yamins
Yamadori
I live in Long Island, NY (zone 7a). This year, I've been wintering my trees in a second-story wooden structure that is enclosed on all four sides, has a sloping roof, is somewhat insulated but has pretty good airflow. It does have electricity, and I've installed a heating system (basically a milk-house heater run on a good low-temp thermostat). I've been keeping the temperature between 36-39F, roughly.
I've been watering using snow. Basically, I just go outside, load up a pail with snow, carry it upstairs, and put a bit of snow in each pot when all the snow melts away and tress seem a bit dry (given the temperatures in the storage structure, this ends up being about once a week). My reasoning is, given the cold temperatures, not much water is needed, and snow is a low-density slow-release form of water. The snow keeps the pots damp, but not sopping. This approach is also more convenient, since I don't have running water in the storage area.
My question: is this a dumb idea? Should I definitely be watering with liquid H2O?
Thanks,
Dan
I've been watering using snow. Basically, I just go outside, load up a pail with snow, carry it upstairs, and put a bit of snow in each pot when all the snow melts away and tress seem a bit dry (given the temperatures in the storage structure, this ends up being about once a week). My reasoning is, given the cold temperatures, not much water is needed, and snow is a low-density slow-release form of water. The snow keeps the pots damp, but not sopping. This approach is also more convenient, since I don't have running water in the storage area.
My question: is this a dumb idea? Should I definitely be watering with liquid H2O?
Thanks,
Dan