What parameters are we talking about here. It routinely gets below 0 F here every winter. If I leave it in a pot do I just pile mulch on top of the pot? Up to the highest branches? I know people have said "it depends on the tree" but before I go buy something that I kill the first winter or am committing to moving it every other week in and out of a garage as temperatures change, I'd like know what I'm in for so to speak.
Winter in the midwest?
- Thread starter imahawki
- Start date
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
bougie brings up a good point, the trick is with hardy trees, is actually not to keep them from getting too cold, but too warm. As the temps fluctuate, trees can come out of dormancy and then you have to learn how to deal with that. Keeping them dormant all winter is key.
So, if I want to style a nursery plant into a bonsai and I go buy a plant that will be native (hardy) to my zone and pot it and prune it and wire etc. what do I do with it in the winter? Because of the small pot it will freeze and die in Nebraska in the winter. Do I put it in my garage? What if it get's really cold out (like -10F)? My garage is insulated but unheated. I'm not sure how cold it gets out there.
Thoughts? I'm new to all this.
Thoughts? I'm new to all this.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
It really depends on what the plant is. Some are hardy enough to spend the winter outside, you can bury the pot in the soil, or mulch it in, keep it out of direct wind. Some trees need to come into an unheated space to keep them frozen but not as cold as outside. Some trees cannot live without having a cold winter. American Larch is one of these trees, and can be outside all winter. Spruce are also very hardy trees, and won't survive without cold winter weather. There are others, like junipers, but I don't know how low the hardiness zone is on those, as I don't have any. So it's really dependent on what type of tree you have.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I don't put any of my trees into storage until after Thanksgiving. I let them get hit by MULTIPLE freezes (freezes in late Nov./early Dec. aren't deep enough to cause damage. Freezing is a GOOD think, since it helps "harden off" the tree in preparation for winter. Hardening off is a process that begins in Mid summer and continues until the freezes come in the winter. The process builds the capability in the roots to withstand cold.
Winter dormancy and storage can be a bit of a mystery when you're starting out. The best article on the subject I've read is here:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/overwint.htm
Winter dormancy and storage can be a bit of a mystery when you're starting out. The best article on the subject I've read is here:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/overwint.htm
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I don't put any of my trees into storage until after Thanksgiving. I let them get hit by MULTIPLE freezes (freezes in late Nov./early Dec. aren't deep enough to cause damage. Freezing is a GOOD think, since it helps "harden off" the tree in preparation for winter. Hardening off is a process that begins in Mid summer and continues until the freezes come in the winter. The process builds the capability in the roots to withstand cold.
Winter dormancy and storage can be a bit of a mystery when you're starting out. The best article on the subject I've read is here:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/overwint.htm
Winter dormancy and storage can be a bit of a mystery when you're starting out. The best article on the subject I've read is here:
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/overwint.htm
What parameters are we talking about here. It routinely gets below 0 F here every winter. If I leave it in a pot do I just pile mulch on top of the pot? Up to the highest branches? I know people have said "it depends on the tree" but before I go buy something that I kill the first winter or am committing to moving it every other week in and out of a garage as temperatures change, I'd like know what I'm in for so to speak.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
If the plant you buy is sold as "hardy in your area" then it can most likely take winters outdoors in a pot, so long as some protections (like those above) are provided.
FWIW, tree roots freeze all the time in nature. Most roots are in the top foot of soil. That pretty much freezes solid come winter in temperate areas with substantial winters. Not a problem for the trees. In a lot of cases, you WANT the soil to freeze in a bonsai pot. It keeps the tree dormant through the winter. Winter dormancy is broken as soil temperatures (not air temps) rise in the spring.
Frozen roots will not kill most temperate zone trees, depending on the depth of the cold. If roots on most trees get below 23 F or so, some damage may occur, but this is dependent on the tree species and protection of the root mass. Additionally, snow can be a valuable ally. I pray for substantial snowfall every winter. It is the perfect mulch, providing insulation from temps that may fluctuate and moisture...
FWIW, tree roots freeze all the time in nature. Most roots are in the top foot of soil. That pretty much freezes solid come winter in temperate areas with substantial winters. Not a problem for the trees. In a lot of cases, you WANT the soil to freeze in a bonsai pot. It keeps the tree dormant through the winter. Winter dormancy is broken as soil temperatures (not air temps) rise in the spring.
Frozen roots will not kill most temperate zone trees, depending on the depth of the cold. If roots on most trees get below 23 F or so, some damage may occur, but this is dependent on the tree species and protection of the root mass. Additionally, snow can be a valuable ally. I pray for substantial snowfall every winter. It is the perfect mulch, providing insulation from temps that may fluctuate and moisture...
bougie nights
Mame
Healing them into a bed of mulch should be fine for hardy plants. A fellow club member provided a useful tip - Keep your trees out until the first freeze, and then heal them in as the mulch will help insulate the cold root ball. Wind is another consideration; I try to keep trees protected from that. I use the garage for japanese maples. That probably isn't necessary, but I have lost a few during the winters that were left out. The downside to that is that a warm winter could foil your dormant storage strategy. My maples broke bud VERY early this year, so I had to bring them out to get light. This in turn led to the "bonsai shuffle" where I would have to take them back in during freeze warnings.
TheDarkHorseOne
Sapling
This will be good to know for me, bougie. We're pretty much in the same zone, so I'll follow that advice for my Maple.
edprocoat
Masterpiece
Imahawki, Nebraska is in the midwest !! ?? !! I am from Ohio, I thought any thing more west than Indiana was the wild west, you know indians taking scalps, lynch mobs, snake oil salesmen and gunslingers. I am shocked too hear Nebraska described as being in the midwest, hell I was not even sure if it was a state or not...
ed
amcoffeegirl
Masterpiece
I am in Iowa and going through the same questions. I have a few starters and this will be my first winter with them. I have decided to mulch them into a window well. Hopefully they will live. I will keep them on the north side of the house. Thanks for asking these questions.
Tieball
Masterpiece
Monitoring the unheated
I winter several early-stage bonsai trees in my unheated attached garage. I use a La Crosse Technology, Wireless Thermometer with Clock. Picked up 2 of them at REI (REI.com works great too).I have the sensor in the garage and the display module down in the basement. The wireless works perfect. Unit is updated every minute with temp. Off the shelf AAA and AA Lithium batteries last a long time. I usually change batteries every 2 years. I begin monitoring in November before i put the trees in..so I know it's cold in there. If I see it's not cold enough I open east windows with a screen...not the south windows though (to much potential sun-warmed air to blow in. My outside temps generally hover around 15 and below 0 throughout 3 months. In the garage has been a good experience with the temps staying around 25 to 35 all the time even with wind chills at -15. All temps shown F. Mine is a west Michigan winter.
It can get warm when nthe sun is out strong for a day but the garage seems to stay constant. I also keep trees at the concrete level so the warmer air if any is well above them.
I winter several early-stage bonsai trees in my unheated attached garage. I use a La Crosse Technology, Wireless Thermometer with Clock. Picked up 2 of them at REI (REI.com works great too).I have the sensor in the garage and the display module down in the basement. The wireless works perfect. Unit is updated every minute with temp. Off the shelf AAA and AA Lithium batteries last a long time. I usually change batteries every 2 years. I begin monitoring in November before i put the trees in..so I know it's cold in there. If I see it's not cold enough I open east windows with a screen...not the south windows though (to much potential sun-warmed air to blow in. My outside temps generally hover around 15 and below 0 throughout 3 months. In the garage has been a good experience with the temps staying around 25 to 35 all the time even with wind chills at -15. All temps shown F. Mine is a west Michigan winter.
It can get warm when nthe sun is out strong for a day but the garage seems to stay constant. I also keep trees at the concrete level so the warmer air if any is well above them.
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