Winter Preparation

[MSU JBoots]

This is my first winter as a bonsai enthusiast. I have a couple tropicals I’ve moved inside. The Austrian pine, shimpaku juniper, and trident maple will stay outside. Curious as to what kind of treatments most do prior to winter. I’ve read some about treatment with insecticides and/or fungicides prior to winter.

 

[Eckhoffw]

You can do a lot. Or a little. I don’t use systemics or anything special for wintering. Some winter protection outside for climate hardy plants ie coldframe with mulch and plenty of lights for the tropicals. Good to go.

 

[Carol 83]

I spray all my trops with a miticide/fungicide/insecticide a week or so prior to moving them inside. I just got an extra set of lights, but looks like at least through next week they're going to be fine outside.

 

[MSU JBoots]

Thanks yeah I’ve been reading through an old thread form 2017 also. So far I plan to partly bury my outdoor trees in their nursery pots and cover with mulch by my fence to protect from the wind. Sounds like fungicide is not needed for them but insecticide might be smart.

I wish I had treated my tropicals with an insecticide before bringing them in. They both have fungus gnats and the Fukien tea seems to have a small infestation of aphids or mealy bugs that I can’t seem to kick with the natria neem oil.

 

[Ben1124]

I had the same situation with my Fukien tea two years ago when bringing in it for the winter. It was also suffering from black spot fungus (which seems to be very common with this species), but the tree was otherwise very healthy and vigorous.

It took several months of regular fungicide/insecticide spraying and dead leaf pruning to get rid of the aphids. The black spot took over a year to get rid of and required meticulously removing any leaf with signs of black spot, making sure not to let infected leaves touch healthy leaves. The fungus spreads very easily thru contact or through watering. My tree was almost completely defoliated at one point but has finally recovered! I’ll keep it indoors permanently from now on

 

[Lutonian]

I spray systemic pesticide & fungicide on my tropicals before the come into the house in autumn. My hardy deciduous trees will get sprayed with a winter wash twice. once in late autumn and once in late winter. Coniferous trees get no special winter treatment other than general clean up and weeding. Frost protection is provided to trees that may need it in an unheated garage but this is a rare event my winters are mild.

 

[Carol 83]

I had the same situation with my Fukien tea two years ago when bringing in it for the winter. It was also suffering from black spot fungus (which seems to be very common with this species), but the tree was otherwise very healthy and vigorous.

It took several months of regular fungicide/insecticide spraying and dead leaf pruning to get rid of the aphids. The black spot took over a year to get rid of and required meticulously removing any leaf with signs of black spot, making sure not to let infected leaves touch healthy leaves. The fungus spreads very easily thru contact or through watering. My tree was almost completely defoliated at one point but has finally recovered! I’ll keep it indoors permanently from now on
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Nice save.