Overwintering baby BC in VA

bendem

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So it was 95* here today but I figure it's good to plan ahead. I live in Richmond VA and have several bald cypress that germinated just over a month ago.

I understand BC should generally be OK outside for winters here, say if I put them against a fence and snuggle them in mulch.

But does that apply for the youngster BC like what's shown here (realizing they'll be around 6 months old when winter starts)? Otherwise I could stash them in my uninsulated garage or somewhere else. Any suggestions? Thanks!20210630_203728.jpg
 

cbroad

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I'm from Richmond too. Our winters lately have been nothing these can't deal with, so it shouldn't be of too much worry.

Who knows though, we could get that 1 in every 10-15 year really cold winter.

I still mulch my b.c. in the winter just to be sure, and I'd definitely mulch in a sapling.

It is said that you should drop a zone for containerized trees, so with our winters, your tree will experience (potentially) a zone 6 winter.
 

WNC Bonsai

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What was your seed source? Most BC can take the cold but those form Florida are reportedly not as hardy. If there is any concern just keep them in an unheated garage the first winter, I do that with the one iI got from Tampa.
 

Zach Smith

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One thing to bear in mind about any trees grown from seed, there is a certainly mortality rate that tends to take the weaker ones out over the first few years of growth. They look fine, you treat them the same way as the others, but you lose one here and there for no apparent reason. It's just nature's way. Winter protection for that small a pot should be more robust than for larger specimens.
 

bendem

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What was your seed source? Most BC can take the cold but those form Florida are reportedly not as hardy. If there is any concern just keep them in an unheated garage the first winter, I do that with the one iI got from Tampa.
Good question. I got the seeds from treeseeds.com. They're based in Vermont, and I'm not sure where their BC seeds are from. I'll make some space in the garage just in case.
 

bendem

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One thing to bear in mind about any trees grown from seed, there is a certainly mortality rate that tends to take the weaker ones out over the first few years of growth. They look fine, you treat them the same way as the others, but you lose one here and there for no apparent reason. It's just nature's way. Winter protection for that small a pot should be more robust than for larger specimens.
Thanks for your input, Zach. Love your trees! I placed an order for 50 BC seeds thinking I could have a low germination rate. Then I skipped the vendor's guidance on cold stratification, soaked the seeds in baking soda water for a couple hours (thought that might help with acidity), put the seeds in a tub of potting mix on my deck, and was blown away with near 100% germination. Anyway, I was really fortunate to end up with more seedlings than I was expecting. Currently the seedlings are in 3.5" pots close together in Anderson Flats sitting in bins that are slightly larger than the flats. So hopefully that will aid in my BC protection efforts. I'll also get a plan in place to add extra protection (aside from mulching) in case of a cold snap.
 

Zach Smith

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Thanks for your input, Zach. Love your trees! I placed an order for 50 BC seeds thinking I could have a low germination rate. Then I skipped the vendor's guidance on cold stratification, soaked the seeds in baking soda water for a couple hours (thought that might help with acidity), put the seeds in a tub of potting mix on my deck, and was blown away with near 100% germination. Anyway, I was really fortunate to end up with more seedlings than I was expecting. Currently the seedlings are in 3.5" pots close together in Anderson Flats sitting in bins that are slightly larger than the flats. So hopefully that will aid in my BC protection efforts. I'll also get a plan in place to add extra protection (aside from mulching) in case of a cold snap.
Sounds like you've got a plan. BC seeds do germinate at pretty near 100%, so that should leave you with plenty to work on down the road. Good luck with them!
 
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