Yes it is that time of the year once again, at least for my area and zone to start getting the plants ready for winter that is just around the corner. So you may ask well what do you do or what needs to be done to get the plants ready for the winter months.
The first thing I want to convey to you is that you should be very vigilante of the daily weather forecast for your area or zone and pay close attention to that to be truly safe. Storms we all no can happen in just a matter of hours and catch us sometimes off guard or not prepared. So above all for the health of our trees and plants be ready and prepared at a moments notice to move your plants into a safe area and out of the harsh winds and freezing temps if you have a space.
If no space is available then you must take other actions. For instance you may want to try and have a cold frame built and in the ground just slightly above ground so light can still filter down to the plants. Or may be even two or three cold frames or more depending on the size and amount of trees you may have in your collection.
If this is not an option and something you can not do then the next best thing is to move as many plants as you can safely to the ground and as close to some structure your home or complex for instance and then mulch over the tops of your pots up and too the first branch on your trees. Some people have been known to use even blankets or burlap sacks if available any thing that you could help to wrap around the pots and top layer of your plants to help protect them from the harsh elements.
If you live near or close to any kind of farming community or place where they sell farming supplies then I would be looking for some hay bales one or two depending on how many bonsai your trying to cover and protect for the winter months. Spread the hay about around all the tress and up to the tops of the pots and then I would place about half and inch of hay right on the top of the pot. Like I stated try to keep the potted plants at ground level and as close together as possible this will help prevent heat loss and also conserve space in the area used.
In my area I only use this method if it gets totally extreme cold or perhaps snows and the temperature lowers into the teens for several days. I live in Oregon in the Great Northwest and yes there have been times when it gets into the teens but seldom.
So in my area for the most part the plants are left in there original display areas and only moved to the ground in case of severe weather conditions or very high winds that could or might blow the potted tree from its existing platform.
As for my own personal trees I like to make sure that they are always in the best possible health and condition that I can provide before winter sets in. I also like to have my tress planted in the highest grade of bonsai pot as possible. Some people just never use good pots or in some cases even bother at all they simply leave the tree in the nursery potted plastic pot and do not bother with a high grade well fired pot at all. Well the difference is noticeable when spring arrives and your posts are either chipping off glaze or the pot is cracked.
It simply costs a little more to insure you have a well winterized pot for your plant. Winter month temperatures do and will fluctuate and things tend to move and contract at the temp affects it so if not a well fired pot to with stand this you will have many pots over the years that will crack chip or simply break all together.
I like to take my plants one at a time in the month of September and begin preparation for winter.
The month of September is probably one of the most critical of all months for fertilization of your tress for the setup of nutrients for the following spring. The tree needs this fertilizer to make sugars and starches for the next springs explosion of growth.
I prepare my fertilizer in empty organic tea bags and use about two good teaspoons per bag and the amount of bags used depends on the size of the pot so for an example for a 12 inch sized pot I may use four bags and this is only my personal preparation some may use more or even less that is there choice.
I also like to clean off the top layer of bonsai soil being careful not to disturb the roots and add just a little bit of new materiel for added protection during the winter. Another thing to remember is most all tress roots settle in for the winter in most colder locations around the end of October and when at night the temperatures begin to drop below 42 degrees the roots tend to stop moving and then the tree begins to rest or is not nearly as active if at all.
At this time also I like to do any trimming of dead materiel away from the tree and in some cases I will even set some wire on certain tress as fall is the best time to see the limb structure at its best once all the leaves have fallen off and nothing is in the way of wiring.
But of course all of this can and will change depending on the one factor the weather in your given area and if your having a mild fall or a more sever one so again do your home work and watch the weather reports.
In closing always remember that the health of the tree is above all else paramount. So be vigilante and plan a little ahead and you will be glad you did.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2019 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com
