How much freeze is ok?

[Alfa0015]

Hello,
I got a Satsuki Azalea bonsai this week. I am a student so I live in a dorm, there’s no cold storage where I can keep my bonsai. I live in oklahoma 7b. What I did is that I opened a bit the window and put the bonsai inside of a box, the box wall facing the window is open, so the bonsai can get cold. I put some hats on it and dirt around. Today I checked the soil and it was frozen. Is that ok? I have a thermometer and I am constantly checking that it doesn’t go below -5C or 23 F. If so, I just close more the window. Is it ok for bonsai soil to freeze or what should I do?
Thank you!

 

[Glaucus]

Didn't you ask already here and had two of the biggest azalea people on this forum answer?

Satsuki Azalea help

Hello, I got this Satsuki Azalea yesterday, and I don’t have any experience. I live in Norman, Oklahoma and the temperature now is cold. I read that I have to have it outside and Heel-in it. I live on a third floor, so I just put it outside the window, but I don’t know what to do with the wind...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Alfa0015]

What I am asking is what to do when it is frozen. But thank you for the help!

Didn't you ask already here and had two of the biggest azalea people on this forum answer?

Satsuki Azalea help

Hello, I got this Satsuki Azalea yesterday, and I don’t have any experience. I live in Norman, Oklahoma and the temperature now is cold. I read that I have to have it outside and Heel-in it. I live on a third floor, so I just put it outside the window, but I don’t know what to do with the wind...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Alfa0015]

What I am asking is what to do when it is frozen. But thank you for the help

Didn't you ask already here and had two of the biggest azalea people on this forum answer?

Satsuki Azalea help

Hello, I got this Satsuki Azalea yesterday, and I don’t have any experience. I live in Norman, Oklahoma and the temperature now is cold. I read that I have to have it outside and Heel-in it. I live on a third floor, so I just put it outside the window, but I don’t know what to do with the wind...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Glaucus]

So it is below 0C but inside? Yes, of course if a plant gets below 0C, the water in the soil freezes. This is normal. The water inside the plant may also freeze, but at a much lower temperature because of the dissolved molecules inside.
If it doesn't get too cold, the plant survives perfectly fine.

Additionally, if the soil freezes a plant cannot take up liquid water. There is an entire overwintering article aimed at azaleas.
I keep all my small plants outside. Last year, it was a very mild winter. This winter, we had some -6C nightly peaks. Everything froze. Last year, a very small amount got damaged. But I have thousands and I want some to die. You have one and you want it to live. And you are in a colder zone that's quite continental during a very cold NA winter.

Freezing to below about -6C during the night, and near 0 or thawing during the day is usually what people consider to be perfectly safe for satsuki bonsai.

 

[Alfa0015]

Thank you! Yeah, it was below 0C but inside the house, using the air from outside. I an trying to thaw it and then keeping like a 10c temperature

 

[Glaucus]

It you put it abvove 10C, there's some chance it will wake up then afterwards it can't handle any sub 0C temperatures after that. 0 to 5C is good. Constant 10C is likely warmer than winters outside because of no night temps.

 

[Alfa0015]

Thanks for letting me know! I appreciate it!

 

[Alfa0015]

It you put it abvove 10C, there's some chance it will wake up then afterwards it can't handle any sub 0C temperatures after that. 0 to 5C is good. Constant 10C is likely warmer than winters outside because of no night temps.

Now it is not frozen, would you recommend to keep it between 0-5c? Or should stick with 10c?

 

[rockm]

Hello,
I got a Satsuki Azalea bonsai this week. I am a student so I live in a dorm, there’s no cold storage where I can keep my bonsai. I live in oklahoma 7b. What I did is that I opened a bit the window and put the bonsai inside of a box, the box wall facing the window is open, so the bonsai can get cold. I put some hats on it and dirt around. Today I checked the soil and it was frozen. Is that ok? I have a thermometer and I am constantly checking that it doesn’t go below -5C or 23 F. If so, I just close more the window. Is it ok for bonsai soil to freeze or what should I do?
Thank you!

Simply dumping a plant out into the cold does not do any good as far as dormancy is concerned. Dormancy is NOT only cold. It is a gradual process that is driven by shortening daylength. Cold is only the end ingredient in the recipe.

There is simply NO reason to put your azalea out in the cold for a day or a night. In fact you are probably shocking the roots and top growth, possibly causing damage. That damage deepens as temps go down.

If you got this azalea online or otherwise ordered in through a florist or bought it at a supermarket, it is likely greenhouse grown. It has not developed its defenses against winter. Keep it inside or you will likely kill it.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Who uses Celsius in Oklahoma?

 

[Alfa0015]

Who uses Celsius in Oklahoma?

Im from Costa Rica, so I use celsius.

 

[Alfa0015]

Simply dumping a plant out into the cold does not do any good as far as dormancy is concerned. Dormancy is NOT only cold. It is a gradual process that is driven by shortening daylength. Cold is only the end ingredient in the recipe.

There is simply NO reason to put your azalea out in the cold for a day or a night. In fact you are probably shocking the roots and top growth, possibly causing damage. That damage deepens as temps go down.

If you got this azalea online or otherwise ordered in through a florist or bought it at a supermarket, it is likely greenhouse grown. It has not developed its defenses against winter. Keep it inside or you will likely kill it.

Thanks, I was told that it was growing outdoors in Massachusetts

 

[Joe Dupre']

FYI, I've found out the hard way that oaks don't fare well below the mid 20's F. Forecast is for 23 F tommorrow morning and 18 F Wed morning. Mine, along with other susceptible species, are in a slightly heated workshop.......55 F.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Im from Costa Rica, so I use celsius.

Was just teasing.

 

[Glaucus]

Yeah, that's a good point. You said you recently got it. So it might have come from a warm area or a greenhouse. And when you put it in the winter cold then and it freezes, then that's different. If it was outdoors and in MA, then it should be dormant.
If in doubt, you can check the dormancy signs.

Who uses Celsius? Everyone. Except the US, Myanmar/Birma, and Liberia.