nasty frost

gareth · White Belt Joined: 08 Jul 2006 Posts: 41 Location: oxford

in oxfordshire having bad freezing fog in day and very low at night. checked all my bonsai outside that are wrapped in bubble wrap around pots but was slightly not fully covering soil. soil is now all rock solid. i have put them in my shed over night now but will they recover ok from a serious 1 time freeze???????? please help??

jimothy · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: nasty frost

they'll be fine, don't worry. Assuming they're all temperate plants, they'll suffer no damage from being frozen solid unless it goes on for a very long time.

Barwick Bonsai · Yellow Belt Joined: 25 May 2006 Posts: 125 Location: Leeds

The tree's need the frost and it's been long overdue....
Hopefully it will send them to sleep for the winter.

Rgds

Andy

TB420 · Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject: Re: nasty frost

I live in zone 5b. Much colder than you. I have not wrapped my pot in anything. What kind of tree's do you have. I bet that most are hearty to a zone or 2 colder than yours. Around here it has gotten down to 8 F that's -13.33c. Most of mine are evergreens, One re-potted,in mid-autumn from nursery pot to bonsai pot, with a full root prune is doing fine. Most outdoor tree's need the cold to pot them to sleep for the winter. If you have them protected from the freezing drying wind, then I bet that the soil thawed enough by mid-day for the plant to have a drink. It is usually extended periods of sub freezing cold, that will damage the roots. It usually will get up above freezing in the day, in your parts. I usually does around here. Or has lately. Good luck and don't worry to much.

Tom

imholte · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:32 am Post subject: Re: nasty frost

I know it can be hard to let your trees go through a freeze but it is good for them. I still bring in my most valuable trees when it dips down in temp. Find out what the hardiness of each tree you own is and go by that. Just constructing a wood frame around your trees and covering it with plastic will help drastically.

I have a 10X10 frame off my house that I cover with clear plastic and put all my trees in it. I have no heaters or such, but at -5F it was 25F in the poly house. Drying winds are the main thing to watch out for, and long periods of freeze.

If it cant survive the precations that I have then there are plenty that can and I work with those species.

Good luck

Stymie · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:01 am Post subject: Re: nasty frost

I don't start to worry until we get four day + of solid freeze and we haven't had that for the last two years. Cool

imholte · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:21 am Post subject: Re: nasty frost

Don did you apply glycerine to your trees this year again?

Dick · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:56 am Post subject: Re: nasty frost

Ed,

That is a great testiment to the usefulness of a polyhouse or cold frame for overwintering a bonsai. And your comment about the wind should be well noted by everyone. In the colder climates, the wind does more winter damage than the cold temperatures.

Stymie · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:30 am Post subject: Re: nasty frost

imholte · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: nasty frost

Dick, not to mention how cheaply they can be constructed, mine $30.

Don, it would be interesting to see if some of our more northern members could give it a try in sub 0 temps and see how the trees do. You might have a new product.

Dick · Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:10 am Post subject: Re: nasty frost

I know that it was successful for you last winter, Don, and it seems so simple and logical, but I still have yet to read anything about doing such a regualr practice. You might be the first one! That's quite an accomplishment in this day and age.