Low temps but leaves are still green

[Tieball]

MI Winterizing

In West Michigan, I usually wait until mid-to-late December. The temperatures are cold prior to that...20s are quite common...along with wind chill impacts. Some still have greenish leaves into December....I don't know why though. However, by the time spring rolls in the leaves are gone or falling off as the new growth is giving them the boot off the branch. My trees are cold hardy...mostly American Elm, Hackberry, Hornbeam and Field Maple.

Most of my trees go right into the ground...in their boxes and pots. For some I use a thick mesh fencing around them just to eliminate some of the cold wind effect. The fence fabric is probably the equivalent of about a 95% shade cloth. It has just enough breathing but can really cut off the winds. The top is left open to the elements to allow snow falling to cover the tree as nature plans.

 

[AboveBeyond]

We had a hard freeze here in MA to the lower 20s. All my trees are out (deciduous and conifers) and hopefully there's at least one more hard freeze before I start putting them in my garage for the winter (around Thanksgiving). All of my deciduous trees have no leaves except my Korean Hornbeams.

 

[remist17]

Thanks everyone. The maples that I got this year lost their leaves and are in the mulch. All the Chinese elms, oak and hornbeam are still dark green. The zelkova elms are turning and will probably drop in a week or so. I’m trying a new way of wintering this year and hope its the right decision. I was just concerned as last year the trees had lost their leaves.

Time will tell if I made the right decision.

 

[JudyB]

Read the Valavanis blog, it has good explanations, and some good tips for achieving color. And it's beautiful!!!

 

[fore]

My pyracantha (mentioned to you in an earlier thread, I dug it this spring with almost no roots) is still green. It's been exposed to some fairly cold nights (down to 23) but was in the barn for last nights 17 deg reading. My plan is to leave the leaves alone but keep it protected this winter...near or above freezing for the most part. Some of them keep most of their leaves through the winter, so I figure if it wants to keep them...I'm gonna let it. But it will be in a completely wind-protected location.

Chris

Chris, that's some great information, thx for sharing! I'll leave mine outside then till it starts getting really cold. And I feel a bit stupid, I didn't know some kept their leaves. Not sure how I didn't learn that along the way.

Much appreciation Chris!

 

[coh]

Yours might be better off with more protection - it's from an air layer you removed this season, right? Mine was a stump dug out of the ground in April or May, so while I didn't get a lot of fine roots, it's a more established plant (multi trunk with some large roots, so more bulk/wood mass) and has largely filled up the large plastic container with new roots...very vigorous.

BTW, I think I mentioned that Bill V recommended keeping it near/above freezing for this winter but that in the future it could go into the regular winter storage...which for me is a plastic enclosed shelter in my barn, thermostatically controlled with a min temp of 27/28.

Chris