Hardiness zones and wintering guidance please?

[M. Frary]

If its an open porch you should be okay.

It's closed. Like I said it's on the north side of the house. It won't warm up in there too bad. No sunlight hits it and the trees get put in there frozen in an open top box mulched in.
If worse comes to worse and they do come out of dormancy I have 3 400 watt and 1 1000 watt metal halides to put them under and grow them inside like tropicals.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I winter my more tender than zone 5 trees in an unheated well house. The block walls are always weeping moisture. I keep a small fan in there running 24/7 to keep the air moving. Prior to the fan I would have issues with fungus and rots. I still have trouble with the well house heating up before it is safe to put trees outside. But I squeeze the few that wake up early into the orchid light garden for the 2 or 4 weeks that they need to wait.

 

[PierreR]

As far as prepping the trees for the deep sleep, I was told locally to soak them if a hard frost is expected, then dig/mulch them in. Anything to this? Is it a bad idea? Seems to me if things are too wet, and freeze solid, it could damage roots? Thoughts?

 

[sorce]

As far as prepping the trees for the deep sleep, I was told locally to soak them if a hard frost is expected, then dig/mulch them in. Anything to this? Is it a bad idea? Seems to me if things are too wet, and freeze solid, it could damage roots? Thoughts?

I've had mine up on the third floor sills, outside, the Inside of the window gets 1in of ice sometimes.
If the inside of the window has ice, directly above the radiator, you can imagine the conditions outside!

3 years ago, I was watering about once a week, the last 2 arctic winters, I didn't water at all!

I had some die, all attributed to sphagnum moss left in the pots.
None to freezing.

In your popcorn fart dry, you may experience frozen evaporation, but with no winds, I think you will be fine.

I even got worried last year cuz I watered on a 30degree night. My last water.
Everything was fine!

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

As far as prepping the trees for the deep sleep, I was told locally to soak them if a hard frost is expected, then dig/mulch them in. Anything to this? Is it a bad idea? Seems to me if things are too wet, and freeze solid, it could damage roots? Thoughts?

Think about this.
You get deep frost in the ground in the winter,correct? 10 feet deep. All of the trees in the landscape except for the larger ones have their roots frozen in a solid block of dirt.
Also your trees can take frosts if they are from your climate. It gets them ready for what is to come. Mine are still sitting out and have already seen overnight temps. down to 25F.

 

[PierreR]

Thanks Mike, makes sense. Mine are still out. Will hopefully get some of what I want to do this weekend. Between my dayjob, making wine, making knives, a college night course, the yard, family, and the honey-do-list, and hunting season opening next week, better get it done!

Thanks for the tips and help everybody.

 

[M. Frary]

hunting season

Opens in 2 weeks here. Hopefully the wine will be ready by then.

 

[PierreR]

So looks like the next couple weeks, temps are gonna stay below freezing. All my hardier trees, have been dug in, pots and all, and mulched. My other trees, not zone hardy here, got tucked in for winter yesterday. As mentioned, I took advantage of a window well, and some foiled bubble wrap. Three layers of the stuff, on all sides, except the side facing the window. Then placed on pine shavings, and covered up to the soil line.

This pic is part way through adding the shavings.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice, that looks excellent for winter storage. Trees should be fine.

Wine making is a fun hobby, I used to do imyself,

 

[PierreR]

Dug the trees out today. They all survived!! None dried out, so all is good. Day time higs are above freezing, and forcast isnt calling for anything more than a few degrees below freezing. So quite happy. I get to see my trees again an hopefully start moving them in the right direction.

 

[wireme]

Excellent, good to hear.
Still interested in that little rmj? It's looking good, green and will come out of the mulch in a week or 2.

 

[M. Frary]

Dug the trees out today. They all survived!! None dried out, so all is good. Day time higs are above freezing, and forcast isnt calling for anything more than a few degrees below freezing. So quite happy. I get to see my trees again an hopefully start moving them in the right direction.

You have nicer weather than me! WTF!

 

[PierreR]

You have nicer weather than me! WTF!

We get some benefit from southern Alberta's Chinook winds. I hear Edmonton was like 65F or more today!

 

[PierreR]

Excellent, good to hear.
Still interested in that little rmj? It's looking good, green and will come out of the mulch in a week or 2.

Yes sir!

 

[M. Frary]

We get some benefit from southern Alberta's Chinook winds. I hear Edmonton was like 65F or more today!

We just had what they call an Alberta clipper. We get them all the time.
Can't you guys just keep your cold air up there? Getting tired of it already.
If Trump gets elected maybe he can build a wall to keep cold Canadian air where it belongs. And get Canada to pay for it.

 

[PierreR]

We just had what they call an Alberta clipper. We get them all the time.
Can't you guys just keep your cold air up there? Getting tired of it already.
If Trump gets elected maybe he can build a wall to keep cold Canadian air where it belongs. And get Canada to pay for it.

lol! Well build it out of ice!!