Weather Warning?

[TurtleSquisher]

Hi friends~

Up here in Northern California we just got a freeze warning. I'm curious with the circumstances if it's a good idea to bring my plants in. I know the short of it is yes to be safe, but I have my Juniper and Redwoods outside. Juniper has just been wired so it's a little fresh if you get what I mean, while also just getting my Redwoods about 4 days ago. Is that enough time for both of them to adjust to below freezing?

I am well aware of the temperatures for these plants and how frosty hardy they are but given the circumstances of one being just wired and one just received, I'm a little skeptical and need advice. Thank you so much friends.

Edit: Temps are supposedly getting down to mid 20's and staying for roughly 8 hours that way.

 

[Japonicus]

I think your juniper will be A ok with it. I never wire this early when freezes are still possible though.
Coastal Redwoods I would protect indeed.
Otherwise a garage wouldn't hurt for the night if you could provide such an environment.

 

[TurtleSquisher]

I think your juniper will be A ok with it. I never wire this early when freezes are still possible though.
Coastal Redwoods I would protect indeed.
Otherwise a garage wouldn't hurt for the night if you could provide such an environment.

Yeah... thought my region wouldn't have another freeze warning as it's been 75 all week. My mistake for assuming. I will get those Redwoods in a garage. Thank you friend

 

[Japonicus]

Yeah... thought my region wouldn't have another freeze warning as it's been 75 all week. My mistake for assuming. I will get those Redwoods in a garage. Thank you friend

Had you recently repotted your juniper or disturbed the root ball, I would put it into the garage as well
but should be fine otherwise. Should edit your account to include your USDA zone.
As for Dawn Redwoods I cannot help you there at all really. Also varies by your vendors climate.
The ground is going to be warmer than an elevated surface and it is the root zone we are concerned with
unless you also have deciduous or tropicals.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

It’s likely your trees are out of dormancy. Normally I’d totally agree with @Japanicus on just putting away the Redwood.

Yet as you’ve been wiring the Juniper, I’d put it away too.

In this case if it’s just a short freeze, I wouldn’t worry about the roots so much. What I would be more concerned with it’s the foliage as it already has cell damage from the bending.

…if you were facing five days of freeze thaw, like we are facing right now with predicted low’s dropping to the teens, it wouldn’t even be a close call about storing the trees. Freeze thaw cycles in mid-late winter are very hard on trees that are no longer dormant.

Also, once again Please double click your icon on top of the page and enter your USDA plant hardiness zone as @Japanicus mentioned.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Wulfskaar]

We're going to get pretty chilly in Southern California too over the next few nights. It's supposed to be dipping down into the mid-30's, which is too close for comfort, after a month of 70's and 80's.

I'm wondering which trees I should bring in overnight and which ones will be ok. It's kind of a bad time right now, since everything seems to be awake or waking up.

Are lows in the mid to high 30's going to be a problem???

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Likely not unless the temperatures get below freezing.

Off the top of my head I protect any new, young, damaged, diseased, recently wired or repotted trees.

A couple simple precautions one can take are put the trees on the ground, huddle them together against the house, fence etc and put a wind break around the lot…. and water before any potential freeze.

We are getting lower temperatures for longer up here after temps in the 40’ and 50’s do some trees are still dormant and others are leaving out already. Today my precautions include protecting trees that have obviously come out of dormancy, all the young azaleas, all the stock that has come in from vender orders recently, as well as any trees I’ve worked on recently.

Also I like to double check the mulch on trees whose roots are sensitive to freezing like Tridents.

My personal viewpoint is I’d much rather be safe then sorry as we’ve put a lot of time, effort and money into our trees.

Good luck!
DSD sends

 

[BrierPatch]

I received my bare root Dawn Redwoods (like your Redwoods) in December. I planted them in a raised bed right after Christmas with snow still on the ground and I put a layer of mulch around them for a little more protection. Then we received another few inches again in early Jan. and now it's supposed to get in the 20's again this week. I think the Dawn Redwoods are more tolerant to cold than Coastal Redwoods. Guess I'll find out in Spring time.

 

[River's Edge]

Off the top of my head I protect any new, young, damaged, diseased, recently wired or repotted trees

Good advice.
I would add any recently separated air layers, and or recent grafting.
For those with difficulty finding indoor storage consider placing on the ground near a heated building foundation out of the wind.
Definitely off the bench or pedestal and on the ground with wind protection.
We are expecting three or four days of colder temps with wind chill factors this week. I spent part of the morning moving everything susceptible off of the benches, onto the ground, protected by wind. As well as the more recently worked, wired, air layered, or grafted trees into the unheated green house.

 

[TurtleSquisher]

Had you recently repotted your juniper or disturbed the root ball, I would put it into the garage as well
but should be fine otherwise. Should edit your account to include your USDA zone.
As for Dawn Redwoods I cannot help you there at all really. Also varies by your vendors climate.
The ground is going to be warmer than an elevated surface and it is the root zone we are concerned with
unless you also have deciduous or tropicals.

Changed my signature! Thank you on that tip. My trees are a deciduous mix.

It’s likely your trees are out of dormancy. Normally I’d totally agree with @Japanicus on just putting away the Redwood.

Yet as you’ve been wiring the Juniper, I’d put it away too.

In this case if it’s just a short freeze, I wouldn’t worry about the roots so much. What I would be more concerned with it’s the foliage as it already has cell damage from the bending.

…if you were facing five days of freeze thaw, like we are facing right now with predicted low’s dropping to the teens, it wouldn’t even be a close call about storing the trees. Freeze thaw cycles in mid-late winter are very hard on trees that are no longer dormant.

Also, once again Please double click your icon on top of the page and enter your USDA plant hardiness zone as @Japanicus mentioned.

Cheers
DSD sends

Yeah, luckily my freeze is only for 2 days and they only get down to mid 20's. I have a shed that should protect them from the frost an keep them safe.

I figured I'd put the juniper inside anyway just cause

 

[TurtleSquisher]

I received my bare root Dawn Redwoods (like your Redwoods) in December. I planted them in a raised bed right after Christmas with snow still on the ground and I put a layer of mulch around them for a little more protection. Then we received another few inches again in early Jan. and now it's supposed to get in the 20's again this week. I think the Dawn Redwoods are more tolerant to cold than Coastal Redwoods. Guess I'll find out in Spring time.

I heard Dawns had 80 points in frost resistance sooo.... hopefully they are going to thrive!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Hmm.. can you explain what

I heard Dawns had 80 points in frost resistance sooo.... hopefully they are going to thrive!

They are rated to Zone 5 in the ground, so even recently planted they should ok.

Can you tell me what is 90 points frost resistance? A gardener rating?

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[TurtleSquisher]

Hmm.. can you explain what

They are rated to Zone 5 in the ground, so even recently planted they should ok.

Can you tell me what is 90 points frost resistance? A gardener rating?

Cheers
DSD sends

Hahaha it's an RPG reference from gaming the higher the points in resistance, the less damage you take from that element

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Gosh, this is the first time I ever heard gaming theory applied to bonsai tree survival!,

Good luck on that

Cheers
DSD sends