Overwintering - Guidance

dbonsaiw

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I'm still not sure what the watering requirements are for winter. While the trees are frozen, its easy - no watering. Otherwise, how often do we water in the winter? I'm still trying to figure out the difference of the feel of when the soil is moist or just cold. I know they don't need a whole lot of water, but assume they need something. Part of the reason for putting up the tent in the first place was to control the water and not subject the trees to the wet NY winters. In the tent, they don't really get rained on. We haven't really had any snow to talk about yet, just cold.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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I'm still not sure what the watering requirements are for winter.

I’m our neck of the woods when I had a couple cold frames sorta like yours, I watered in the cold frames about once a month, maybe twice in spring, when the pots weren’t frozen and the mulch started to get dry. Not too much is needed if they are in contact with the ground and under mulch.

If a rain storm came I left open the cold frame windows. (Be absolutely sure the CF is secured!) If the storm came in the usual direction the rain went inside the cold frame. Often that was enough, though there was often a dryish spot that I had to go back and water later.

Sadly my cold frames sorta like yours got hit with a late winter snowstorm and collapsed, while the one I built out of pvc water pipe didn’t. Go figure.

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Good Luck
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Shogun610

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The snow and freezing rain caused some of my trees to be frozen blocks of ice all the way through the container but they are draining fine now. The more ice and snow the better … keeps them cold , insulates, and keeps critters out. If you can place on ground next to home that helps w giving them some home heat too
 

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Shogun610

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Can trees get root rot or damage in winter form water trapped in container under a sheet of ice? One of my Doug Firs I noticed was frozen all over then there was freezing rain before we got snow today and I checked on it and it’s frozen most of the container but still had unfrozen water due to ice insulating it.
 
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Deep Sea Diver

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You should be on good shape as long as your drain holes are intact. That way the pot can drain when it thaws.

Now if the holes are blocked…☠️
Cheers!
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Deep Sea Diver

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Yep.
If the pot is frozen the drain holes would be.

Yet the drain holes should melt out with the rest of the pot given that is all that is blocking the holes.

Sometimes when the pot is placed on the ground the drain holes get clogged with dirt/bark etc. Then the pots freezes. When the pot unfreezes, the water stays in the pot due to the drain holes being plugged. That’s what I was referring to.

Most folks put bark or gravel under the pots when stored on ground, which is a common winter storage tactic. This helps avoid the issue. That’s also the first thing to check when the trees are h taken out of storage.

I usually give all the drain holes a shot of water as when they go back on the shelf in the spring.

Best
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Shogun610

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Yep.
If the pot is frozen the drain holes would be.

Yet the drain holes should melt out with the rest of the pot given that is all that is blocking the holes.

Sometimes when the pot is placed on the ground the drain holes get clogged with dirt/bark etc. Then the pots freezes. When the pot unfreezes, the water stays in the pot due to the drain holes being plugged. That’s what I was referring to.

Most folks put bark or gravel under the pots when stored on ground, which is a common winter storage tactic. This helps avoid the issue. That’s also the first thing to check when the trees are h taken out of storage.

I usually give all the drain holes a shot of water as when they go back on the shelf in the spring.

Best
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Yeah I avoided that with all except that one, by placing on plastic crates on the ground surrounded by leaves or dead grass.. which now has snow on top.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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All the trees I stored outdoors frozen solid during the recent 17F freeze after Christmas. All are thawed now.

As I am doing a winter media temperature experiment, there were trees on the shelf. Mugo pines, due to their cold hardiness. Also on the ground and buried in the ground in three storage locations.
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The key, besides proper storage, to have the trees achieve full dormancy before the nastiest weather. That’s when full cold hardiness is developed. It takes a couple months period of time of lower temperatures but not hard freezes during paradormancy to achieve this. It’s the hard fall freezes before achieving full cold hardiness that damaged the trees most. Second only to the damage incurred when deacclimating, (leaving dormancy) during an unseasonably warm spell then getting hit with a hard freeze.

Good luck!
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dbonsaiw

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Just wanted to provide an update on the effects of mulching. We had about 8 inches of snow a number of weeks back and I made sure to provide a healthy layer of snow inside the tent. Temps have fluctuated since, many times into high 30s/low 40s and it has rained a bunch. Outside the tent, all snow has long melted and any plants in small pots have thawed/frozen multiple times. As of this morning, the tent still has a layer of snow inside (except on the azalea for whatever reason) and the entire mass of mulch and grow boxes remain a frozen block. BTW, except for when the temps drop into the teens, the windows and doors of the tent remain open and it's still a frozen block.

Thank you for the good advice!

I haven't watered in about 3 weeks because its been frozen. Saturday is supposed to be in the 50s (WTF?) so I may water then provided things thaw in there.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Good to hear an update.

Sounds like this area is in the shade mostly? Personally I’d leave the trees to unfreeze naturally, yet by shielding the trees from the rain things aren’t natural anymore. A better solution is to just pull the tent, yet you run the risk of having to set it up again If another cold snap comes down the ’pike.

Depending on your set up that could be a pain, or not. I doubt watering a bit at a time with a watering can would hurt.

cheers
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dbonsaiw

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Sounds like this area is in the shade mostly?
Strange thing is it's smack in the middle of my yard in full sun.

A better solution is to just pull the tent, yet you run the risk of having to set it up again If another cold snap comes down the ’pike.
I was kind of leaning towards that and may simply remove the plastic cover in a week or so and leave the frame as something I can hang some shade mesh to. After being introduced to Valavanis's site, I will simply have too many trees to really make use of this set up again.
I doubt watering a bit at a time with a watering can would hurt.
Will do.
 
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