Using snow to water ?

[Mike123]

I'm keeping my trees in my unheated shed for winter protection. I was taking snow and using to water when needed. My question is will the cold temp of the snow hurt the trees? It melts slowly. I don't think it would but wanted to ask.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=47383&d=1390858352

 

[edprocoat]

It should be fine, just don't use any yellow snow.

ed

 

[davetree]

Not at all. Make sure the snow is clean though.

 

[Mike123]

It should be fine, just don't use any yellow snow.

ed

ha ha, definitely will try not to !

 

[Smoke]

uhhh...I'm thinkin yellow snow would kill two birds with one rock.....Does snow come in brown?

 

[edprocoat]

uhhh...I'm thinkin yellow snow would kill two birds with one rock.....Does snow come in brown?

Depends on if the septic tank is overflowing or not.

ed

 

[Nybonsai12]

I do the same thing with my trees in the shed. Yours will be fine. Be more worried about temps getting warm in the shed if we end up with a week of nice weather, although that doesn't look possible at the moment, gonna be frigid out the next few days.

 

[lordy]

I do the same thing with my trees in the shed. Yours will be fine. Be more worried about temps getting warm in the shed if we end up with a week of nice weather, although that doesn't look possible at the moment, gonna be frigid out the next few days.

And if it really is frigid, the roots should be frozen and not need/want any water. You should never water trees in frozen conditions. Mine stay outside all winter and the snow is how they get watered. When it is too cold for the snow to melt, it acts as an insulator keeping the roots frozen.

 

[Nybonsai12]

And if it really is frigid, the roots should be frozen and not need/want any water. You should never water trees in frozen conditions. Mine stay outside all winter and the snow is how they get watered. When it is too cold for the snow to melt, it acts as an insulator keeping the roots frozen.

Yes this. Once snow buries everything I have no worries. Give me snow and low temps over winds any day.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Just remember that it takes a lot of snow to make a little water.

 

[bonsaibp]

What's snow?

 

[Eric Group]

I have actually read/ heard of people using snow as an insulator when it gets really cold- rain turns to snow at like 33 degrees or something just above freezing, so when you pack the snow on top of a pot it acts as an insulator against really harmful low temps... In theory any way. Here in SC we don't get enough snow or bitter cold to experiment a whole lot with that sort of stuff, but we might actually get some tomorrow!

I don't see any chemical difference between using melted snow or rain water for your trees though, and the temps certainly shouldn't hurt the trees if they are cold hardy species... You should be fine using it. Unless you are in an area with a bunch of air pollution that can make your precipitation acidic, I don't believe you have anything to worry about.

 

[Don Blackmond]

I have actually read/ heard of people using snow as an insulator when it gets really cold- rain turns to snow at like 33 degrees or something just above freezing, so when you pack the snow on top of a pot it acts as an insulator against really harmful low temps... In theory any way. Here in SC we don't get enough snow or bitter cold to experiment a whole lot with that sort of stuff, but we might actually get some tomorrow!

I don't see any chemical difference between using melted snow or rain water for your trees though, and the temps certainly shouldn't hurt the trees if they are cold hardy species... You should be fine using it. Unless you are in an area with a bunch of air pollution that can make your precipitation acidic, I don't believe you have anything to worry about.

snow is an excellent insulator. that is fact.

 

[fourteener]

I have actually read/ heard of people using snow as an insulator when it gets really cold- rain turns to snow at like 33 degrees or something just above freezing, so when you pack the snow on top of a pot it acts as an insulator against really harmful low temps... In theory any way. Here in SC we don't get enough snow or bitter cold to experiment a whole lot with that sort of stuff, but we might actually get some tomorrow!

My 3 foot trees are completely covered by snow. Perfect protection for the -40 windchill tonight.

 

[Eric Group]

snow is an excellent insulator. that is fact.

Spoken by a man who should know! We are so freaked out by snow here, they already cancelled my kids' school for tomorrow and we haven't seen a flake fall yet... The predictions are we WON'T see any until after 11 or 12 tomorrow afternoon... And they closed school all day! It was almost 70 degrees on my lunch break today...

We could see 4-6 inches and the grocery stores are EMPTY! People were swarming Wal Mart like it was Black Friday... My fiancée went by the grocery on her way home tonight- they were out of bread, most fresh veggies, and she got the last gallon of milk! People are hunkering down like a Nuclear holocaust because we MIGHT see 4 inches. True story.

I don't know how you guys live through the winter up North! Obviously actually having snow plows in your state would help (I think there are a total of about 3 in the entire state of SC)...

Anyway.. Enough about snow! Sorry I got so side tracked... Guess we have snow fever here.

 

[Mike123]

Thanks for all the info. Just wanted to make sure. When it does warm up on some days i will open up the windows to let some cold in to try to keep even temp. Some days the soil is frozen and some not. Ok I guess just like in nature right. Well thanks again very informative and funny stuff!

 

[lordy]

Here is what my tree corral looks like right about now.

 

[Dav4]

I don't know how you guys live through the winter up North! Obviously actually having snow plows in your state would help (I think there are a total of about 3 in the entire state of SC)...

QUOTE]

It really is that simple. By the time we moved to GA from MA almost 5 years ago, my kids had seen at least 2 storms that dumped a minimum of 3 feet of snow each on eastern MA over the previous few winters...they missed a total of two school days. In January, 2011, the greater Atlanta area had a snow event that left close to 6 INCHES of snow on the ground...the schools were closed for an ENTIRE week...so was Atlanta, I guess. Anyway, the kids are bummed because they have school today...most of the snow will be south and east of us.

 

[William N. Valavanis]

Bob: What is snow?

Want some, we have plenty to spare with nearly 60" and about half of our yearly total.

I can try sending some your way…….

Bill

 

[lordy]

Bob: What is snow?

Want some, we have plenty to spare with nearly 60" and about half of our yearly total.

I can try sending some your way…….

Bill

You can keep your snow, Bill, but that was nice of you to offer to send some out to the less "fortunate". BTW, where is your snow shovel??