Has anybody used rolled insulation in the winter??

olbarn

I've been thinking about provisions for overwintering some procumbens nana and a mugo pine. I'm only getting started and understand about burying them to the rim of the pot in bark chips and/or pine straw. I was wondering if anyone has ever used rolled insulation to surround the pot instead of chips?? I've only got 5 right now to deal with. ??

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Aaron_K

Hi Olbarn,

Take 5 minutes to fill out your user CP with information regarding your location and USDA zone. Advice for overwintering can and does vary signifcantly according to where you live.

All the best,

Aaron

__________________
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Muriel Strode

Vulpes pilum mutat, non mores!

"A fox may change its skin but never its character"

olbarn

I have done so sir!!

Notice you are in England. Have a good friend that I met through work related schooling from Cardiff in Wales. Thought we talked funny over here. Imagine that!!

Aaron_K

lol. In England we think the Welsh talk funny . Thinking about it For being so small, the UK has a large amount of differing accents, each very distinct - Welsh being the worst sounding, with Birminghams and Newcastles coming a close second and third lol.

All the best,

Aaron

__________________
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Muriel Strode

Vulpes pilum mutat, non mores!

"A fox may change its skin but never its character"

Vance Wood

With the trees you have in zone 7 you could use the insulation but it shouldn't be necessary. I live in Zone 5/6 and I just get them in under shelter from the wind and direct sun exposure. When it snows I make sure there is a lot of snow shoveled in on and around them. This is as good an insulation as you might find.

The idea is not to protect them from the cold, but to protect them from early thawing and early growth. Once a tree is frozen you want to keep it that way as long as you can until spring really has indeed arrived. Because bonsai are in small shallow pots,--- most of them,--- they warm up real quick when the sun gets on the pots and this is bad, especially in your area where the winters may not be as deep as they are here in Michigan. Most of what is diagnosed as winter kill is really too early a spring kill, where the pots warm up, the roots warm up and the tree tries to grow, the sap starts to flow; then along comes the real cold part of winter. The water in the sap freezes and expands and causes the cambium layer to explode, killing the tree.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

olbarn

And here where I am in North Carolina, at times it may be almost shirt sleeve weather into December. Christmas is usually interesting. I've seen cold as heck and I've seen it where you need nothing more than a light jacket if anything at all.

So if I'm reading you correctly, my focus needs to be keeping them out of as much sun and so forth as I can after it gets down to freezing temperature.

Ol Barn in NC