Is This Overwintering Advice Legit?

Deflation

I asked how I should winter my tree on another forum. It usually gets about 20 degrees Farenheit at night during winter in my area. Right now its in the 50s-60s every night.

Anyways, here was the advice I got:



This is the link its from: http://www.helpfulgardener.com/phpB...topic.php?t=211

I was just wondering if this was a good idea to everyone else. I have been reading up on this for some time now, and am very confused as everyone has different opinons. I got real messed up with cold frames or something. Its frustrating! This sounds pretty good to me, but it wont start getting real cold at night til mid-late october.

Im just worried about frost and snow and stuff. Thanks for everyones input!

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breefe

Yeah that works, but it goes a bit indepth for your hardiness zone...You say it only get about 20F? If your tree is in a training pot, you can easily take it outside, dig a whole, and put your tree(still IN the training pot) in the whole and fill in the edges. If you want a little extra root protection, throw some mulch down. Also, make sure that its protected from wind, because thats what is the REAL cold problem. Wind Chill. Snow won't "hurt" your tree. Insulates it in fact.
Remember, wind protection.


Edit: I looked up NW NC for hardiness zone for you. I think your at about a 7 for hardiness.

TreeBay

Greetings Deflation,

I don't know if you are Gary or who, but there's a big disparity in the temperatures quoted there in Celsius and here in Fahrenehit. There (Gary) said -30C, which is -22F, not the +20F you're discussing here. I think you'd need more than a hole in the ground in that case, but I don't have that kind of winter here. Personally, I would hesitate to put any valued bonsai in contact with the earth here because of the danger of pathogens.

Regards,

Matt

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breefe

Look at the Hardiness zone map. Find North Carolina, look at the top left corner. Its something like a zone 7. 5-10 F min Temperature.
I was in a hurry, but I still think it doesn't get into the negatives in N. Carolina. It only does here in Wisconsin for 1-2 weeks...

Deflation

im deflation on the topic i showed. It gets to about 20 at night here in the winter normally.

If that is not a good idea, is there anything else? I have an unheated garage, but it never gets below 50-45 degrees in there. My screen porch is the next option. I have a spot where there is no wind, but there is no sun either, and its the exact same temperature as outside. There is normally no sun here in the winter, but there are light clouds.

Sorry Breefe, but what map are you talking about? Sorry.

breefe

South East Hardiness
that map... find where you are and use the key on the right to find the corresponding zone #.

Seeing as it doesn't drop into the negatives, pretty much any semi-sunny spot with wind protection will do fine. If Matt comes back he'll be able to clear this all up if he has a problem with it.

BonsaiMon

What species of trees are we talking about? .. for me it's not just how cold it gets but how long it remains 20f. Knowing the species you are growing will help with more specific wintering instructions.

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tom stoute

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Deflation

its a small juniper. i got it about a month and a half ago. here are some pics i took if that helps:

http://djmansion.250free.com/bonsaitree.html

So are you just saying to leave it in the pot in a spot that gets some sun and no wind?

Id also like to add that up until around December 12th last year, it was in the 60s during the day and about the 30s-40s at night, with a lot of sun.

Tony

Deflation, you won't have any trouble keeping the juniper outside in your climate. Just set the pot on the ground and put a few inches of mulch over the pot. Situate it where it will be out of the wind when the cold fronts come through.

Tony