Overwintering wisteria

[LemonBonsai]

I have a chinese wisteria that will be facing its first winter in my care in ontario canada. Google does say that chinese wisteria are hardy down to zone 4, which im zone 5b. So for overwintering im torn between two decisions. I could either put it in my unheated garage or shed or I could bury it in the ground and mulch up the trunk a few inches. (I could also bury it under my bonsai bench and throw a tarp over the bench to block it from wind)

I would rather bury it in the ground for winter because i cant have a fan going in the shed or garage so there wont be any airflow there. However even though it says the wisteria is hardy down to zone 4 im concerned that the canadian winter will be to much for the vine.(i would dig it up early spring and put it inside on frost risk nights)

Has anyone had experience with overwintering wisterias in Canada? What have you found success with?

 

[penumbra]

Just heal it in outside and it will be fine.

 

[LemonBonsai]

Just heal it in outside and it will be fine.

Thanks for the advice but sorry havent heard the term "heal" does that mean what I said just bury it and mulch up the trunk?

 

[penumbra]

Thanks for the advice but sorry havent heard the term "heal" does that mean what I said just bury it and mulch up the trunk?

You can put it in the ground but it will be fine if you just put mulch around the pot and slightly on top of the soil. Don't put mulch up on the trunk very much at all. You will invite mice and possible rot.
Healing in mulch is most effective when you group several plants together.

 

[LemonBonsai]

You can put it in the ground but it will be fine if you just put mulch around the pot and slightly on top of the soil. Don't put mulch up on the trunk very much at all. You will invite mice and possible rot.
Healing in mulch is most effective when you group several plants together.

Ok perfect thanks for your help!

 

[penumbra]

You are more than welcome and best of luck to you.
BTW, I love your seedling cage.

 

[LemonBonsai]

You are more than welcome and best of luck to you.
BTW, I love your seedling cage.

Haha thanks I was having so much problems with squirrels and birds decided to make one. Dowels hold it in place so it doesnt blow away or get knocked over but still easy to remove.

 

[hinmo24t]

garage. the in ground and beefing up insulation are for those without a garage or shed (take w grain of salt, just saying)
i have wondered about lack of airflow in garage, but with minimal watering and foliage i dont think mold is a major issue

 

[penumbra]

If at all possible keep them outside where they belong.

 

[hinmo24t]

If at all possible keep them outside where they belong.

i like that theory. to add to my last post, ill only bring mine in garage for the 14ish days of horrid weather in MA. single digits/blizzard winds/ice storms haha. otherwise just up against the back of garage on benches.

we have snow forecast for this friday, 29* low overnight.

 

[LemonBonsai]

I think i will try to bury them this year. Its still a very young tree still years away from being a nice looking bonsai. And I want to see if it will survive ok outside because it will be an easier way for me to overwinter it because I have other trees that I bury so I will group them together and see how they do. We are just going into the negatives here in Canada. Tomorrow night will be 1° C and the night after is dropping to -4° C. During the really cold months I may consider bringing in. If it does die it wont be a huge loss. Will just need to pick up another nursery stock next year!

 

[penumbra]

I don't recommend bringing it inside for any period at all. Once it is settled in for winter leave it be.

 

[rodeolthr]

In my Wyoming zone 4b garden, I tried many times to get wisteria to "take" by placing them in all sorts of protected areas and microclimate pockets. They would always die. That is a completely different winter climate from yours, high elevation (3600') and low humidity which cause all sorts of issues beyond what just the cold can do. I did have good experiences with digging a pit in my garden and completely burying anything which wasn't hardy enough to survive. I would lay the plants on their sides and then cover with soil or sawdust/mulch. They would usually freeze solid but they stayed at freezing and I would pull them out once things thawed in spring.

 

[hinmo24t]

In my Wyoming zone 4b garden, I tried many times to get wisteria to "take" by placing them in all sorts of protected areas and microclimate pockets. They would always die. That is a completely different winter climate from yours, high elevation (3600') and low humidity which cause all sorts of issues beyond what just the cold can do. I did have good experiences with digging a pit in my garden and completely burying anything which wasn't hardy enough to survive. I would lay the plants on their sides and then cover with soil or sawdust/mulch. They would usually freeze solid but they stayed at freezing and I would pull them out once things thawed in spring.

steezy claim

 

[LanceMac10]

It's obvious you and this Wisteria got off on the wrong foot....


A better introduction might have been, "Test Subject #1, meet Dr. @LemonBonsai . The Dr. will dig you a hole a'fore the first deep freeze, then mulch you in just a smidge prior to "winter proper" so no varmints will be about"....

I have one that was "for sure dead" twice...it won't die!

 

[LemonBonsai]

Well here is the final layout lol whatever happens is gonna happen