Suggestions Zone 4b-5a Wisconsin

[karen82]

I'm in a slightly milder area (northernmost part of 5b) and have a lot of trees I'm working on - though I'm hesitant to call most of them anything more than pre-bonsai. Deciduous that seem to do well unprotected are Amur maple, Nanking Cherry, Siberian Elm, and Crabapple (also Poplar and Curly Willow although these are not good bonsai species - more just for fun). For conifers, dawn redwood, scotts pine seem to do well (I also have a Colorado blue spruce that does well but it's not a species I'd recommend). Then I have some more iffy species: Japanese black pine, trident maple, ginkgo, Japanese quince, and Chinese elm seem to do OK year round with a good winter shelter and covered in snow but they clearly would prefer a longer season. I tried an American hornbeam out all winter once and it had extensive die back (even though they are supposed to be quite hardy). I have a cold greenhouse so for some less-hardy plants like Korean hornbeams I leave them outdoors until about winter solstice, then they go into the greenhouse before the coldest part of winter hits, and stay there til all danger of frost is past.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I'm in a slightly milder area (northernmost part of 5b) and have a lot of trees I'm working on - though I'm hesitant to call most of them anything more than pre-bonsai. Deciduous that seem to do well unprotected are Amur maple, Nanking Cherry, Siberian Elm, and Crabapple (also Poplar and Curly Willow although these are not good bonsai species - more just for fun). For conifers, dawn redwood, scotts pine seem to do well (I also have a Colorado blue spruce that does well but it's not a species I'd recommend). Then I have some more iffy species: Japanese black pine, trident maple, ginkgo, Japanese quince, and Chinese elm seem to do OK year round with a good winter shelter and covered in snow but they clearly would prefer a longer season. I tried an American hornbeam out all winter once and it had extensive die back (even though they are supposed to be quite hardy). I have a cold greenhouse so for some less-hardy plants like Korean hornbeams I leave them outdoors until about winter solstice, then they go into the greenhouse before the coldest part of winter hits, and stay there til all danger of frost is past.

This year I did a lightly heated greenhouse to expand my season by about a month. Used for 2 and 3 year seedlings and repots.