Upcoming Cold for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

miker

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As many have probably seen, the medium and long range forecast for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic is showing some very cold air arriving within the next week. Based on my limited knowledge and the computer model runs I have seen, the magnitude of this cold at the coldest temperatures forecast seems to range from about the typical coldest air to be expected in an average winter season to perhaps 5 or even 10 year cold in a few areas.

Has anybody considered offering their trees (or even just certain trees) extra protection? My current winter setup was put together hastily due to life keeping me preoccupied with other pursuits and would really only cut it in the mildest winters, which I figured would have to be enough, until it isn't...and now it isn't. I am considering putting additional mulch over the hardy deciduous stuff and putting marginals like trident maples in the garage. I would rather keep everything hard frozen outside than wimped out in the garage, but I know they won't die in the garage at temperatures 20F-45F, as outdoor temperatures stay between 5F-32F for an entire 10 day stretch. Could a very fully dormant trident or JM tolerate that kind of cold without damage?

Let's talk COLD bonsai.
 

Dav4

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As many have probably seen, the medium and long range forecast for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic is showing some very cold air arriving within the next week. Based on my limited knowledge and the computer model runs I have seen, the magnitude of this cold at the coldest temperatures forecast seems to range from about the typical coldest air to be expected in an average winter season to perhaps 5 or even 10 year cold in a few areas.

Has anybody considered offering their trees (or even just certain trees) extra protection? My current winter setup was put together hastily due to life keeping me preoccupied with other pursuits and would really only cut it in the mildest winters, which I figured would have to be enough, until it isn't...and now it isn't. I am considering putting additional mulch over the hardy deciduous stuff and putting marginals like trident maples in the garage. I would rather keep everything hard frozen outside than wimped out in the garage, but I know they won't die in the garage at temperatures 20F-45F, as outdoor temperatures stay between 5F-32F for an entire 10 day stretch. Could a very fully dormant trident or JM tolerate that kind of cold without damage?

Let's talk COLD bonsai.
If your trident and palmatum have been properly hardened off, and they're properly sited with the roots mulched appropriately, those temps would be fine.
 

Lars Grimm

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I decided to built a square structure this year of foam panels from Home Depot. The trees are all mulched down inside of it. This keeps the cold winds off but allows sun/rain during the days. When it dips down into the low 20's and high teens I cover it with a thick tarp. I can run a mini space heater over night if needed to add another 5-10 degrees.
 

Tidal Bonsai

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Mine are all chillin' in the shed with a space heater. Thanks for the heads up!!!
 

miker

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Thank you for the replies so far. My mulching is spotty at best and being in large plastic tubs for most of the tender stuff(the rest of deciduous are just sitting on the ground), the surface area of the mulch is small and is raised well above the ground. Also, I have noticed minimum temperature forecasts tend to creep downward up until a few days before the event, and we are still a week out from the coldest temps, could end up near or slightly below zero at this rate.

The tridents will almost for sure go into the garage, along with the redwood, sequoia, Torreya taxifolia and perhaps my JM beni Kawa. Other than that, it will be a cold hardiness test.
 

butlern

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Buried my JPB and Sequoia 2 weeks ago, but finally got the 'cold frame' put together around them yesterday, just before the snow fell and the bitter cold descended upon us in the midwest.

Hopefully I can keep it filled with snow to keep them insulated (and so my $25 cold frame structure doesn't blow away!)
Cold frame 2.JPG
 

miker

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Perhaps this is what a typical winter was like 40 years ago? Our lowest forecast low is around 5F, and we are in a cold 7a location, so maybe this isn't unusual.

Other than the few trees I protected, I doubt anything left out will be harmed. I do plan on putting a heater on low in the shed tonight for the more tender stuff, since we are supposed to go down to 10F, starting tonight.
 

Lorax7

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D338F20A-068D-4519-A5A8-072055D01BA3.jpeg I built a windbreak around my trees with bales of straw, put down mulch around the pots, and shoveled extra snow on top of them when we had fresh snowfall earlier this week. This is my first time wintering trees outdoors. I’m hoping this is adequate. I’m in Michigan, zone 5b. Current temperature here is -1F. My trees are all hardy species as far as I know: Amur maple, Mugo pine, a couple junipers, red twig dogwood, azalea, lilac, a couple of Japanese maples, and one other evergreen that I’ve forgotten the name of at the moment. All but one are nursery trees purchased locally that aren’t yet trained as bonsai, so I’m not out too much $ if they don’t all make it.
 

CasAH

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It was -5F this morning; and is currently 0 F and dropping tonight.

The trees are in an attached unheated garage on the concrete slab.
 

miker

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10F here currently. We really need some snow.
 

M. Frary

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View attachment 172382 I built a windbreak around my trees with bales of straw, put down mulch around the pots, and shoveled extra snow on top of them when we had fresh snowfall earlier this week. This is my first time wintering trees outdoors. I’m hoping this is adequate. I’m in Michigan, zone 5b. Current temperature here is -1F. My trees are all hardy species as far as I know: Amur maple, Mugo pine, a couple junipers, red twig dogwood, azalea, lilac, a couple of Japanese maples, and one other evergreen that I’ve forgotten the name of at the moment. All but one are nursery trees purchased locally that aren’t yet trained as bonsai, so I’m not out too much $ if they don’t all make it.
You should be O.K.
One thing I would consider if you live in a rural area is vole protection.
 

Nybonsai12

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I've tried a few different methods of wintering. Leave em all out, all winter, pots buried in mulch with burlap barrier for wind protection. Problem with this method is munchy animals and the weight of snow snapping branches as it melts. So after a few seasons of that i decided i'll just do the shuffle. This method makes one more inclined to reduce their trees in pots and to put stuff in the ground to grow out.

12 degrees here this morning. When the temp dropped to 25 the other day and all the pots froze I moved them all into the garage. We are supposed to get temps in the single digits at night and highs during the day of low 20's for the next week or so. That isn't including wind. Garage is comfy around 34 degrees. I'll move them all back outside when temps come back up.
 

namnhi

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We finally have a long stretch of winter weather... Lows are in the 30s and highs are in the 40s. Cloudy and rainy. We will have a couple nights in the 20s next week. Makes me want to not keeping tropical stuff that's not hardy to these temp.
 

Dav4

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Its great to visit, go snowmobiling, snowboarding, ice fishing, I mean drinking on ice... but never ending winters gets old
I agree... used to ski Mt. Saddleback way back in the day- screw Killington and Stowe, that was the best skiing on the east coast. I thought we would move to ME from MA...ended up in GA! We might hit single digits here once a year, only snows a little... re-potting season starts in February:).
 

CWTurner

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I got pretty busy/lazy this autumn and most of my trees were out on the benches still when this cold snap came along for Christmas. I just put my trees on the ground and covered them to their bases with shredded leaves. Most of my trees are local, so that should do it.

BTW, when I dug into my shredded leaf pile, there was unfrozen water just 5"-6" below the surface. This was after an evening of high teens temperatures.
CW
 
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