zone 4 , how to get ready for winter

[WendyKay54143]

I have a Japanese elm, some junipers, boxwoods. how do I get these ready for winter in northern Wisconsin.

 

[gallina1594]

All of them must experience some sort of dormancy. I'm from northern Indiana amd I keep my bonsai inside an unheated garage by a window. And don't forget to water them about every 2 weeks, much less than you would in the summer

 

[Paradox]

Trees dont need light in the winter. Better to keep them away from a window so they dont get any heat from the sun.

I winter in an unheated garage and a cold frame against the northern foundation of the house.
The trees are pretty much dark all winter.

Also check your trees and water when they are dryish. For some that may take a week, others 2 or more.

 

[Soldano666]

I'm in zone 5 and a lot of my trees are rated zone 5 at the coldest. I bury my pots in the ground behind the garage in the shade. Then I'll use all my more hardy junipers and spruce and use them as a wall around the less hardy stuff and usually just rake some leaves in and around the good stuff before surrounding them with the hardier conifers. Hay bails, and anything else will help keep the wind off em. I might make some sort of cold frame to surround them with this winter tho.

 

[M. Frary]

The Japanese elm(zelkova maybe?) isn't cold hardy into zone 4. Meaning it can't survive the below zero temps. They will need extra special care. Even in unheated garages it may be too cold. I have some trees like that. Some Chinese elms and an azalea. I'll be storing them in an unheated room at my sisters house. Some heat from the main house leaks out there and it stays above zero in there.
My other trees are all super cold hardy. I just sit them on a bed of straw on the north side of a shed. Then pile straw up to the bottom branches. Then wait for snow to cover them up. I did suffer some vole damage last winter so I'm fencing them in with 1/4" hardware cloth to keep the vermin out.

 

[Soldano666]

The Japanese elm(zelkova maybe?) isn't cold hardy into zone 4. Meaning it can't survive the below zero temps. They will need extra special care. Even in unheated garages it may be too cold. I have some trees like that. Some Chinese elms and an azalea. I'll be storing them in an unheated room at my sisters house. Some heat from the main house leaks out there and it stays above zero in there.
My other trees are all super cold hardy. I just sit them on a bed of straw on the north side of a shed. Then pile straw up to the bottom branches. Then wait for snow to cover them up. I did suffer some vole damage last winter so I'm fencing them in with 1/4" hardware cloth to keep the vermin out.

You an me both Mike. Vermin proof everything and still try to poison them

 

[Potawatomi13]

Move to Zone 8. If Juniper is cold hardy needs to be kept outside.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[twisted trees]

I have a Japanese elm, some junipers, boxwoods. how do I get these ready for winter in northern Wisconsin.

Move to Florida.

 

[WendyKay54143]

Move to Florida.

I wish.

 

[Cypress187]

I wrap the pot in bubbleplastic and get them out of the wind (and my tropicals go inside), Welcome to the forum!

 

[just.wing.it]

Some boxwoods can be kept indoors, and treated like a tropical....from what I've been told...I will try with my sickly Kingsville Boxwood this year...

I wrap the pot in bubbleplastic and get them out of the wind (and my tropicals go inside), Welcome to the forum!

I've also read about bubble wrap around the pots, seems like a good thermal barrier.

 

[WendyKay54143]

I wrap the pot in bubbleplastic and get them out of the wind (and my tropicals go inside), Welcome to the forum!

thank you

 

[Random Usr]

I am from Sweden and I keep all of my 'cold climate' trees outside - elm, gingko, hawthorn, cherry, apricot, cherry plum, apple, cypress, and caragana. The only preparation I make is covering the pots/soil with boughs of evergreen ...... usually juniper.

 

[Cypress187]

thank you

I'm just a beginner and just had this laying around and they survived last year, there are perhaps other methods that work better / for your climate zone.