Wind Speed

[chuckyblack09]

I've done a lot of searching around and haven't been able to find this information.

At what wind speeds should I be protecting my trees? I'm not so worried about them blowing over, but from drying out. I'm finding conflicting info, some people say wind is only an issue in winter, some say only need to worry about them blowing over, some that they should be protected always from wind so there's no drying out.

Is this a valid concern?

Like above 10 or 20 mph?

At what speeds do you protect your trees?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

There is no real value on wind speed as it depends…

There are two issues to think about, first the physical safety of the trees and second how soon the media will dry out and affect the trunk, branches and leaves.

First off, this depends on the tree size, pot size and location of the tree. The hazard is the tree falling and damaging the tree/pot.

Second.

Constant winds can dissicate both foliage and media quickly when it’s dry outside. Especially during the hot periods in summer. During the winter similar phenomena can occur, drying the soil. This is usually prevented by mulching the tree in.

In addition, in winter constant winds, especially over 10 knots can also can damage a tree by drying out the cells in top hamper of the tree when the roots are frozen. This can result in trunk/branch split. Certain trees with thin bark can be more susceptible, yet other environment conditions can amplify issues caused by wind, for example sunlight.

These are some of the reasons folks tell new hobbyists to keep their trees out of the wind

cheers
DSD sends

 

[yashu]

Wind will be far more desiccating with low humidity so keep your eyes peeled for low dew point and relative humidity as those conditions can make wind much more damaging to your containerized trees. In essence a 15mph wind in a steady rain won’t desiccate like the same wind on a hot dry day.

 

[namnhi]

I've done a lot of searching around and haven't been able to find this information.

At what wind speeds should I be protecting my trees? I'm not so worried about them blowing over, but from drying out. I'm finding conflicting info, some people say wind is only an issue in winter, some say only need to worry about them blowing over, some that they should be protected always from wind so there's no drying out.

Is this a valid concern?

Like above 10 or 20 mph?

At what speeds do you protect your trees?


Thanks in advance!

Overly concerned. Just try to set the trees in a location that is somewhat protected is all you need to do.

 

[rockm]

Wind speed can be a factor in watering (but not a huge one to worry about constantly), but it largely depends on a few things--humidity levels and size of the pot. Dry air blowing in the spring forces trees to transpire more rapidly, drawing water from the soil through the roots up to the exposed leaves. Small pots and trees dry faster than larger ones. Keep that in mind on warm windy spring days when trees are growing most strongly.

I don't shelter trees from wind, unless we have strong thunderstorms --winds over 40 MPH can fling smaller trees off benches. Winds over 70 (like a hurricane) can push larger trees off their stands. You can place trees on the ground in both cases to protect them.