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Gettin' ready for Spring

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:52 pm
by MagicDan
My trees have spent the winter in my unheated garage and it looks like they've all done very well. Although I did have one fall off the shelf and the pot broke. :cry:

At any rate, I live in Upstate New York and the weather forecast for the next week is highs in the 40-50's with lows around the freezing mark.

I don't think I'm ready to move them outside just yet but I figure now would be a good time to give them some water. I did water them back in December as we had a pretty mild month.

So the question is do you agree on the watering idea or should I wait until I bring them outside. I guess I should also ask is it still too early to bring them out? The garage is pretty dark so not much sunshine in the past 4 months.

Also, when is the right time to start doing some trimming? I have a Chinese Elm that definetly needs a hair cut! :lol:

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:27 pm
by Gnome
Dan,

Sorry to hear about the fall but if you took care of it quickly the tree should be fine. If your trees are approaching dryness then water. Basically the same advice as for summer but you will need to water less frequently as you have discovered.

If you are talking about deciduous trees that are not budding yet I think I would leave them alone for now. A cool garage is a good thing this time of year. If you bring them outside early they will have a tendency to leaf out since a small pot will warm up quicker than their full sized counterparts whose roots are deep in the cool ground.

If they do break bud then you may find yourself in the position of shuffling them in and out for weeks. Much easier on you to leave them dormant as long as possible.

Pruning the Elm now should be OK I would think. I've just done some pretty severe work on one of mine so a little trim should be fine. I have also begun re-potting and those trees will definitely be protected from freezing from here on out.

Norm

Gettin' Ready

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:37 am
by MagicDan
Norm,

Thanks for the advice. I think the temp today will be warm enough to be able to give the trees a drink!

The jumiper that took a nose dive to the floor of the garage didn't seem to take any damage other than the pot cracking so I'm not too worried about the tree itself.

Last year when I first got started into Bonsai, I was shuffling the trees in and out of the garage. I think you are right about leaving them in "dormancy" as long as possible. Less work for me! :lol:

I will give the Elm a trim as I'm getting anxious to do something!!

Dan

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:34 pm
by Gnome
With the recent cold spell and record lows in parts of the country I thought I would just take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of not rushing things too early in the season. I already have things in leaf that have now been brought back into storage days ago and will remain so for several days longer.

I know some of this is beyond my control, seeds that were sprouting in the fridge have been planted and are very tender right now, for instance. But thinking spring was here I brought some things out that could have been left a little longer. We all should take this lesson to heart for the future and try to not be so anxious.

How are the rest of you doing?

Norm

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:51 pm
by constantstaticx3
I did the same thing and brought my trees out of my garage too early and actualy started repotting because I thought spring was here. They started leafing and growing. No worries though, I keep them close to my house where they can recieve some heat that seeps out, they are also protected by the wind by my deck chairs and table quite well. I don't even think they freez in that spot. Deffinantly a lesson learned though and I'll try to wait longer next year, it's a very hard thing to do though, but then again, in bonsai you have to be patient also so... :D .

I'd like to hear how other people are making out also.

Tom

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:28 pm
by JoeLewko
I have brought my plants outside, because well it was getting into the 60's and I felt spring was here, but I;m in LI NY, and it's gotten cold again, however, not that severe (low night temps are in the mid 30's), so I have left them alone. My boxwood has returned to its normal color, but other than that no sign of budding. I think they're alright though, if things gets bad, I cna always bring them in my garage for the night.