80 Million People Under Winter Storm Alerts

[Ja_De]

The post title is a verbatim quote from a New York Post article regarding winter weather striking the East Coast this week. Undoubtedly countless bonsai are sure to be affected a

 

[Wulfskaar]

Nice and rainy out here on the west coast. We really need it.

I hope all your trees are safe and sound!

 

[Dav4]

Supposedly, it'll be falling below 0 F again this time next week, so the 6 inches of light and fluffy snow we're getting tonight are welcome... the 8 inches we're getting this coming weekend not so much.

 

[ShadyStump]

Woke up to 0F this morning. A bit colder than the 10F we were expecting, and the forecast low for tonight. We'll see what happens.

I'm already wary about the condition of my trees come spring. They've been mostly frozen solid until this last warm spell. They completely thawed, only to now freeze.solid again. Not good prospects.

 

[RJG2]

We've been getting 4-10 inches every three days for the past few weeks.

Bonsai soil temp is staying above 30 with the mulch and snow insulation though.

 

[Carol 83]

We've been getting 4-10 inches every three days for the past few weeks.

That's crazy pants. I guess I won't complain about the snow we got here today. Not much accumulation but mixed with sleet/freezing rain.

 

[RJG2]

That's crazy pants. I guess I won't complain about the snow we got here today. Not much accumulation but mixed with sleet/freezing rain.

4-6" tonight/tomorrow again (then some rain), and 8-12" Saturday night Sunday morning.

 

[Carol 83]

4-6" tonight/tomorrow again (then some rain), and 8-12" Saturday night Sunday morning.

I could never live in such a place. Sure, you have lobster but.....

 

[RJG2]

I could never live in such a place. Sure, you have lobster but.....

There's only about 15" on the ground, it keeps melting down a bit between them. I am sick of shoveling though, snow banks are big enough I can't see backing out of my driveway.

My kids are loving it though. Last year there wasn't enough to go sledding even once; this year they have a 5 foot snow mountain to dig tunnels through.

 

[Carol 83]

There's only about 15" on the ground, it keeps melting down a bit between them. I am sick of shoveling though, snow banks are big enough I can't see backing out of my driveway.

My kids are loving it though. Last year there wasn't enough to go sledding even once; this year they have a 5 foot snow mountain to dig tunnels through.

Glad your kids are enjoying it, just keep it up there...

 

[Ja_De]

The post title is a verbatim quote from a New York Post article regarding winter weather striking the East Coast this week. Undoubtedly countless bonsai are sure to be affected a

Last night I checked on my ERC's I collected this past fall... They seemed fine. Sorry for the poor pictures, my phone's camera is no good.

 

[Colorado]

We've been getting 4-10 inches every three days for the past few weeks.

Bonsai soil temp is staying above 30 with the mulch and snow insulation though.

View attachment 583295

That graphic is pretty awesome! Just goes to show that our trees (some species anyway) are just fine outdoors in the winter, despite very cold air temps.

 

[Ja_De]

We've been getting 4-10 inches every three days for the past few weeks.

Bonsai soil temp is staying above 30 with the mulch and snow insulation though.

View attachment 583295

I lived in the UP of Michigan for nearly 20 years and I know the kind of snow you're talking about can be tiring... In some ways not though, especially if you're a kid.

ways We've been getting 4-10 inches every three days for the past few weeks.

Bonsai soil temp is staying above 30 with the mulch and snow in

 

[RJG2]

That graphic is pretty awesome! Just goes to show that our trees (some species anyway) are just fine outdoors in the winter, despite very cold air temps.

This is my first year with a few Japanese maples. I hope the root/top kill temp charts in Bonsai Heresy are accurate-ish! The "bonsai temperature" sensor probe is in the substrate of a Sharp's pygmy.

Was going to build a cold frame this year, but breaking my leg in the fall put that on hold - best I could do was water while on crutches (barely).

 

[Ja_De]

That graphic is pretty awesome! Just goes to show that our trees (some species anyway) are just fine outdoors in the winter, despite very cold air temps.

Yes!!!

This is my first year with a few Japanese maples. I hope the root/top kill temp charts in Bonsai Heresy are accurate-ish! The "bonsai temperature" sensor probe is in the substrate of a Sharp's pygmy.

Was going to build a cold frame this year, but breaking my leg in the fall put that on hold - best I could do was water while on crutches (barely).

I've had successful "wintering" with placing trees inside a stack of tires and filling in with loose straw or hay. Although some may consider tires unsightly and employing this method when 10+ trees need protecting could be difficult; tire stacks provide a wind break as well as insulation from the cold.

 

[Ja_De]

That graphic is pretty awesome! Just goes to show that our trees (some species anyway) are just fine outdoors in the winter, despite very cold air temps.

I would say the main thing to be concerned about is the substrate in the pot becoming rock hard frozen for an extended length of time.This damages the roots so much the tree can't recover.

Where I live in Maryland this isn't too much of a concern but when I lived in Michigan it certainly was. The last winter I lived there the month of December saw over 20 days where the daytime high was 0°F. During this time temperatures at night were consistently -20° and trees had to be well protected. Still I kept them outside.

Junipers and maples have been around much longer than climate controlled indoor environments.