Changing climates - From FL to MA

[BeethovenThaBonsai]

so I just bought a 5 year old juniper pre bonsai, and shaped the tree as a gift for my best friend for Christmas! However, The tree has been in FL and now will be moving straight to MA on 1/1/16 to find a new home! Should I be concerned acclimating it to its new environment? Should a sheet be thrown over it for the first couple weeks? Should it be brought inside overnight until the 2016 winter ends? Help!! Open to all suggestions

 

[Dav4]

It will absolutely die if it get's placed outside in MA this January. Best thing would be to either leave it in FL until spring. Next best thing would be to keep it in a cool, sunny window in MA until hard freezes are past...most likely late April depending on where in MA the tree will be.

 

[Cypress187]

The climate will change anyway because of global warming, i'm sorry couldn't resist pointing this out once more. Good luck with your move.

 

[wlambeth]

If this is the only bonsai you are concerned the cold will hurt it you should prepare a cold frame.
You can simply dig a hole that is deep enough to accommodate the pot and a thick layer of mulch.
Lay your mulch down in the bottom of the hole, set the pot in so it is 3-4 inches below the top of the hole and back fill with mulch.
Next get a piece of that thin gauge wire gate material wide enough that will go over the plant and allow room between it and the plant.
Cover that with a sheet of clear plastic sealing on all sides and your juniper will be very happy.
You should place a few bricks on the edges of the plastic to ensure the wind doesn't blow the covering away.
I moved from New Orleans to New Jersey some years ago in January and did the same to my junipers.
They are still going strong.
If you bring it inside it will die.

 

[Dav4]

If this is the only bonsai you are concerned the cold will hurt it you should prepare a cold frame.
You can simply dig a hole that is deep enough to accommodate the pot and a thick layer of mulch.
Lay your mulch down in the bottom of the hole, set the pot in so it is 3-4 inches below the top of the hole and back fill with mulch.
Next get a piece of that thin gauge wire gate material wide enough that will go over the plant and allow room between it and the plant.
Cover that with a sheet of clear plastic sealing on all sides and your juniper will be very happy.
You should place a few bricks on the edges of the plastic to ensure the wind doesn't blow the covering away.
I moved from New Orleans to New Jersey some years ago in January and did the same to my junipers.
They are still going strong.
If you bring it inside it will die.

Nah, it won't die if the new owner is careful with watering. My first bonsai was a mallsai juniper...xmas gift...survived the winter in a cool window. It's coming from FL where dormancy in junipers is questionable so this one will likely still be active and I wouldn't want it to freeze at all this winter. Next spring it goes out and stays out.

 

[GrimLore]

If this is the only bonsai you are concerned the cold will hurt it you should prepare a cold frame. You can simply dig a hole that is deep enough to accommodate the pot and a thick layer of mulch.

Well stated -



Grimmy

 

[BeethovenThaBonsai]

i enjoy reading everyone's responses. It's funny, I have had a juniper tree since 2012 and it is very healthy and thriving. I have kept it inside weeks at a time, but probably 3 weeks max at a given time. I do this because I travel frequently, and I know if I set it next to the sink, it will get better attention by my family, as opposed to it sitting outside and drying out. I did nothing to my tree except let it grow and enjoy it. I named it Beethoven because I enjoy playing Beethoven and Bassnectar for my bonsai. So this Christmas, I decided to get a juniper for my significant other. I think it would be a great thing for her, to take care of it, maintain it, and watch it grow I went to a local nursery (different than where I bought my original bonsai) and these people are WONDERFUL. I would definitely call this guy a master. His trees are wonderful and beautiful, and he has many trees displayed in museums around the US. We picked out a "pre bonsai" juniper and I spent probably 4 hours shaping and wiring it. I LOVE the way it came out. D understood the situation, about changing climates, and he said he think it will survive... it's just starting to get cold here in Florida, so hopefully the juniper will have enough time to harden off before it finds its way to its new home. Just watering it and maintaining the tree will be enough of a struggle for her, so I am afraid that it may not make it. She will definitely not give it the needed TLC if changing climates is THAT big of a deal as everyone has posted in this thread. Thank you for all your inputs!!! I don't really know the best route to take from here though... the hole and mulch thing may be too much work for her, but it seems that everyone is telling me putting it inside is a BAD IDEA. Even at the nursery where I bought the 2nd juniper told me, "Why would you ever bring your juniper inside? That is a big NO NO". So I am going to take advice from people who know way more than me and conclude that bringing a juniper inside is a a bad idea, although mine is 4 years old and still alive I know you all have given me great information, but I still don't know the smartest move to make.... I really want her to enjoy the tree, and the responsibility that comes with it, but if it needs to stay with me for a few more months to get through the winter before heading to Massachusetts, so she can enjoy this tree for the next 10+ years, then that is what I will do. But allowing the tree to harden off, and throwing a sheet over it at night would not suffice ?

 

[music~maker]

As others have mentioned, you have a twofold problem. 1) Winter dormancy matters, and 2) Putting an actively growing tree outside in the middle of a MA winter will kill it.

Ideally, juniper is an outdoor tree and needs to be exposed to outdoor temperature fluctuations throughout the year. Bringing a juniper in over the winter causes it to skip dormancy, which can greatly weaken it over time, and will eventually kill it.

But putting it outside in January when it hasn't gradually acclimated to cold temperatures is much worse. That will almost certainly kill it, and quickly.

So you basically have two options. Option #1 - If placed right next to a sunny window (ideally south-facing) and kept watered properly throughout the winter, it is absolutely possible to keep it alive indoors until spring. At that point, you would put it outside and leave it there for good. I once saw one last four years that way, exclusively indoors. That's not typical, but they can often last a year or two. I think that's probably why so many vendors get away with claiming they're indoor trees. Option #1 is undoubtedly riskier for the tree, but will probably work.

Option #2 is much better for the tree if you can do it. If you can wait until the spring to bring it up to MA, it can just stay outdoors from the beginning. Then, it will be able to properly acclimate to the colder temperatures of MA over a full season, and it can be the outdoor tree it's meant to be.