zone problem

gavin555595

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I lived in dallas but moved to the Texas coast. I live in zone 9-10 is it okay to push it 1 to 2 levels like a 7 or 8 if I put it in a green house or partial shade.:confused:
 
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Bonsai Nut

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Depends what you are doing. What kind of trees are you keeping? (BTW I didn't realize how cold Dallas got until I just now checked)
 

Bonsai Nut

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When you say "maples" I assume you mean tridents or Japanese Maples? They may need some shade cloth, but otherwise be ok. Your pines should ALL be ok. Any two-needle pine should be fine - you would just need to avoid five needle pines like Japanese White Pine, or Bristlecone Pine (for example).
 

gavin555595

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ok because i am going to the black hills the first week of summer to collect ponderosa pines
 
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interesting thread... living here in florida with similar zones, I would think the ponderosa would no do as well just because we don't get as much of the cold ???
The Black Pines do well, I just watch the drainage pretty close, since I do get alot of rain...

Personally I might be a little hesitant towards bringing the poderosa down so south... some of the others that are use to working with these would obviously know better.
Having said that it is worth a try ???
 
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It all depends on where you're planning on getting the Ponderosa from. They change from the north to south end of their range.... So much so that they can be anywhere from 2-5 needles... 5 needles tend to be south and range down as far as mountainous parts of central Mexico. Most Ponderosa need zone 4-7 to be happy... but others can range to 8. The most common number of needles per fascicle are 3... though most people think of them as a 2 needle pine. Mine are from WY... I don't think they would appreciate a Gulf Coast life... no dormancy. It will likely take a few years to really know how they'll do... because without proper dormancy they'll just weaken over time. It's doubtful they'd die right off.

V
 

Dav4

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I would probably not bother with the ponderosas and mugos. Long, hot and humid summers will weaken them over several years, making them more susceptible to insect and fungal disease. I've yet to see a mugo pine bonsai here in GA (I've been a member of Atlanta Bonsai society for over 2 years). I seem to be the only one here with a ponderosa pine and it is decidedly weaker here then in MA. All this coming from a place, N. GA, where we do have frequent frosts and freezes for 3-4 months each year, unlike the gulf.
 

gavin555595

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is there any way i could make a cold house sorta like a green house to keep them in thats cooled.
 

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is there any way i could make a cold house sorta like a green house to keep them in thats cooled.

Anything is possible...

Here in California people rent refrigerator space or take their trees up into a mountain greenhouse for a month - IF they are crazy about keeping cold-hardy species. Depending how crazy you are (and how much space you have) you could always buy an old refrigerator on Craigslist and put a few trees in it. They don't need light while they are dormant. Depending how long a cold cycle you need, you might even be able to cycle two sets of trees each winter.

Looking into this a little further, it appears that there are two main type of Ponderosa Pines - Pacific and Interior. The Pacific Ponderosas are found close to the ocean and at lower altitudes. The Interior Ponderosas are found at higher altitudes and may need a harder winter. Wish I had more info for you...

You can check out general characteristics at the Forestry Service's Tree Database.
 
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