2014 winter protection in progress

[wireme]

Chis, awesome! Thanks a lot, some highly useful info for me in that last post!

Bunjeh, I'm about 100 km north of the border, north of the Idaho Montana border sort of. I do well here mainly due to familiarity with the local terrain after a lifetime of working and recreating in the local mountains. No more good material here than anywhere with forests and mountains, hills and swamps. Other parts of the province would actually be far better for some species, rmj for example has way denser populations in other parts. One thing that is somewhat unique to my area is species diversity. I'm right on a transitional zone between drier and moister ecotypes. I can find anything from pondys and rmjs through to western red cedar and western hemlock, all within a half day excursion.

This year already looks like a good test for the pumice mulching system, not sure how cold it got but I could hear tree trunks making that snapping splitting sound in the forest behind the house the other night. A fairly rapid drop from -5 to -20c when the cold front arrived. I believe it is not just the coldest temp our trees are subjected too but also the rate at which freezing happens. Water leaves the cells as it freezes through different temps and re-enters during thawing, too rapid in either direction can cause cellular damage. Actually rapid thawing is thought to be more damaging than rapid freezing, if trees are left out when they shouldn't have been taking measures to slow the rate of thaw may be quite helpful.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Both beautiful breeds...sounds like a 'hairy' situation ;-) And my goodness, what a GREAT addition wireme! He/She is adorable, and what eyes! My only regret in life, no kids.

And Thanks for asking me about sharing as I kinda stopped. My first few suggestions to people were written off. Imo, it's an 'american' attitude of: "I can do it better my way", or "My trees are growing great" or "I haven't/don't have that problem" or multitude of other reasons.
All which is fine! It's just not the way I want to approach bonsai. For instance, and I'll prob get slammed, but I thought I had fantastic growth and reasonable health last few yrs using combo of turface/pumice/lava till this yr when I switched to Akadama. NOW I have 'fantastic' growth and health...not one single disease this yr, not one! Luck? Coincidence? You decide. But for me, I'm trying not just for good growth/health, but OPTIMAL growth/health. Ryan presses this issue big time.

And since you asked, I'll share these again as you might've missed them. Always apply dried shredded good moss/shagnum every spring, the moss grows over the season and actually allows the top 1/3 of soil substrate be viable for root development.

Always remove the bark off junipers after they've established themselves for borers. I de-barked 4 rmj's this summer and found 2. (really gross) Some love the bark, and have had the tree for many yrs without problems. So I asked Ryan about this in Oct and he said that's great, until they start loosing trees.

Interesting experiment he did this yr regard organic ferts. Compared Dr Earth to Plantone to Bio Gold (which he considers the best). The Plantone didn't compete at all. Here's the interesting part, Dr Earth was better than BG for establishing new fauna and initial growth. But BG was better than Dr Earth at giving him the good foliage growth he's after and better overall growth thru this season. I used Dr Earth this yr exclusively and as noted above, had a great yr. But damn, it's spendy thru Dallas. But for Ryan, it's worth the cost. Oh, the DE is the "Life' formula.

Chris

I have been alternating between Dr Earth and Green Dream, but I might toss Bio Gold into the mix as well just for variety, hard to want to do at $200/bag...

 

[fore]

I have been alternating between Dr Earth and Green Dream, but I might toss Bio Gold into the mix as well just for variety, hard to want to do at $200/bag...

Never truer words were spoken ;-)

 

[fore]

Chis, awesome! Thanks a lot, some highly useful info for me in that last post!

Bunjeh, I'm about 100 km north of the border, north of the Idaho Montana border sort of. I do well here mainly due to familiarity with the local terrain after a lifetime of working and recreating in the local mountains. No more good material here than anywhere with forests and mountains, hills and swamps. Other parts of the province would actually be far better for some species, rmj for example has way denser populations in other parts. One thing that is somewhat unique to my area is species diversity. I'm right on a transitional zone between drier and moister ecotypes. I can find anything from pondys and rmjs through to western red cedar and western hemlock, all within a half day excursion.

Man, what a location to live!! I have family in Salem Or. Every time I visit we go hiking, and it's amazing, even there, the biodiversity. Call me jealous hehe

 

[wireme]

Man, what a location to live!! I have family in Salem Or. Every time I visit we go hiking, and it's amazing, even there, the biodiversity. Call me jealous hehe

I would not trade it for anywhere! Winter has its own rewards that more than make up for having to put trees to bed.

Out skating yesterday and admiring some winter "flowers".

 

[fore]

Way cool ice crystals! As it was 11 here this am, I WOULD so totally trade it for anywhere on the w. coast. hehe

 

[wireme]

Willow sticks and stucco wire made the final line of defense, snow cover less than average so far but should be enough. Time to wax up the skiis and try to stop thinking about little trees for a while.

 

[wireme]

Pretty happy with the pumice mulch results. The stuff seems incredibly insulative. Green grass and thawed soil for quite a while now and still frozen in the bottom of the bed. This little sugar maple was buried to the top as rodent protection, came out looking good, still green and flower color on the resident pansy!
Almost too insulative, my biggest and best juni is still frozen in there with foliage exposed to some warm temps, I'm sure it would be happy to have thawed and functioning roots by now. Off to excavate it now.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Glad you found success in your labor of trying to protect them over winter.

 

[wireme]

Thanks, how did your trees do in your winter house?

 

[MidMichBonsai]

Mine were bedded down close together on the north side of the house, mulched with white pine needles, surrounded with burlap and they all came out and are waking up. This is always a fun time of year! Hurray for bringing trees through multiple days of sub zero temperatures and wind chills down to -30. Looks like I've got this figured out...

 

[wireme]

Glad to hear it midmich!
It is a fun time of year, rocks and stumps and chickens and dogs, stuff strewn everywhere and slowly coming back into shape.

 

[Dav4]

Beautiful!! Those dogs are pretty good looking, too.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks, how did your trees do in your winter house?

Your welcome...it's good seeing ones with success from their labor of protecting the bonsai they love.

As for mine...they all woke up! A huge "shout out of thanks" to Judy...who helped me rethink things when the arctic temps rolled through. I owe there success on her knowledge.