So frustrated after Winter in a new climate

[sikadelic]

As some of you may know, I have to move every 3 years. I mean I don't HAVE to but I have 2 young kids and the Army is taking pretty good care of me and mine after 10 years so I have no plans to get out until I retire.

With that being said, I moved for the first time after beginning my journey with bonsai. I went from Beaufort, SC which has extremely mild winters to Evansville, IN with a short stop back home in VA. I did the very best I could with them to provide adequate wintering since my move was in November. The trees were placed in an unheated garage for the first bit and then sheltered in a nook out of the wind. The temperature change was very drastic though going from the 60s to a hard freeze within a week. I made sure to check them and monitor how they were doing while feeling pretty good about the setup I had, but alas, I am very disappointed.

I had approximately 18 trees (and being fair, 8 or so were seedlings). Junipers, tridents, japanese maples, bald cypress, JBP seedlings, elms, etc. I lost all of my trees except for my 1 Arakawa Maple, 2 small BCs, and my 2 large collected BCs (the best of which is not even budding yet and I fear I may have lost it). There is still some hope for 2 other maples but I have no signs of any budding whatsoever yet. I go to a monthly study group and see all the other trees budding out or in full leaf already. I know my trees will need an acclimation period, but I have a bad feeling about them.

I am just so unbelievably frustrated as I will absolutely continue with bonsai but it just pisses me off to go through this shit. Maybe I should reduce my collection to just a handful that wouldn't be so tough to shelter when needed instead of several projects.

I just wanted to vent some frustration. I think I will drown my sorrows tonight with some fine Canadian Whiskey and some playoff hockey.

 

[jk_lewis]

Don't give up on the maples, especially the tridents. They can be slow in waking up in cold climates. I assume you watered the over the winter?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Sorry to hear that you've suffered losses. I would think it wise to as you say...regroup. And go about rethinking how you can enjoy the hobby without it becoming to much to protect and such.

Though...I'm in a microclimate...things always bud out later than it is 8 miles from my home. So since this is your first spring there...hold off and maybe look around the landscape. What is nature around you saying? Could you also be in a microclimate?

 

[sikadelic]

Don't give up on the maples, especially the tridents. They can be slow in waking up in cold climates. I assume you watered the over the winter?

We spent a lot of the time with a hard freeze here so I checked every couple of days to make sure the rootballs were solid. If they were solid I would leave them be. If not, I checked for moisture. When I would see them dry I watered them. I would say a fair estimate would be that I watered about 6 or 7 times over winter. Most of the time they were frozen solid or damp from thawing out.

My poor tridents are definitely gone. I had planned on planting them in the ground to thicken up. After digging my bed out and prepping everything I picked them up by the base of the trunk. When I did, the bark just slid right off in my hand like snot. All brown tissue underneath with no green anywhere. Then I had to fill my holes in...talk about adding insult to injury!

 

[whfarro]

Sic. Sorry to hear about the loss/damage to your trees. This winter was tough on many of us. Maples can be pretty resilient, so there is still some hope. Even if you lose some branches or part of the tree, I have seen them bounce back. Hang in there and "keep the faith".

Also a BIG THANKS for your service.

 

[sikadelic]

Sorry to hear that you've suffered losses. I would think it wise to as you say...regroup. And go about rethinking how you can enjoy the hobby without it becoming to much to protect and such.

Though...I'm in a microclimate...things always bud out later than it is 8 miles from my home. So since this is your first spring there...hold off and maybe look around the landscape. What is nature around you saying? Could you also be in a microclimate?

Thanks for the kind words.

Most of the native trees here are in leaf now. I had kept telling myself that maybe I am just expecting too much too early. I will remain hopeful and keep my fingers crossed.

 

[sikadelic]

Sic. Sorry to hear about the loss/damage to your trees. This winter was tough on many of us. Maples can be pretty resilient, so there is still some hope. Even if you lose some branches or part of the tree, I have seen them bounce back. Hang in there and "keep the faith".

Also a BIG THANKS for your service.

Thank you for your comments.

I know I am not the first to deal with this so I feel a little silly for being upset about it. We have our trees and some die...that's just part of it and I know that. I have no problem with losing one when I have done something stupid (which I have) but I just feel like this time it wasn't my fault and maybe that's why I am angry about it.

I will absolutely charge on and keep it up. I guess I will just have to figure out a better way to deal with the weather transitions I will endure for the next few years.

Vance is the mugo guy, Mach is the maple guy, BVF and Adair are the JBP guys, John is the BC guy....hell, maybe I can be the moving guy!!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Did you ever have snow on there ground to toss on the frozen pots? That's what I did this winter...they got either snow...or water once a week. Sometimes the snow hadn't melted...but I would add to it.

Fingers crossed for you...that they are late bloomers.

 

[Adair M]

Yeah, learning how to overwinter is tough! Bill Valavanis said that several of his most advanced students lost some JBP last winter!

About the best thing is one of the heating mats normally used for seed germination. They can keep the rootballs from freezing solid.

This year, I didn't lose any trees, but one maple had some winter damage up near the apex. I cut off the winter damaged branches, and sealed with Top-jin. The bottom of the tree has leafed out. The top is popping buds. So many buds that next year I'm thinking of doing a drastic cut back on the bottom, too!

Maybe Mother Nature is giving me a bonsai lesson!

Keep the faith!

And let me also say that I appreciate your service!

 

[Dav4]

That's too bad, Jarrod. I did the same kind of move, only in reverse, moving from MA to GA in late June. It can be very tricky horticulture wise moving from 1 region to another, whether it occurs in winter or summer. I've heard of many losses this past year from those keeping their trees in out buildings. I suspect the exceedingly dry, cold air literally freeze dried the roots of many of the trees that didn't do well. Even in the garage, I always mulched the pots on the floor. Doing so may have increased the chances of vole or mice damage, but the protection against extreme cold and desiccation may have prevented me from losing any trees overwintered in my garage in zone 6 MA for about 10 years. Good luck and I hope the slow pokes catch up.

 

[JudyB]

Man that sucks. I think when you start figuring out new stock, you should look at species that do well across a wide range of temps. Tough stuff that can also take the heat. Hooray hockey playoffs!
(and canadian whiskey!)

 

[coh]

Sorry to hear about the losses! Some of my trees are still very dormant, including my largest trident...buds aren't even swelling yet. I do try to keep my trees as cold as possible for as long as possible so as to minimize issues with early growth and late frosts.

Regarding last winter, some of the people here who lost their JBP's were keeping them in places like unheated garages. They'd been able to get away with that in previous winters, but last year was colder for longer and apparently exceeded the limits for that species. If they'd survived last winter, this winter would have gotten them (February was the coldest month ever recorded in Rochester). It's the main reason I keep JBP's (and most of my trees, actually) in a heated shelter (27/28 F). I don't know the exact lower limits and am not confident that my trees are as healthy as they could be. Hopefully that comes with experience.

Chris

 

[Eric Group]

Come on back to SC man- that is the easy answer!

That sucks, seriously... It happens to everyone, especially early on. I swear I don't do that much different than I did 10-15 years ago for winter protection... But even here in sc I used to lose a bunch of trees every winter it seems and the past two winters I have lost 2-3 last year and 0 this season!(ok, MAYBE one trident that hasn't leafed out yet, but it is still green underneath). The biggest changes I have made are increased consistency in tree care methodology. Instead of kind of "winging it" and using whatever is on hand, I use consistent soil mixes and I water consistently. Frequently over winter, DAILY in throwing season.

Good Luck finding the right care for your area! Sounds like you just need to up the cold protection next winter and get more cold hardy trees!

 

[Adair M]

Yeah, it sounds like he's got a great excuse to grow some larch!

 

[DougB]

Jarrod your pain and frustration is felt. Thanks for your and especially your families service. Like you I served in the military for well over 20 years (and it is definitely not retirement when you walk out the gate) and then traveled and moved for many more years. Each time I thought that I had the correct trees to make any move. Nope, always lost trees. Look at it this way you can do mostly experimenting and learning and live vicariously through the trees of the permanent folks and clubs in each area you go to. Most folks never have the chance to become a part of and learn for a different set of bonsai folks. In a way it is a privilege to relocate all over our great country. By the way come on down to Bragg and we will welcome you with open arms. Enjoy your evening and that sipping brew.

 

[barrosinc]

Oh man that sucks!! Hope you can rebuild fast with better trees for your area.

 

[sorce]

Sikadelic,

I appreciate these sob stories as much as the next guy. But I scanned through these sad songs real fast.

Now, we can go on like this. You can spend a shitload of money on heat, coolers, blankets, grandma knitted custom sweaters, and a bunch of stuff you can't sell in 3 years when you dip out again and again, ×?

Or, you can solve this problem!

Lease, don't buy!

Buy local stuff, advance it 3 years, sell it. Hell, you can find enough folks here to link up with to lease trees from. Anywhere!

And if you really really like something, keep a tab on it, buy that shit back when you retire! When you know what you will need to keep anything thriving.

Damn, THAT is American Bonsai!

You'll find a couple things you can travel with. But I believe a tree knows exactly where it is on earth, and it likes to stay there!

If you ever end up in the windy, hit me up!

Sorce

 

[sikadelic]

Thanks for the warm comments everyone. I always like to reply each post individually but im on a mobile device and im too far behind. There's a great bit of wisdom here and I always appreciate any advice I get.

I took my 2 boys fishing this afternoon and we had a great time. In between baiting hooks I was able to scout a few nice trees to mark and trench later this year and hopefully collect next year. I also have a very nice neighbor who had 4 small JM seedlings (2 y/o) that he gave to me randomly. A very nice gesture that ironically happened today after this post.

Now the boys are in bed and the hockey game is coming on (Go Predators!!). These IPAs won't drink themselves!! Have a great night everyone.

 

[sorce]

In between baiting hooks?
Use plastics and look for trees in between removing fish!

This combo, if rigged with the tip slightly out of the grub or just beneath, can get thrown in a tree, around your head, in a log pile, in an eye, through a fence, over a dock, and not get snagged.


When it's open land and they keep getting bottom snagged, this rebel popper is a go to for the BIG ONES!



Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

I Texas rig all soft plastics. I also shave the bottom lip down on the rebel poppers so they only spit. Plus after that you can walk the dog with them.
Going digging today. Next week I go to the land of the giants!