Overwintering setup conducive to death?

27-Nov-2004	#1
Tobias bonsaiTALK Expert Join Date: Feb-2004 Location: Vermont Country: USA USDA Zone: 4 AHS Heat Zone: 3 Posts: 195	Overwintering setup conducive to death? let me describe my overwintering setup for you. keep in mind it is made out of necessity and not out of what i think is best. i don't know what else to do giving my apartment situation there are two trees; 1 zelkova serrata, 1 acer beurgerianum (or however the hell you spell it!). since i'm in zone 4 i'm obviously more concerned about the trident maple, since i've heard they are notoriously unhearty (definitely not a word). my setup is as follows. big gigantic 35 gallon plastic tub. full of peat humus(which i used because the hardware store didn't have any bark mulch left). the trees are buried 3/4 down in the humus, which is quite damp, and the plastic top has been placed on the tub. this tub is placed outside on my porch which is about 10 feet off the ground and facing southwest. as i type this i realize how absurd my setup is. i would much rather have a garage or basement folks, but i don't. the real question is whether i should leave the top on the tub or not? i'm concerned that by leaving the top on i'm not allowing any water in the already moist "mulch" to evaporate, and thus creating a condition that is very conducive to root rot - a problem i had last winter with my consequently very dead juniperus procumbens. however, i'm also concerned that by taking the top off i'll be making the soil on average a couple of degrees colder, which is a couple degrees i might not have to spare considering that i have a trident maple in there and i live in vermont. i'm praying for heavy snow all winter - then i won't have to worry so much. so what do you guys think i should? top on or off? no, moving is not an option. any other suggestions are welcome. thanks in advance, tobias __________________ ~Self-proclaimed dendrophile!

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27-Nov-2004

EarthgirlOK

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobias

let me describe my overwintering setup for you. keep in mind it is made out of necessity and not out of what i think is best. i don't know what else to do giving my apartment situation

there are two trees; 1 zelkova serrata, 1 acer beurgerianum (or however the hell you spell it!). since i'm in zone 4 i'm obviously more concerned about the trident maple, since i've heard they are notoriously unhearty (definitely not a word).

my setup is as follows. big gigantic 35 gallon plastic tub. full of peat humus(which i used because the hardware store didn't have any bark mulch left). the trees are buried 3/4 down in the humus, which is quite damp, and the plastic top has been placed on the tub. this tub is placed outside on my porch which is about 10 feet off the ground and facing southwest.

as i type this i realize how absurd my setup is. i would much rather have a garage or basement folks, but i don't.

the real question is whether i should leave the top on the tub or not? i'm concerned that by leaving the top on i'm not allowing any water in the already moist "mulch" to evaporate, and thus creating a condition that is very conducive to root rot - a problem i had last winter with my consequently very dead juniperus procumbens. however, i'm also concerned that by taking the top off i'll be making the soil on average a couple of degrees colder, which is a couple degrees i might not have to spare considering that i have a trident maple in there and i live in vermont. i'm praying for heavy snow all winter - then i won't have to worry so much.

so what do you guys think i should? top on or off? no, moving is not an option. any other suggestions are welcome.

thanks in advance,

tobias

Does your 35 gallon tub have lots of drainage holes in the bottom of it?

__________________
Sonlight Nursery Green Country Bonsai Society

27-Nov-2004	#3
Tobias bonsaiTALK Expert Join Date: Feb-2004 Location: Vermont Country: USA USDA Zone: 4 AHS Heat Zone: 3 Posts: 195	No. I realize that if I opt to leave the top off i should put drainage holes in the bottom (which should be a delightful project, considering the thing currently weighs about 80 pounds). It doesn't have holes in it now, because the top is being left on. If I need to water the trees I'll take them out of their "bed," and if they're frozen in there...well, then they don't need to be watered anyway. regards, Tobias __________________ ~Self-proclaimed dendrophile!

27-Nov-2004	#4
Will_Heath BANNED Join Date: Apr-2004 Location: Clinton Township, MI Country: USA USDA Zone: 6 MI AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 4,227	If you know a place where there are pine trees, then the owners would most likely be happy to let you rake up some needles for them. Pine needles are an excellent source of mulch for this purpose as they allow water to drain though freely, won't trap a excess, and won't rot on you. Will

28-Nov-2004	#5
GaryS bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Mar-2002 Location: Wisconsin Country: USA USDA Zone: 4a AHS Heat Zone: 4 Posts: 729	Let's put it this way, your setup doesn't allow for air circulation and that may be the limiting factor, top on or off. I used to overwinter my stuff when I lived in an apartment in Chicago 30 years ago. I built a cold frame out of wood and put it on the balcony. Inside I had pipe heating coils that I bought at the hardware store. I had an outside outlet and I would plug it in when it got really cold. A little mulch under and to the top of the pots. A minimum/maximum thermometer inside to keep track of the temps in the box. It worked. Seems you could do the same with your big can functioning as a cold frame. Take the top off during warm spells and put it on at night and during cold spells. 23ºF is the coldest you want it to get for Trident maples. At least that's my experience. 28º is ideal. They stay frozen but the roots don't reach killing temps. Good luck! __________________ GaryS

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