15F (-10C) for one night - what to do?

[Ply]

Temps have been at roughly 25f to 35f (-5-+5C) for the past week and a half. Not too worried about the trees at those temps, they're huddled together on the ground near a wall of the house as I do every winter.

I mostly have trees that are winter hardy, pines, boxwood etc, but recently I acquired a small shohin trident maple, as well as a garden olive in a large garden pot in soil (not a bonsai).

Temps going down to 15F (-10c) for one night, settling at just below freezing for one more day, after which the temps will go straight up to 40F-50F (5C-10C) for the rest of january.

For the shohin trident and olive, should I;
- Keep them outside with the night temp dipping to -15F
- Put them indoors with daylight at 65F / 18C
- Put them indoors (basement) without daylight at roughly 50F-60F.

None of them are ideal, but that's the flavors I got at the moment. Any help much appreciated.

 

[Dav4]

If it's just one night of deeper cold, I'd move the olive and shohin trident inside, preferably to the coldest spot available.

 

[leatherback]

Temps have been at roughly 25f to 35f (-5-+5C) for the past week and a half. Not too worried about the trees at those temps, they're huddled together on the ground near a wall of the house as I do every winter.

I mostly have trees that are winter hardy, pines, boxwood etc, but recently I acquired a small shohin trident maple, as well as a garden olive in a large garden pot in soil (not a bonsai).

Temps going down to 15F (-10c) for one night, settling at just below freezing for one more day, after which the temps will go straight up to 40F-50F (5C-10C) for the rest of january.

For the shohin trident and olive, should I;
- Keep them outside with the night temp dipping to -15F
- Put them indoors with daylight at 65F / 18C
- Put them indoors (basement) without daylight at roughly 50F-60F.

None of them are ideal, but that's the flavors I got at the moment. Any help much appreciated.

bikeshed?

As it will only be that cold for a few hours.. Pop them in cardboard boxes for the night. That will slow down the drop in temperature.
My olives moved into the detached bikeshed when the frost started pulling in around christmas.

 

[leatherback]

Note: I have a mame trident somewhere here, and will leave it there:

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Shed - put things I truly care about in there this morning.

Tridents? Forgot all about them, maybe I'll be back out there searching for them under the snow this afternoon

 

[stewarjm192]

If it's just one night of deeper cold, I'd move the olive and shohin trident inside, preferably to the coldest spot available.

This is the way. One or two days, not a problem

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Make sure you water them before a deep freeze. Ice is a great insulator.

I normally keep my trees on shelves/benches all winter long. We have had one night of 15F/-10C temperature this winter. I placed my olives on the ground (which does not have snow). I brought my cork oak indoors to sit with my tropicals for a single night. Any deciduous shohin trees I either placed on the ground or put in an unheated cold frame. The next day they were all out on benches again, because the daytime high was 51F/11C.

Note that if we were going to have a week straight at those temps I would probably move my tender trees into an unheated garage.

And remember - as long as you keep your trees watered, the greatest danger in the winter is often temps that are too high, not temps that are too low.

 

[Ply]

Thanks everybody, Ill just put them inside overnight then. They can go out the next afternoon as the temperatures rise oddly quickly.

Note: I have a mame trident somewhere here, and will leave it there:

Tridents? Forgot all about them, maybe I'll be back out there searching for them under the snow this afternoon

I wasn't sure how hardy tridents were. As this'll be my first frost with a trident, still a little careful. I thought I was already pushing it with lows going to -5c but I guess they're a little tougher then I thought.

 

[Thatguy85]

Netherlands? Yeah so I put my Azalea and Magnolia bonsai inside, as well as my seedlings and acorns I sowed in November. Other trees I put on the ground as others said.

 

[Dav4]

Thanks everybody, Ill just put them inside overnight then. They can go out the next afternoon as the temperatures rise oddly quickly.



I wasn't sure how hardy tridents were. As this'll be my first frost with a trident, still a little careful. I thought I was already pushing it with lows going to -5c but I guess they're a little tougher then I thought.

I have tridents that see temperatures below 0 F every winter without issue, but I do protect my few nice shohin maples from extreme cold or the mice and voles that might munch on them through the winter if they were outside.

 

[leatherback]

the mice and voles that might munch on them through the winter if they were outside.

oddly.. The mice/voles find their shelter in my wintershelter for trees, so that is where they get munched. My corkbark oak seedlings and pomegranate seedlings will not need pruning for a long time I am afraid..

 

[Sifika]

My bonsai are on a balcony so its a bit different but I left everything outside except two trees I rescued from a bin a short while ago, those are deemed weak and where put in my basement. Both will be coming back today or tomorrow.

 

[Dav4]

oddly.. The mice/voles find their shelter in my wintershelter for trees, so that is where they get munched. My corkbark oak seedlings and pomegranate seedlings will not need pruning for a long time I am afraid..

I wait to apply mulch until it's been cold for at least a week and the soil in the pots are frozen, hoping that most of the mice have already taken up shelter elsewhere. Still, the little trees wouldn't stand a chance if mice discovered them so they are on shelves in my cold room. I've had rabbits defeat my defenses two years in a row and they make quite the mess in a very short time.