Winter storage and Reusing last years mulch...

[Japonicus]

For a procrastinator this has been a great Winters start around here in the Ohio River valley area.
My snow tires are on but waiting at least another week to put my wife's snow tires on.
Plenty of frost, lots of rain though, I can't remember the last time I had to water except for a few
that's been protected undercover.

So last years Wintering had good results, though the Spring growth tips were a little slower to plump out
on the junipers being out of any good light, I'm going to do the same this Winter.

The only differences are
1. I'm reusing the same mulch (see pictures)
2. I'm protecting against moles and other varmints (MoleMax)
3. I used a granular Lawn insecticide on the ground
4. I will be spraying with a dormant oil (Volk spray) if safe for WP, JWP and Blue Cedar, IDK...


This is a fairly new repurposed sunroom addition on the North side of our home.
It's also the area I used to heal my bonsai into the ground each Winter, but can't do that now.

It's very dry under here, nice wind protection save for the Northerlies, great for the Hinoki during Winter
unless the pot cracks from watering it.


Anyway, I raked out all the dry mulch 2 weeks ago just before a soaking rain, added Amdro and MoleMax
to the mulch, stirred, and reapplied and also treated the ground the bonsai will rest on 1st.
After all my plants are positioned and mulched, I will hose the area to activate the granules 1st placed
on the ground before bringing in the bonsai, then spray foliage and all with the Volk oil.
Hard telling what critters have taken up residency in the old mulch, and I got lucky with moles last year.

I hate the discolourization the dormant oil gives the foliage but wonder if it's safe for WP, Cedar and Cypress???

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Read the label on the dormant oil. The label should list whether it is safe to use on the pines and cedar listed. If it says not for pines or evergreens, then do not use it on your evergreens. Some dormant oil brands are bad for conifers. Dormant oil is mainly used on deciduous trees after the leaves have fallen off. If the label does not mention using it on conifers, then assume it is not safe to use on conifers.

Otherwise your prep seems good.

 

[Japonicus]

If the label does not mention using it on conifers, then assume it is not safe to use on conifers.

Otherwise your prep seems good.

Thanks Leo

Well that's a problem. The label is inadequate. It mentions when evergreens become dormant
and says Blue Spruce may discolour. That's all the info on evergreens mentioned on the label.

Now, in the list for DO NOT USE ON...
Red and Japanese Maples are the 1st plants listed, after Maidenhair ferns, or non woody plants.

per the label ...
" *Additional Tips
-Growing season is year round for some shrubs and trees, such as citrus.
-Spray azaleas and camellias between Spring and Fall blooms.
-During the growing season do not apply to the foliage within 30 days of
using products containing sulfur, lime sulphur, or captan.

Dormant Season
* Spray dormant shrubs and trees once in late Winter or early Spring
* Additional Tips
-Roses and other deciduous shrubs and trees are dormant after they shed all of their leaves.
- Conifers do not shed all of their needles but are usually dormant after the first deep frost.

So I called Ortho, they said all conifers are safe, the product is discontinued however.
He then only mentioned the "do not use on" the plants in the list above.
Leo, I've used dormant oil spray on my procumbens before with no ill effect besides
discolouring which goes away when growth resumes.
So, thanks for the keen eye, and picking up on my question about using on Pines.
I am leery to do so now, and may just use malathion instead. I do want to coat the entire
trees(s) with insecticide as this mulch could be home to foe. I have been reluctant to spray
much this year in a preventative method save for 3 times. I've not noticed anything other than
Springtails Spring to mid Summer this year, which my exterminator has sprayed for HEAVILY
and that no doubt helped out with other foes. It killed my wife flowers though.
So glad I would not let him spray before I removed all of my bonsai from the area.
He hates me for it I'm sure, and says my bonsai are the source for the springtails. I differ.

 

[Japonicus]

Bonsai Cave

Nothing like a strong weather system to motivate me. Been a good long deserved day off
Though I did nothing productive before 4:30 other than go to the doc with my Mom and watch the news
I managed to get most all my trees in the cave and mulched. One in a 3g can got healed into the ground,
60% of my maples are planted in ground, and a couple other in ground projects not going in the cave.

I need to buy a few more bags of mulch and open these up a bit more.
Too close for an accurate count but about 36 or so in the cave.
So far only had to buy 2 bags or 3 cu ft using last years mulch, ran out, so things are a bit tight for now.

This is so much easier than digging holes for each pot or small group of pots and healing them into the ground.
It's easier on my back by far, but I do need to wear a dust mask while doing this, especially with the addition
of insecticide granules, mole repellent, dust, and whatever processing chemicals are in the mulch.

Hoping the mulch generates a little bit of heat, but I doubt it will decompose any worth speaking of over Winter.
So now IIRC @M. Frary said I should top off the mulch with the MoleMax. Then will wet down the area well
followed by a good spraying of Malathion, once I get these opened up with more breathing room.

 

[Japonicus]

Mulch raked out and treated

Not much to do today. Missed last 2 days of rain in a row to water the pest control in but more on the way. Very dry under here.
Raked out all the mulch and mixed in granules. Will mix again between rains.

Nothing is really ready to go into dormant protection, and getting some Neem oil today to hit everything 1st while they're out.
Not all the maples leaves are ready to come off. I think that's a good clue time wise when to bring everything in.
Cave should be filling up in about 3 weeks?

Suspect of a more difficult Winter this year than last.

 

[leatherback]

Surprised at the amount of poison you are willing to use around your house.

 

[Japonicus]

Surprised at the amount of poison you are willing to use around your house.

I do use preventative control. I would not consider tossing my trees under here
in 1 and 2 year old mulch, dusty dry ground, and protected hotel for moles on the North side,
without giving my plants an edge on them. Our mouser cat not here anymore.
She always left us mice and moles for dinner. At least now we can feed the birds

 

[Japonicus]

With a delayed Winter onset I'm running nearly 2 months behind last years hibernation.
I severed a dwarf maple air layer around the beginning of the year which is now planted in ground and mulched.
Don't have anything here mulched yet, this was enough work on the old back for one day.
If I had to heel all of these in, there wouldn't be near as many. Too much work, not enough room.

 

[Japonicus]

2021-22 Winter has been rather uneventful up until now.
No snow yet, no high temps well below freezing or single digit temps...until now.

A little bit of a wide angle shot distorts size proportions, but I spent today moving most of my plants
under my sun room nick named "the cave". Snow is fine, Sunlight is fine, cold winds are not, so I shelter my plants
and give them water when needed.




This gets them down off of my elevated porch, onto the North side of the house under cover which keeps
the temperature minimizing swings a bit, more constant, especially when temps nose dive as they will tomorrow night
to < 10ºF, and when they climb well above freezing, particularly in Spring, but who knows what the climate change
will do month to month.
Today it was a balmy 30+ mph windy 52ºF day and sunny.
Tomorrow 2-5" of snow which is good for the plants, but a low of 9º and the high Fri 22ºF.

 

[Japonicus]

At least now I won't have to do the shuffle. They stay here till March or April.
Looks a bit different under here than last year. Had the Amish add a support beam
because the guy that built our sun room tied the back inside wall into the double wide wall
for the length, and it was just too much weight, + the roof goes all the way to the centre of the home
adding excess weight overall.

 

[River's Edge]

2021-22 Winter has been rather uneventful up until now.
No snow yet, no high temps well below freezing or single digit temps...until now.
View attachment 414653
A little bit of a wide angle shot distorts size proportions, but I spent today moving most of my plants
under my sun room nick named "the cave". Snow is fine, Sunlight is fine, cold winds are not, so I shelter my plants
and give them water when needed.
View attachment 414654

View attachment 414655

This gets them down off of my elevated porch, onto the North side of the house under cover which keeps
the temperature minimizing swings a bit, more constant, especially when temps nose dive as they will tomorrow night
to < 10ºF, and when they climb well above freezing, particularly in Spring, but who knows what the climate change
will do month to month.
Today it was a balmy 30+ mph windy 52ºF day and sunny.
Tomorrow 2-5" of snow which is good for the plants, but a low of 9º and the high Fri 22ºF.

Looks like an ideal spot for inter protection, tarp across between the cement pillars would aid in north wind protection if desired. I use landscape fabric across the lower section of a wire fence to cut the wind in front of some trees that would be too exposed otherwise. It is easy to hang, fold and store from year to year.

 

[Japonicus]

Looks like an ideal spot for inter protection, tarp across between the cement pillars would aid in north wind protection if desired. I use landscape fabric across the lower section of a wire fence to cut the wind in front of some trees that would be too exposed otherwise. It is easy to hang, fold and store from year to year.

Great idea Frank! Last year I used a piece of plywood on the inside of the pillars, knee high at most
which kept good air circulation. I'm out of mulch, didn't mulch last year.
I prefer to have them in the snow really, but, and thankfully, our snows are arriving late this year
and todays weather cooperated. Like taking the Christmas lights down before a week of rain set in and it's nice out

I guess the biggest thing in protection, having zoned plants, is sudden swings and wind desiccation, hinoki especially.
So far the only thing I've lost due to being in the cave 3 or so months was a jin that got broken somehow.

 

[Japonicus]

Now I will spray them with hort. oil when the weather breaks.
Couldn't get them sprayed properly in gusty winds.