Winter's Dance

[Paradox]

Temperature drop
5 trees come inside
Temperature rise
5 trees go outside
Temperature drops lower than before
10 trees come inside
Temperature rise
10 Trees go outside


All the while constant monitoring of weather and temperatures
The crazy things we do for trees.

 

[Poink88]

Lucky you...only have to move 5 or 10 trees.

I started doing the dance with 25 of my tropicals on November. By mid-December, they stayed in the garage full time until we stay higher than 50*F consistently.

I dance with my sub-tropical plants (bonsai and house plants) and newly collected trees (that need freeze protection) constantly. Just this morning, about 20 of them went out after staying inside for 3 days. SIGH

 

[Paradox]

I have more than 10. I just have them categorized as to who comes in when based on the forecast.

Next week we are going to get a few days with the daily high in the low 30s so most of my trees will come in for that. Some, like the pines and junipers will probably stay outside. Haven't decided on all of them yet.

 

[Dav4]

What are you having to move in and out like this? I would guess most temperate trees, like junipers and pines, could deal with any winter temps LI (usda zone 7)would throw at them. No need to baby these guys...honest.

 

[rockm]

WHY are you moving these in and out? Junipers pines and temperate deciduous trees SHOULD BE OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME in your zone.

Pines and junipers are FINE with temps down to 10 F or even lower with mulch and wind protection. Same with many deciduous tree. Temps in the low 20s or even high teens aren't much of a problem for maples, pines, junipers, elms and many other species...

Moving them inside if they're dormant is completely uncessary at 32 F.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Paradox, we're in the same zone. I've been leaving everything outside (cedar, larch, mugo, trident, jap. maple, juniper, azalea) They are in their pots in the ground with mulch with burlap barrier around and seem to be doing ok. I wouldn't worry too much. I'm more concerned about it getting to warm for too long.

 

[Dav4]

I've been leaving everything outside (1 of each, cedar, larch, mugo, trident, jap. maple, juniper, azalea) They are in their pots in the ground with mulch with burlap barrier around and seem to be doing ok. I wouldn't worry too much. I'm more concerned about it getting to warm for too long.

Exactly...winter warmth is a bigger threat to dormant temperate trees then extreme winter cold, assuming they are adequately mulched and out of the sun and wind.

 

[Paradox]

I don't deal with mulch as I have no good place to do that without making an unsightly mess and more work than just moving them into the garage when they need it.

Remember these are trees in pots so they can't always deal with what an in-ground tree could so I take a little extra precaution with them.

I only worry about prolonged, severe cold. For me that's daytime highs around freezing with night temps into the teens. My japanese maples are the first to come inside if temps fall below freezing at any time. The boxwoods are next as they tend to have leaf problems when it gets very cold. The very last IF at all are the pines and junipers. Most of the time they stay outside unless severe icing or heavy snow is forcast. If any of the pines and juni come in it will most likely be the small ones or ones I did root work on. By "inside" I mean the unheated garage.

I have a total of about 20-25 trees so its not much to deal with.

And yes too warm is the bigger problem lately.

 

[Dav4]

I don't deal with mulch as I have no good place to do that without making an unsightly mess and more work than just moving them into the garage when they need it.

Remember these are trees in pots so they can't always deal with what an in-ground tree could so I take a little extra precaution with them.

I only worry about prolonged, severe cold. For me that's daytime highs around freezing with night temps into the teens. My japanese maples are the first to come inside if temps fall below freezing at any time. The boxwoods are next as they tend to have leaf problems when it gets very cold. The very last IF at all are the pines and junipers. Most of the time they stay outside unless severe icing or heavy snow is forcast. If any of the pines and juni come in it will most likely be the small ones or ones I did root work on. By "inside" I mean the unheated garage.

I have a total of about 20-25 trees so its not much to deal with.

And yes too warm is the bigger problem lately.

I started my bonsai hobby in my late 20's...I was single, and had maybe 10 trees. I'm now in my mid 40's, married with two kids and have 60 plus potted trees...several are 50 pounds and up. If I had to do what you are doing just to get through the winter, I would have found another hobby a long time ago...I don't have the time or physical strength to do what you're describing. Good luck,

 

[Poink88]

I started my bonsai hobby in my late 20's...I was single, and had maybe 10 trees. I'm now in my mid 40's, married with two kids and have 60 plus potted trees...several are 50 pounds and up. If I had to do what you are doing just to get through the winter, I would have found another hobby a long time ago...I don't have the time or physical strength to do what you're describing. Good luck,

Much as I love tropicals...I am actually tempted to thin down some of what I have due to the work they require of me. I don't want to lose interest because of it. BVF's wise choice still resonates in my mind. LOL

 

[rockm]

"I only worry about prolonged, severe cold. For me that's daytime highs around freezing with night temps into the teens. My japanese maples are the first to come inside if temps fall below freezing at any time. The boxwoods are next as they tend to have leaf problems when it gets very cold. The very last IF at all are the pines and junipers. Most of the time they stay outside unless severe icing or heavy snow is forcast. If any of the pines and juni come in it will most likely be the small ones or ones I did root work on. By "inside" I mean the unheated garage."

Completely unecessary. Maples will be fine down to 16 or so. Tridents can use some shelter around 20, but in my experience, Zone 7 doesn't get cold enough for long enough to do them much harm. My tridents have been overwintered outside for over a decade in Zone 7 with no issues. Boxwood are tough customers. If the "leaf difficulties" you're describing is leaf bronzing after a freeze, dont' worry about it. The plants return to green once it warms up in the spring. Completely normal and harmless.

You are risking some complications by moving the trees at the drop of a hat.

 

[Paradox]

I started my bonsai hobby in my late 20's...I was single, and had maybe 10 trees. I'm now in my mid 40's, married with two kids and have 60 plus potted trees...several are 50 pounds and up. If I had to do what you are doing just to get through the winter, I would have found another hobby a long time ago...I don't have the time or physical strength to do what you're describing. Good luck,

I don't have any trees that big and I don't plan on ever having trees that big. If I can't handle the tree myself, I won't own it. I don't plan on ever on having more than about 25 trees if that simply due to space limitations. As time goes on and I get better at/learn this hobby I plan on limiting to less than 20 (probably 10-15).

I'm 43, married, no kids, female and can lift and carry 50 pounds if I need to.

 

[davetree]

Why don't you just leave them in the unheated garage ? They don't have to be outside for dormancy. You're making a lot of unnecessary work out of this.

 

[DesertPanda]

Anything that I have that is dormant and deciduous has gone into the cold shop for the winter. Things like the azaleas and junipers are still outside next to a wall. The tropicals have come inside and are doing fine under a grow light (some are in a terrarium). The only subtropical that I have that really need the protection is the Yaupons and I have those inside, on a cold wall, next to a window with a grow light. Course, it also helps that I generally keep the house at between 66-68 degrees anyway. I have been playing with a nursery stock Yaupon to see how it would do outside sitting next to the juniper.

 

[Poink88]

The only subtropical that I have that really need the protection is the Yaupons and I have those inside, on a cold wall, next to a window with a grow light. Course, it also helps that I generally keep the house at between 66-68 degrees anyway. I have been playing with a nursery stock Yaupon to see how it would do outside sitting next to the juniper.

My Yaupons are staying outside and I plan on keeping them there unless we dip below 20's.

 

[DesertPanda]

My Yaupons are staying outside and I plan on keeping them there unless we dip below 20's.

We have had a couple of nights where we have dropped into the teens (15-17). I do not see it happening much after the next two weeks though. How are they doing with the freeze/thaw since I doubt it is staying that cold where you are?

 

[Poink88]

We have had a couple of nights where we have dropped into the teens (15-17). I do not see it happening much after the next two weeks though. How are they doing with the freeze/thaw since I doubt it is staying that cold where you are?

I believe we had a couple 28*F and a few more below 32*F so not much freeze thaw here. All my Yaupon seem to not mind it...including the newly collected ones. That said, I need to wait for spring to see if any damage has been done.

 

[mcpesq817]

Why don't you just leave them in the unheated garage ? They don't have to be outside for dormancy. You're making a lot of unnecessary work out of this.

That's what I was wondering.

Except for conifers (ponderosas, spruce, a few JBPs and junipers) and an amur maple forest planting (which are overwintered on my benches with no mulch), my trees are in winter storage in the garage where they will stay until spring. I've even overwintered the trees listed above in my garage, but have gotten more comfortable leaving trees outside. If temps drop significantly below freezing (20 or below), I probably will bring those trees inside, but that's a fairly rare occurrence for me.

 

[Paradox]

Why don't you just leave them in the unheated garage ? They don't have to be outside for dormancy. You're making a lot of unnecessary work out of this.

Because its an attached garage and does stay a little warmer than outside even down near the door where I put the plants. We have had days in the 40s lately where its 50 in the garage during the day.

I'm only moving them in if highs are at/below freezing and/or night temps below 20 for a few days. Most likely it will be the maples, small boxwood and others I did root work on.

If winter would actually stick around for a few weeks instead of the rollercoaster ride we've been on, they would stay in the garage. My scots pine stayed outside all last winter and will stay out unless there is icing and heavy snow coming.

I don't have to move them often usually and it takes about 15 min to do. Its worth it considering the investment in time and money spent.

I've actually spent less fuss this year than last as I'm learning better what the plants can tolerate and being willing to take a little more risk.
As the above poster mentioned, part of it is comfort level.

 

[mcpesq817]

Open the garage in the evening to cool things off - I've done that over the last few years which works well.