Finally!!

[MattE]

Hey guys and gals, its about that time of the year where its cooling off, and i really badly need to transplant my shimpaku it has definitely outgrown its pot this year and man has it ever grown!!!!!!! cant wait till next year maybe get some wire on it. now i live in a condo and its on my balcony , i was wondering what you would suggest to do for winterising it? i know i don't want it to freeze i don't have ground to put it in and was wondering if i transplant it and place it in a box filled up with malch if that would be good enough to keep it alive or what you would all suggest?
also should i do a slight prune before it goes dormant or in the spring.
Thank you all for your help and taking the time to view and answer questions in my thread.

 

[sorce]

I'd throw it in a Styrofoam cooler...
Probly with no lid.

Sorce

 

[GrimLore]

I'd throw it in a Styrofoam cooler...
Probly with no lid.

Sorce

Good call as it will need wind protection but still need light during extended cold periods.

Hey guys and gals, its about that time of the year where its cooling off, and i really badly need to transplant my shimpaku it has definitely outgrown its pot this year and man has it ever grown!!!!!!! cant wait till next year maybe get some wire on it. now i live in a condo and its on my balcony , i was wondering what you would suggest to do for winterising it? i know i don't want it to freeze i don't have ground to put it in and was wondering if i transplant it and place it in a box filled up with malch if that would be good enough to keep it alive or what you would all suggest?
also should i do a slight prune before it goes dormant or in the spring.
Thank you all for your help and taking the time to view and answer questions in my thread.

If you repot it now don't expect anything good... May would probably be the best month for you and NEVER bare root it. There is a lot of posts here covering repotting of Junipers.
As sorce said a cooler or similar tall container will do fine for wind protection, I have used large plastic storage bins in the past as well as large nursery pots. Mulch it in just to the top of the pot and then a little on the soil surface. They can and will freeze. Check from time to time never letting it dry out completely and never water while frozen. It will water itself as it defrosts etc...
I don't trim mine unless they are still actively growing but others may do differently. Trimming any weak foliage in the inner portions as well as brown foliage can be done anytime.
Don't worry it a lot - they are tough!

Grimmy

 

[Vance Wood]

How brutal is the light exposure on your balcony? I have found that most trees do not need light during the winter and that infact direct sun shining on the tree can encourage it to grow and thus damaging the roots.

 

[M. Frary]

If the cooler is taller than the tree awesome. Fill it with snow until it is completely covered and forget about it.
It doesn't need to be exposed to full sunlight. But it does need to be insulated from drying cold air and wind. My trees are under feet of snow every winter and are fine.

 

[RickMartin]

This is going to be interesting to see how mine react this winter as I have the opposite problem. I don't get cold enough, but I have learned one thing moving here. But trees that are acclimated to your area.

Rick

 

[MattE]

north east balcony not crazy amounts of light in the winter, and it just seems to be pretty root bound i read on here alot of people do repotting spring and fall but if may is better i will wait. and as for pruning its still in the high teens here ( celcius) its just starting to drop down to +6 at night.
and i know they can freeze i was just worried that cause i read the trees them self can freeze but if the roots freeze they can die.
And this plant is my baby !!!! I will do the styrofoam insulation with some fluffly mulch packed mulch. Maybe i should shows you guys the roots unless you are sure it doesnt need a slip repotting

 

[Redwood Ryan]

How brutal is the light exposure on your balcony? I have found that most trees do not need light during the winter and that infact direct sun shining on the tree can encourage it to grow and thus damaging the roots.

Can you expand on this? Why is it that trees in nature are in direct sun but still stay dormant?

 

[aml1014]

Can you expand on this? Why is it that trees in nature are in direct sun but still stay dormant?

It depends on where you are and the tree. Junipers and some pines grow on and off all year here, including in December and January where we are regularly in the teens, but the days can get up to 65°f.

Aaron

 

[Vance Wood]

Can you expand on this? Why is it that trees in nature are in direct sun but still stay dormant?

because their roots are not exposed to the changes in temperature as often as the top growth.

 

[chicago1980]

Here are some good articles about shimpaku:

HTTPS://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/the-shimpaku-juniper-its-secret-history-from-kindai-shuppan-2003/

https://crataegus.com/2012/08/26/how-to-pinch-junipers/

https://crataegus.com/2015/07/01/juvenile-growth-on-junipers-cut-leave-alone/

https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/...s-among-itoigawa-kishu-and-shimpaku-junipers/

https://crataegus.com/2015/11/11/juniper-live-veins-and-how-they-move/

http://www.phutu.com/designing-yamadori-style-junipers/

http://www.phutu.com/yamadori-style-juniper-projects-details-and-examples/

Thank you!

 

[chicago1980]

The to much fert caused my RMJ to grow juvi. Seems to be growing mature foliage now. Better than a dead/sick tree

 

[MattE]

Ok so winter is pretty much done here , now i did my best in the conditions we have to keep my shimpaku out side during the winter ..now i know your all gonna laugh at this lol i put it in a kfc bucket...insulated all the way around it with plastic bags and then covered the top with a pot to keep the wind and frost off of it. now if has browning on the foliage and just wondering if this guy is looking ok and if you think it will make it , i was very scared of winter killing it it has been outside for 5 months or so its finally above freezing. I am thinking of trans planting it into a slightly bigger slip pot and pruning it a bit. ifyou guys could please have a look at the pictures and give me your 2 cents that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MattE]

Sorce

any help with this one ?

 

[sorce]

I'm only about 2 months into my first shimp...
And one-year into keeping a juniper alive at all!

Follow the moon!

Faster Further Future Vision!

Sorce

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

any help with this one ?

Can't see into it...

 

[MattE]

Can't see into it...

you mean into the plant ? i can snap a couple other pictures,

 

[MattE]

Can't see into it...

once again all tips are Greatly appreciated i have done alot of research alot of stuff online says fungal but i don't believe this is the case since it was in -20 to -28 Celsius weather