ok..Which is better.To store your trees in cool or hot in winter?

15 years ago

I have been a bit confused on this issue...I was wondering.When I bring my trees indoors for the winter, is it better for them to be a a room with lots of light that is cool or very warm.?

Last year when I raised the heat in my plant room,my trees were in an active growth, but at the same time, I had to up the hunidity, and even worst, I struggled with all kinds of insects even with the higher humidty all winter!

But when I lowered the temps down to about the 60's, they were less activly growing,but maitained their health, and I swear the insects, especially the mites were inactive until I raised the heat again.

So would it be better to keep my trees in a well ventilated, well lit, very COOL room all winter, or a well ventilated very warm room all winter?

Please let me know. Any help appreciated before I mess up this winter..Thanks alot

P.S. If everyone agrees that they would fair better in a cool room, I will definately save on my heating bill!!!!:-)

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Comments (5)

birdsnblooms
15 years ago
Hey Mike..How ya doing?
Can you believe it's mid/late August already??? What happened? LOL.
I can't speak for everyone, but my citrus do much better when kept in cooler temps..
Hot, stale dry air is the perfect environment for insects.
As you stated, you had insect problems last winter when your citrus were in warmer conditions.
You said they grew but how much growth did they put on between Nov=Feb? I'd rather my citrus go semi-dormant, then deal with bugs. Also, one room some of my citrus are wintered gets cold at night. As low as mid 40's. Even though there wasn't much leaf growth, fruit continued to grow and mature.
I grow plants the old-fashioned way. Spring and summer growth, water and fertilize, fall, cut back a bit, winter, water when dry, stop fertilizing.
Mike if your citrus are potted in 100% soil-less mix, I have no idea on watering and feeding.
But as for a heated room vs cool, I'd vote for cool with humidity and if possible a rotating fan on low a few hours per day, not aiming at plants..

I hope you're well Mike..Havent' seen you around..Did you go on vacaction again? Toni
tee530
15 years ago
Mike -

I was part of a discussion on this topic late last year (link).

Hope this is a helpful jumping-off point.

Here is a link that might be useful: winter indoors in the Great North
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starloc
15 years ago
When in the house over the winter i keep them growing

i keep the roots at 85F in the day , i keep the humidity high with a few indoor fountains if the humidity drops i use hot water in the fountains, under a mix of sodium growlights and flourescent growlights ,the air gets very hot ,i need windows open wide to ventilate and a celing fan on slowly to circulate the air,

i make the nights colder to colour the fruit , just by turning the heaters off and the lights off, the temperature drops fairly low at night and then the timers flick the whole lot on the next day, lights on and off is staged, low power lights on, heaters on an hour or so and then the sodium lights, the same when turning off sodiums off, then heaters off, then after a hour or so for it to cool a bit, the low power lights are turned off
Just like it being outdoors in the summer
Trees that need certain cold hours, i check the number of cold hours they need to flower next year and keep them in another room at low temperature with low power flourescent light around december, then back in the warm room with full light
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
15 years ago
GREAT INFO!!!!!!!
I guess I will be saving alot of heat this winter by growing them in a cool room.....Is it ok to still give lotes of light though?
I have grow lites besides them sitting in south facing windows.
I guess I will be saving on heat, but electricity, that is a different story!!!LOL
starloc
15 years ago
The lights heat the room well if you use the sodium growlights, but initial turn on is not good if the roots are very cold, they dont need to be that warm though, just at a temperture they can work, and once watrm indoors they generaly wont drop much with the heat that has buit up in the day, 88F root temperature is around the perfect temperature for the maximum growth, i turn the heater mat off in the night to simulate outdoor temperature drop as i turn the lights off, but most of the day the heater is off, just a short time in the morning to warm back up before i switch the sodium lights back on

to control the temperature of the roots ,i have a thermostat heater mat,3 meters by 2 meters 500w power, set to heat to 88 then let cool a bit , sort of keeps it at 80 ish degrees F , doesnt use much power as its off most of the time once its warmed up the pots in the morning, you can get one pot size heatersm these are better as they waste less power, i use a giant mat for a few plants and also sometimes trays of water on the mats as well to humidify the room if its a bit dry even with the fountians

ok..Which is better.To store your trees in cool or hot in winter?

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birdsnblooms

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ok..Which is better.To store your trees in cool or hot in winter?

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birdsnblooms

tee530

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starloc

meyermike_1michaOriginal Author

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