How do you winterize your trees?

[mattspinniken]

I’ve been wintering my trees this way for 4 years now with not one loss yet. Before these boxes I was having major losses do to voles. I have 4 boxes like the ones I have pictures of here, they are built with 1/4” hardware cloth on all six sides and double wrapped in crucial spots. I also mulch the trees in fully. Even Jap Maples that are less hardy here do totally fine.

only negative is the trees can’t be touched until late into the spring because the mulch freezes solid.

 

[BobbyLane]

another wintering bonsai thread

i saw this on Jennifer price's FB page, she is in chicago, hardy trees remain on benches


makes me wonder why everyone on Bnut locks everything away, smiled when i saw this.

 

[penumbra]

I sprinkle fox or coyote urine granules around my plant areas and it seems to work well for pesky critters. Buy it on Amazon.
I do keep the hardiest plants on the bench.

 

[Wilson]

My hardy trees get placed on the ground, and all the snow does the rest. I have been fortunate to never have rodent issues, so for now it's good!

 

[cmeg1]

I make boxes out of plywood 4’x8’ or 2’x4’
Sink in ground about 18” or so built in shade with open bottoms of gravel.
Insulation totally not nessesary I’m learning.In zone 7a they are always above 25 f.
I like them to freeze.Seems they burst into growth better in Spring when they freeze.
Ive never had rodents

 

[Sansui]

I shuttle my trees in and out of a three season sun room. The weather is predictably unpredictable in SE PA and it is not unusual to experience a lot of rain followed by freezing temperatures. I'm also concerned about pot breakage from deep freezes. I tried using a makeshift tarped outdoor enclosure between my garage and shed last year but the space sometimes became too warm during the day and it was too difficult to keep heated above 20 degree F during 8 to 10 degree F weather.

 

[sorce]

smiled

Me too, but to be honest, she does keep some above 34F at THG. The ones that need to be.

..........

The only protection I'm ok with is against animals.

Everything else should be out.

Nice setup Matt.

Sorce

 

[BobbyLane]

Me too, but to be honest, she does keep some above 34F at THG. The ones that need to be.

..........

The only protection I'm ok with is against animals.

Everything else should be out.

Nice setup Matt.

Sorce

yeh the only threats i get from animals here is pesky squirrels trying to hide acorns in my pots

 

[coh]

another wintering bonsai thread

i saw this on Jennifer price's FB page, she is in chicago, hardy trees remain on benches
View attachment 270340

makes me wonder why everyone on Bnut locks everything away, smiled when i saw this.

Yeah, but does she leave them up on the benches all winter (I kind of doubt it), or has she just not gotten around to putting them somewhere (even on the ground) for this season?

Well, I just answered my own question...checked her facebook page and this was her response to a question about wintering:

"I have brought in all my deciduous and shohin plus anything that's been newly repotted this past year. The hardy trees such as my lodgepole, ponderosa and limber pines as well as Black hills spruce are fine to remain outside. Rocky mountain junipers also remain on the benches for now. The week of Thanksgiving is my marker to then bring everything in and protect it in my unheated garage. "

So it sounds like she doesn't leave trees out on the benches all winter.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Bottom line. Protection will vary depending on where your at.
It seems learning what’s best for your particular spot is key.
I’m new to this so I expect I will kill some trees this year by “coddling” some in my heated cold frame while leaving others on the ground outside.
I will just have to wait and see.

For example, here in the twin cities, our average January night temp is 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
We also average around 15 to 20 nights below 0.
But who knows- every year, wheather seems to be more unpredictable.
In 2014, we had 53 nights below zero with crazy frequent winds.
Not sure how even very hardy plants would do left out on the bench in that situation.

Best to all and their trees!

 

[BobbyLane]

Yeah, but does she leave them up on the benches all winter (I kind of doubt it), or has she just not gotten around to putting them somewhere (even on the ground) for this season?

Well, I just answered my own question...checked her facebook page and this was her response to a question about wintering:

"I have brought in all my deciduous and shohin plus anything that's been newly repotted this past year. The hardy trees such as my lodgepole, ponderosa and limber pines as well as Black hills spruce are fine to remain outside. Rocky mountain junipers also remain on the benches for now. The week of Thanksgiving is my marker to then bring everything in and protect it in my unheated garage. "

So it sounds like she doesn't leave trees out on the benches all winter.

that sucks. i would hate to have to lock everything away over winter. for me anyway, my balcony garden is an extension of my living room, so when i walk into my living room i see my trees out on the balcony. to look out the window and see nothing, just empty benches would be a little depressing.

so what about trees that are in large wooden boxes and stuff or large plastic tubs, you tuck those away too for fear of freezing?

 

[coh]

that sucks. i would hate to have to lock everything away over winter. for me anyway, my balcony garden is an extension of my living room, so when i walk into my living room i see my trees out on the balcony. to look out the window and see nothing, just empty benches would be a little depressing.

so what about trees that are in large wooden boxes and stuff or large plastic tubs, you tuck those away too for fear of freezing?

London average winter low is about, what, 40 F? Chicago is about 20 F with record lows of -30 F. There's the difference!

I know for myself, I have several different storage areas - some trees go into shelters that are climate controlled (min temp about 26 F). Some other hardier specimens like ponderosa pine, spruce, etc just go into the garage where the walls buffer the extreme cold and keep the wind off the trees, but it still gets down to the teens (F) during cold spells. Others go into the front porch. I don't have anything super large because of my back being unable to handle those, so not a problem for me to worry about. But I don't leave anything potted outside, because of both the cold and the critters.

 

[BobbyLane]

London average winter low is about, what, 40 F? Chicago is about 20 F with record lows of -30 F. There's the difference!

I know for myself, I have several different storage areas - some trees go into shelters that are climate controlled (min temp about 26 F). Some other hardier specimens like ponderosa pine, spruce, etc just go into the garage where the walls buffer the extreme cold and keep the wind off the trees, but it still gets down to the teens (F) during cold spells. Others go into the front porch. I don't have anything super large because of my back being unable to handle those, so not a problem for me to worry about. But I don't leave anything potted outside, because of both the cold and the critters.

London average winter low is about, what, 40 F? Chicago is about 20 F with record lows of -30 F. There's the difference!

I know for myself, I have several different storage areas - some trees go into shelters that are climate controlled (min temp about 26 F). Some other hardier specimens like ponderosa pine, spruce, etc just go into the garage where the walls buffer the extreme cold and keep the wind off the trees, but it still gets down to the teens (F) during cold spells. Others go into the front porch. I don't have anything super large because of my back being unable to handle those, so not a problem for me to worry about. But I don't leave anything potted outside, because of both the cold and the critters.

haha i get that mate. but your wild trees are doing just fine in those temps. thats why i asked you about trees in large wooden boxes, are they at danger of freezing the same way the ones in a bonsai pot would. surely there is some sort of cut off or leeway. i just think some of it is a bit OTT but as you say ive not really experienced this for myself, although i lived in Calgary,canada for 6 years in my teens, i know how cold it gets there. minus 30 or more with the wind chill. it seems like some are just doing it because everyone else is kind of thing and there is also a bit of scare mongering going on. then you get the folks who just use winter as an excuse to hide away their sticks in pots.

 

[JudyB]

Too bad that protecting trees against the extremes of cold winters in the areas that experience harsh conditions gets such a bad rap. If done properly it can mean no losses and very vigorous trees next spring. There is such a whiff of tough it out here that can be costly. If you are keeping your trees dormant, that is the necessary component.

 

[BobbyLane]

Too bad that protecting trees against the extremes of cold winters in the areas that experience harsh conditions gets such a bad rap. If done properly it can mean no losses and very vigorous trees next spring. There is such a whiff of tough it out here that can be costly. If you are keeping your trees dormant, that is the necessary component.

i get that part. but it seems to me that its the norm everywhere else but not where i am. thats kind of what im getting at. some are just jumping on the wagon for the sake of it.
a few have valid reason and a few really dont.

its not just here though, ive been on UK forums where for some folks, even in the south of england where i am everything shuts down. they talk about wintering and locking everything away, no work being done etc we rarely even get any snow here and folks are going on about protecting deciduous trees, which are a lot tougher than some think. as i say, for many winter is just an excuse to do nothing with their trees and show nothing.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

my heated cold frame

My setup this year:



Tarped area with open ends within my vegetable garden. Garden surrounded by chicken wire. Have never had issue with rodents... too many hawks and stray cats in the neighborhood. Tarps are unclipped when it snows and reclipped after snow is done. Underneath...



Pots buried about 1ft. Enough air movement to keep it ventilated but protect the trees. I am going to get a thermometer to analyze temps.

My more tender trees will go on my bilco stairs where i kept my trees last year. Very protected but stays cool. Access from inside to check water and soil:



Thoughts?

 

[BobbyLane]

My setup this year:

View attachment 270386

Tarped area with open ends within my vegetable garden. Garden surrounded by chicken wire. Have never had issue with rodents... too many hawks and stray cats in the neighborhood. Tarps are unclipped when it snows and reclipped after snow is done. Underneath...

View attachment 270387

Pots buried about 1ft. Enough air movement to keep it ventilated but protect the trees. I am going to get a thermometer to analyze temps.

My more tender trees will go on my bilco stairs where i kept my trees last year. Very protected but stays cool. Access from inside to check water and soil:

View attachment 270388

Thoughts?

they look cozy mate, even better protected than some of the homeless folks ive seen on the streets of London!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

We went down to 23F last night so i moved them in. Just taking precautions. Some stuff i left out like pines. Will slowly shift them to the garden location.

They are nice there because i can open the basement door, do some cleanup and documentation while keeping them in cold temps.

 

[River's Edge]

I am pretty sure each microclimate has its challenges over the winter. In our area one is to keep the trees from receiving too much moisture, more so than temperature changes. The temperature is pretty stable. Unprotected trees will either be to exposed to the wind ( drying) or too much moisture.( rain ) Solution is to find protected areas from the rain and wind. Then remember to water occasionally. With rainforest climate, free draining inorganic substrate is important all year round! Quite the opposite of hot and dry climates.
I leave the majority of my trees on the lower benches covered by the upper benches to limit rainfall and provide better wind protection near the ground. The sensitive one go in the greenhouse with a Cafaro heater that only turns on just above zero and turns off when the greenhouse reaches a few degrees higher.
For further wind protection i have stapled landscape fabric to the outside fence of my Bonsai Garden. From the ground up three feet! This just interrupts the wind profile around the garden. Put it up in mid November and take it down in mid March.

 

[BobbyLane]

you know what the joke is, many of us will give the newbie stick for keeping outdoor trees indoors in the growing season. but in the winter time many of us keep outdoor trees indoors

im not having a go i just saw a bit of irony in it all. hope you see the funny side.