Are those collected Rocky Mountain trees? If so, do you need to put them in the garage? My temps don't get as low as yours, but I leave my collected Rocky Mountain trees out all winter, though will bring them in if there is a sudden large change in temps or the wind picks up too much.
Winter IS coming, start preparing
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Are those collected Rocky Mountain trees? If so, do you need to put them in the garage? My temps don't get as low as yours, but I leave my collected Rocky Mountain trees out all winter, though will bring them in if there is a sudden large change in temps or the wind picks up too much.
chicago1980
Omono
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With temps going down to 18 degrees and harsh winds, they go in the garage, and then to a temperature controlled cold frame on Wednesday.
Do they have to, maybe not. But I will take extra precaution. Especially any recently wired, styled, or report of this year.
Ponderosa and RMJ are tough if given the proper help and if they had a strong spring-fall.
GGB
Masterpiece
All my little trees are still covered in green leaves, the mountain is just starting to change color now. I'm afraid my guys won't be dormant until christmas haha. got this dormant oil I'm itchin' to use too
ghues
Omono
This worked last year, just completed before freezing temperatures (-9C, mid to low 20’s F) showed up. All accents, small and medium sized trees into raised garden beds, large ones stay on bench.
miker
Chumono
Accuweather now predicts 17F for my location, which, if it comes true, will mean 15F or so for my yard. Cannot leave the deciduous and less hardy evergreens out to toughen up in that, I am afraid I would lose a number of trees. In the shed they go I guess.
Velodog2
Chumono
Similar situation. We are forecast for only Friday night to get to 20, but that’s below my comfort level for maples and hornbeams, and particularly for their first freeze of the year. I’ll be dragging them in, then back out for the next week of lows in the 30’s. Some maples leaves have barely begun to turn color.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Same scenario here, they're in and likely to come back out. It's like the reverse shuffle. Fall is so unpredictable now.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I'll be dragging all of big trees in on Friday night. We're forecast for 26 F according to last night's forecast, had been 23F. The forecast for Friday night's low has been all over the place in the last few days. I tend to leave big stuff out in hard freezes, but once the forecast goes below 27 or so, things get dicey. 25 F can kill plants left unprotected. this is a sliding scale depending on species and the soil mass in pots. Larger trees have mass that can provide an extra level of protection from lower temps, but these temps are so low as to allow complete freezing of all the soil in even my big pots. First freeze too, so things are not good left outside.
I plan on putting everything back outside on Saturday afternoon as soon as it gets above 35 or so.
I plan on putting everything back outside on Saturday afternoon as soon as it gets above 35 or so.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Better safe than dead.
Velodog2
Chumono
True! But the flip side to the new normal of unpredictability is what happened last year when the trees were overprotected and budded out in February. Over wintering is definitely the most difficult part of bonsai, especially now.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Agreed, that's a problem. I wasn't quite that early, but when they start up, you have to be prepared to give them light. If I had a coolbot I'd have it whipped. Can't get my enabler to buy into that quite yet though....
Velodog2
Chumono
Lol @ “enabler”. Had to consider if my spouse qualified for that title. Had to settle for non-inhibitor.
Also had to google coolbot. That looks dangerously like something we would do, except for the problem both monetarily and philosophically with using that much energy.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
I'm forecasted for 24 friday night. I do not think we have even had a frost yet by me.
Does a rapid hard freeze have the potential to cause damage as opposed to a slow progression into freezing temps over the course of a few days?
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Let's just say that 24 F is a big problem for temperate trees left exposed to it. The problem with the coming freeze is that it is deep and will last from the early evening well into Saturday. Temperature that low and for that long will freeze the soil and roots of most bonsai (even big ones) through and will allow temps inside the pots to drop precipitously and rapidly. If you understand the mechanics of how cold affects roots, forecasts of 25 F or below are concerning. It has to do with lower temps freezing water inside root cells causing root damage. Water can act as an insulator in shallow freezes, since water around roots has to freeze first, then water between cells in the roots, then water inside cells. The first two don't really do anything to the tree's health. The last does.
That's why watering bonsai thoroughly before a shallow hard freeze can provide adequate protection for a night or two. But with this deep cold, things will freeze rather quickly and thoroughly.
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coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Times like this make me realize...I need to unload some trees. Just got done moving almost everything into sheltered locations as temps are forecast to drop to the teens and stay below freezing tomorrow, with wind. Most of my deciduous trees still have leaves so I don't think they're ready for this kind of cold. Some conifers are staying outside but even those have been moved into wind protected spots.
My back is gonna hurt tomorrow.
My back is gonna hurt tomorrow.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
I hear you...just got done shuffling into my own greenhouse. With a few things developing more...and the addition of a few trees this year. I see room for one more. Then...I will be needing to thin the heard to add more. Bottom line...I do not wish to have trees on the floor. Making it hard to water the benches. But...it's nice seeing them all tucked together. with my trees scattered about on different benches and not all together. It never seems like I have many.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
The forecast says down to 14 at night and highs in the low 40s during the day on Saturday and Sunday.
With how close to the ocean I am, I am not believing that low.
The routinely forecast lows that we never see this time of year.
I am going to move in my Deciduous and more sensitive trees. The pines and junipers are probably going to stay out.....idk
With how close to the ocean I am, I am not believing that low.
The routinely forecast lows that we never see this time of year.
I am going to move in my Deciduous and more sensitive trees. The pines and junipers are probably going to stay out.....idk
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All of my trees freeze solid every year and 24 degrees is no big problem at all. Cold and freezing effects is completely relative to species.
music~maker
Shohin
Depends on the species and what state they're in. Normally I wouldn't have any issue with 24F either, but most of my trees haven't gone dormant yet. A lot of my trees haven't even changed color yet. They're still potentially vulnerable to sudden freezes like we're about to get.
Quince
Mame
10F out my window right now.
Not good. Not good at all.
Most of my trees tucked in for the year, but all the pines, just chillin...
Come spring, I might have some unexpected room on my benches.
Thank you Mother Nature!
Not good. Not good at all.
Most of my trees tucked in for the year, but all the pines, just chillin...
Come spring, I might have some unexpected room on my benches.
Thank you Mother Nature!
