Winterizing my Elm

[Oleg]

I have an elm (1 1/2" trunk) I bought this spring from a greenhouse which imports from Florida/China, it's done well all summer and looks great. The night temperatures are a degree or so above 0 C and all is fine but the leaves are deep glossy green and show no signs of turning brown. All the indigenous trees I have are loosing or have lost their leaves, including three Siberian Elm seedlings from next door, this greenouse tree seems unaffected. It has been outside through out the seasons cooling, I was going to put it in a fridge @ 2 C this winter to ease it into freezing. I have a cutting I rooted in the spring I was going to put it in the ground as a survival test. Question is what do you think of the leaves? Should I bother with the fridge?
Thanks
Chris

 

[M. Frary]

All of my Chinese elm varieties are still green too. My Siberian and American elms have already lost all of their leaves. The Chinese elms are last to turn every year. Give them time they'll get there.

 

[Rodster]

Winter using elms

All of my Chinese elm varieties are still green too. My Siberian and American elms have already lost all of their leaves. The Chinese elms are last to turn every year. Give them time they'll get there.

I live in central Michigan area and have several elms of various varieties, Chinese elms behave as yours (not dropping leaves and still green after several freezes) I believe the roots are not as resistant to freeze damage as the cork as the cultivars so I bring them into my winter storage area which is a portion of the basement partitioned off from the main basement under a front porch, I am able to keep temps below 40F and not colder than 28F.
So what I do is let the Chinese elms endure outside lows of 25 to 32f a few nights then put them into winter storage, after a month or so in the dark chilly basement they drop all leaves and stay dormant all winter, when spring comes the Chinese Elms usually are among the last to pop out new leaves. I also spray some fungicide with dormant oil prior to winter storage and again after leaf drop and again when bringing outside in spring.
I have not tried wintering outside, but feel winter temps into minus figures would kill these trees. So if you can keep the root from freezing for prolonged periods you should be ok.

 

[Oleg]

Mid-winter Update

Thanks for previous advice, I put the pot in a plastic garbage can (1/4" between the two) and a long length of bonsai wire in the root ball that loops up and out one inch from the leaves. This supports a large plastic bag and keeps it off the leaves, the bag has a few holes top and bottom for ventilation and is tucked in between the two pots at the bottom. The tree has been in the bar fridge at 2 degrees for 6 weeks now, I just had a look and it's great! Some leaves have paled and fallen, no rot and not dry. Question is, how long can it stay like this as it isn't frozen? The root ball is 5" deep and I'd like to do a major chop, I had thought ideally to do this on a dormant tree in the cold wet weather of spring say May 1st but that would mean it has been unfrozen but unfed and in the dark for 6 months. That seems like a long time, while it's done in nature it is frozen for most of the time and I have not heard of anyone freezing a tree in a fridge. Any thoughts are welcome.

Thanks

Chris

 

[edprocoat]

Oleg are you talking 2 degrees Celsius, which is about 35 degrees Fahrenhiet not quite freezing ? If its at 2 degrees Fahrenheit I would be worried about root damage or possible death of a Chinese Elm.

ed

 

[Oleg]

Hi Ed
Yes 2 degrees celsius is right.
Chris

 

[barrosinc]

In Santiago Chile, chinese elms do not loose their leaves... maybe because winters are not very extreme here I do not know, but made me think they are evergreen.