Reminder: frost heaving is real!

[LittleDingus]

Conditions have been perfect to create some serious upheaval in some of my bonsai plants!



The pots with pure NAPA 8822 show it the most...although I see it in my grow bags that use big box potting mix as well. The NAPA is a little easier to photograph though. Even so, there are some interesting fine structures that don't photograph well. The caverns and bridges that were created do not show up well



While this ginkgo still feels firm in the pot (It's not tied down...it was germinated in this pot.), I have two 5 gallon grow bags full of ginkgo yearlings where it feels like the substrate loosened up enough I could pluck some of the plants completely out without digging were I to try. I've moved a number of the worst sufferers into the garage where it's hopefully warm enough to melt some of the ice and allow the soil to pack in again. I may have to keep them there the rest of the winter to try and avoid further freeze/thaw cycles that might cause even more damage...

 

[BrightsideB]

Conditions have been perfect to create some serious upheaval in some of my bonsai plants!

View attachment 523048

The pots with pure NAPA 8822 show it the most...although I see it in my grow bags that use big box potting mix as well. The NAPA is a little easier to photograph though. Even so, there are some interesting fine structures that don't photograph well. The caverns and bridges that were created do not show up well

View attachment 523049

While this ginkgo still feels firm in the pot (It's not tied down...it was germinated in this pot.), I have two 5 gallon grow bags full of ginkgo yearlings where it feels like the substrate loosened up enough I could pluck some of the plants completely out without digging were I to try. I've moved a number of the worst sufferers into the garage where it's hopefully warm enough to melt some of the ice and allow the soil to pack in again. I may have to keep them there the rest of the winter to try and avoid further freeze/thaw cycles that might cause even more damage...

I wish your ginkgo’s the best. That substrate is really popping out of the pot!

 

[GGB]

I used to use napa 8822. When I stopped using it as a substrate i dumped it out into my lawn and now every winter I get these insane looking ice spikes that grow out of my lawn where I dumped it haha. I can't imagine it's super great for tree roots though.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I used to use napa 8822. When I stopped using it as a substrate i dumped it out into my lawn and now every winter I get these insane looking ice spikes that grow out of my lawn where I dumped it haha. I can't imagine it's super great for tree roots though.

This is very interesting! Now I’m wondering if turface or calcined clay, reacts similarly.

Maybe another reason not to use soil components ‘neat’.

 

[Tieball]

This is very interesting! Now I’m wondering if turface or calcined clay, reacts similarly.

Maybe another reason not to use soil components ‘neat’.

I have Turface in some plastic container potted trees. Not 100% Turface though. I’d say 35-40% Turface. I have not seen anything like the frost reaction in the posted photos….just a flat surface as usual. Perhaps a difference is that once the end of October happens I do no further watering or care. Trees are left outside, full weather exposure, and take whatever nature delivers. I don’t touch the trees until the end of March which is near spring but not quite spring yet…maybe another 30 later for spring.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

calcined clay, reacts similarly.

I can confirm for calcined clay that it tends to do the same.

 

[GGB]

I wish I hadn't deleted the photos from my phone. The shapes it creates are pretty neat, on days that aren't super cold the ground kind of just heaves up in mounds. It's been warmer than usual so it hasn't happened yet this year, plus my yard is a stupidly warm micor climate. Eventually we'll get some kind of polar vortex thing and I'll get some new pics

 

[Dabbler]

i've never had that happen, Pretty nuts