.

Jim
 
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Alain

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That really nice!

Is it ok if winter is just a Chicagoan one and not a Canadian one or is it too warm? :)
 

Ben Russenholt

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Welcome Ben, I leave mine outside all winter, heel them into the garden, pot and all. No winter protection at all, ideally buried in snow. I am 1 1/2 hrs west of you, just north of Cobourg.

Jim
So you don't wrap them or put a burlap cover over or anything? Just leave the pot buried in the ground and let the snow cover them?
Wow and they were ok with the -30 week we had last January?.
I definitely think this is the way I will go instead of building something that might not work anyway.
 

Robertji

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Ben, I wrap the pot and soil with panty hose, a trick I learned from the club in Oshawa to keep the dirt out and then bury it above the pot rim leaving the foliage exposed to the elements.Junipers are hardy. I might treat a very expensive specimen tree differently but my stuff is mostly pre- bonsai type works in progress. Here is a pic of one of them. Hamilton-20150809-00365.jpg

By the way, Connon Nurseries in Trenton has Shimpaku Juniper in 2 gallon pots for about 40 bucks. They are not currently on display, they are back in the hoop house if you're interested. Only place local I have been able to find them. Not too far from you...
Hamilton-20150919-00381.jpg
 

Ben Russenholt

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By the way, Connon Nurseries in Trenton has Shimpaku Juniper in 2 gallon pots for about 40 bucks. They are not currently on display, they are back in the hoop house if you're interested. Only place local I have been able to find them. Not too far from you...
View attachment 106346[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the tips. The big junipers look awesome. I will definitely have to pick one up.
So, I would just train and trim one those into a bonsai?
 

M. Frary

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I learned the hard way last year. I live in a climate just as harsh as you. As long as there is snow you're fine. What you need to be watching out for are animals eating your trees. Namely small rodents. I'm building a giant cube out of small diameter hardware cloth to keep them out.
 

Robertji

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By the way, Connon Nurseries in Trenton has Shimpaku Juniper in 2 gallon pots for about 40 bucks. They are not currently on display, they are back in the hoop house if you're interested. Only place local I have been able to find them. Not too far from you...
View attachment 106346
Thanks for the tips. The big junipers look awesome. I will definitely have to pick one up.
So, I would just train and trim one those into a bonsai?[/QUOTE]
Absolutely, there are lots of books and Internet sites including this one that you can search for guidance. It would be best to find a local club to join though.
 

Robertji

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I learned the hard way last year. I live in a climate just as harsh as you. As long as there is snow you're fine. What you need to be watching out for are animals eating your trees. Namely small rodents. I'm building a giant cube out of small diameter hardware cloth to keep them out.
Too true, rabbits really enjoy pruning my little apples, damn neighbor cat slacks off in the spring.
 
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