New Shimpaku Juniper from Greenhouse, Where to Put It For Now?

[Malt_Meister]

That's why you should/have to put them behind a wind brake of some sort. The best thing is to bury them in the snow if you get it. The last two winters have been bad around here and I have not had to do so much for the ten years prior. However prior to that I used to pile straw loosely on top of everything and use portions of the straw bales for wind breaks and quasi-shelters. It got so warm for a while that I no longer had to do that but I am now thinking things may have taken a turn the other way for a season or two or ten. One thing about Shimpakus: You can kill them with kindness.

Good to know! Thanks for the tips. I just wanted to avoid shocking the tree from being in a greenhouse to suddenly outside in the cold and frost so hopefully it does well even though I'll have it inside at night for a few weeks. This winter I'll be sure to take the proper precautions to winter it properly.

 

[Malt_Meister]

Forgive me for being thick; you mention that Shimpaku grow wild in your area? Or----are we talking about another species of Juniper because Shimpakus are native to Japan and no where else that I know of?

I was referring to the Alberta Spruce in particular there

 

[Vance Wood]

You can always cycle the tree back and forth from being outdoors exposed to a shed or garage if the weather turns cold. After this year you should not have problems with the tree.

 

[Malt_Meister]

You can always cycle the tree back and forth from being outdoors exposed to a shed or garage if the weather turns cold. After this year you should not have problems with the tree.

For next winter you mean? Or this is the best way to acclimate it to the sort of chilly nights and not really warm days currently? I thought it would be best to bring it in the house at night and outside during the day...

 

[Vance Wood]

If you have the time and the locations it would not be a bad idea, though probably un-necessary, to do it now.

 

[Malt_Meister]

If you have the time and the locations it would not be a bad idea, though probably un-necessary, to do it now.

I have got the time and space to move it in and out and I feel that at least some time outside is going to help prolong the health of the tree better than leaving it inside 100% of the time for a few weeks. I think that I will just have to wait and see! Thanks for the help guys

 

[Malt_Meister]

Sorry for resurrecting this thread, I just wanted to give an update on the Shimpaku because I'm a little confused.

I have been brining the tree in at nights when it gets frosty and putting it out during the day, but the last couple nights the temp was around 0 Celsius and I left it outside thinking it was warm enough. I know these trees can handle quite cold temperatures but as I mention earlier the tree was from a greenhouse and likely not acclimated to frost.

Anyway, I scratched the bark this morning and didn't see any bright green that I was expecting. I saw the white sappy wood underneath, but no obvious green. I don't want to go gouging up the tree too much but how can I determine if the tree still lives? I can post some pictures later.

As a side note, the foliage shows no yellow or brown frost damage and is deep green and supple... The small white growing tips on some of the foliage are still present but I don't know if they're still pushing out more foliage because these grow so slowly...

My inexperience in junipers is killing me here so I am just not sure what to do exactly... Any suggestions guys? Thanks.



I'll post some pics in 3 hours or so when home again to take some

 

[Malt_Meister]

Another Update: upon coming home just now I scratched the branches on the tree and they all show green underneath the bark, and the small trunk near the top does as well but most of the trunk upon scratching doesn't show green underneath until the top 20% of the tree... Is this normal for these trees?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

If the foliage is deep green and supple, why are you scatching away the bark to check the cambium?

 

[Malt_Meister]

If the foliage is deep green and supple, why are you scatching away the bark to check the cambium?

Because as I understand the foliage will be normal for weeks after a juniper has died so I thought the presence of green under the bark might be a more direct way to see if the tree was still alive... Is that incorrect?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You'll know it by the foliage first. If the foliage is deep green and supple, and still looks like the pix you posted, your tree should be just fine.

 

[Malt_Meister]

You'll know it by the foliage first. If the foliage is deep green and supple, and still looks like the pix you posted, your tree should be just fine.

Cool! It looks like the pictures still so it must be alright then. I was just confused none of the trunk showed any green so thank you for clarifying that for me.

I'll keep on trucking as I have been so thanks!