going dormant?

[Barry 1]

hi well if you are trying to let a bonsai go dorman could you just put it in a refrigorater? also should you let a grapefruit, or a pomegranate tree go dormant? thanks

[Marsman]

Forced dormancy? Maybe a fridge would work. Why would you want a tree to go dormant out of season? Why not use Gaia's natural rhythms to lull your tree to sleep?

[Barry 1]

lol i ment in the winter to make it go dormant, because i live in michigan and it gets to freezing temp so i cant realy ceep it outside and i wanted to know if the fridg would work lol, but thanks for your answer lol also about what time of the year should i let/make them go dormant, if at all? Thanks soo much

[Marsman]

Well, what kind of tree is it?

[Barry 1]

a grapefruit, and a pomegranit

[Marsman]

I should have read your original post a bit better.

Best answer I have? Dunno.

I don't have any experience with either of those types of trees. I'm sure someone will come along and educate us both.

[Gnome]

Barry 1,

Pomegranate will go dormant but I keep mine from freezing. Once temperatures threaten to dip below freezing I bring them into an unheated garage until it gets too cold there. At that point I move them again to a cool basement. What options do you have for winter quarters?

Although I did try Citrus once a few years back I gave up on them. They just did not seem to grow as well as I would have liked here in PA. I kept them over one winter, handling them similarly to Pomegranate except I moved them inside earlier. They did not lose their leaves but did slow down considerably in the cool basement.

To answer your question directly, yes trees can be kept in a refrigerator if necessary. I see from your other thread that you intend to start from seed. When I start anything from seed I always start quite a few knowing not all will make it. This means your refrigerator will get awfully crowded.

http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Punicia.html


Norm

[Barry 1]

Thanks for all y'all's help