Pyracantha bonsai care for zone 5a?

[RogueFJ]

Does anyone live in zone 5a and have a pyracantha? I found one tree that I like a local nursery but I'm not sure about how to care for it in the winter since it's an evergreen. I don't see how it will survive a Chicago winter. I'm getting a lot of conflicting information about it.

 

[Mike423]

Sorry I dont have any personal experience with this species,but i would assume they can be kept with little trouble if you are able to give it the proper care. If you are worried about winter care you could keep it in a sheltered location like a garage or shed by a window. Evergreens still go dormant in winter even though they keep their foliage and therefore really dont need any light. heres a link that explains it a little more.

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/dormever.htm

 

[RogueFJ]

Thanks for responding Mike423 and for the article. It was very informative. I guess I can keep it in the garage when the temperature drops below freezing. My detached garage usually stays a few degrees warmer than the outside in winter. The garage has a south window where it can capture some sun light; however I'm concern that the roots will freeze when the temperature drops into the minuses. I'll ask the nursery about winter care. Thanks again!

 

[Mike423]

Actually the root ball freezing for most Deciduous and evergreens Bonsai is a normal occurrence and should not be a problem as mine freeze every year. The only possible problem in that regard is to be sure the root system does not consistently thaw and then re-freeze as it can cause damage. Other than that you should be fine keeping it in an unheated garage as long as you make sure the temps do not reach below 20 degrees for more than a few days and that the tree/s are not introduced to temps around or above 50 degrees to early in the year as they will begin to come out of dormancy and begin to break bud to early.

 

[RogueFJ]

Sounds great. Thanks for the information. I might stop by the nursery next week.