Protecting Japanese Maples from Cold snap?
Once again the artic cold snap revisits the bluegrass state and my 5 Japanese Maples (and lilac, fruit trees, etc) are once again in danger since they've started leafing-out for the year. I covered them as best I could with cloth (sheets, comforters, foam) and then covered that with plastic bags since it is raining\sleeting\snowing outside. Will this protection be adequate? It seemed to do the trick in 2008 when we got hit with one of these around April 14th.
Hoping for the best
Click here to see what my trees look like when the leaves are out
Comments (9)
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
15 years ago
bencjedi
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Keeping plants warm during cold snaps with Instant Heat Paks
Comments (1)It sounds very intriguing. I am considering growing orchids outdoors permanently attached to tree limbs. Your idea sounds like it could work for the 2-3 nights a year when the weather dips below 40 degrees in my part of Florida. I could hang the heat pack from a hook under the mounted orchids and tent the whole area with the mylar blanket overnight. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait seven or eight months to try it....See MoreJapanese Maple Seedlings ~ Protection ~ Repotting ~ Guidelines !!!
Comments (0)Hi Japanese Maple Lovers... Below are 4 Pictures of a Selection of Japanese Maple Seedlings that are coming up quite prolifically. Houzi & Gardengal have already offered some advice earlier. I know these Seedlings are nor quite ready to transplant into individual pots yet. Gardengal mentioned a 5 ~ 1 ~1 Potting mix of BARK FINDINGS ~ PEAT ~ PERLITE I was also advised to wait until the Seedlings have at least 2 sets of Leaves before repotting.. Do I need to protect these Seedlings with Slug Pellets as they do look vulnerable to an attack.They are mostly raised up on Garden benches of say 18"+ High.. The Success ratio of these seeds has been Fantastic..Approximately 80+ have Germinated so far from 250+ Any additional advice/Guidelines to add to the above Information would be appreciated as always. Happy Gardening..Stephen Cheshire....See MoreWinter protection in z6 for Black Diamond crape myrtle, Japanese Maple
Comments (15)I have 26 Japanese Maples, most purchased as very tiny first or second year plants, and I do no winter protection on them and haven't lost a one in nine years. Get them well established with proper watering this fall, mulch them well, and leave them alone. As far as the Crape Myrtles, in my own experience it depends on how the winter winds move throughout your yard. I will give you a hint on managing them even though it makes me look like an idiot- When I first moved here in '07 I had no idea how to manage many of this zones plants. Spring was an extremely amazing time- I had come from South Florida, so spring was a novelty to me. Every morning I would rush out to look at my new plantings to see buds or leaves. I got busy doing my spring chores- pruning and so on. My first year with Crape Myrtles here (we had them in SoFla as well) they never budded. I always thought the winter had gotten them and pruned them back knowing that the roots had probably survived and they had. They always came back, but seemed to die back every winter. I saw nice big mature Crape Myrtles in my neighborhood, though, and couldn't figure out where I went wrong. Then I had a family emergency year where I had next to no time to garden. I would go out, check the Crape Myrtles for growth and think "I really need to cut those back" but I could never find the time. Finally in about May they budded out! All up and down the stems, too- not just from root growth. That's my very long winded way of saying that they can be VERY late to leaf out. All those years I had cut them back in my early spring frenzy I had been cutting off viable stems. DUH me. I do no winter protection here except for a very few mophead hydrangeas. I try to select good plants for my zone, grow them well, and aside from that they are on their own. I think your plants will be fine....See MoreProtect new maple from roof snow.
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15 years agoLeave it up to Kentucky meteorologists to exaggerate calling last night and tonight a 'cold snap'. We had been in the 70s with lows in the 40s and suddenly the 'becoming annual' artic air rushes down in early spring and tries to devastate. The radio news this morning said farmer's should be very concerned. I think you are right.. it's a little 'cry wolf' with the exaggeration we get about our weather, but it's still disconcerting. The reason I went through the extremes in protection is that 2 years ago my Japanese maples were in the same condition (full leafed-out) and we got hit with a similar cold. Unfortunately I lost that Bloodgood. Out of the 4 varieties of Japanese maples the Sango Kaku worry me the most because they are fully leafed-out already. I have an extra warm micro-climate in my back yard due to the topography and light-colored house reflecting sun back south. Here's what my Sango Kaku's looked like 2 days ago:
From 1
He's snug as a bug now. We just need to get through tonight. We're exactly 7 days earlier than last year's 'cold snap'.
Embothrium
15 years agobencjedi
15 years agonoki
15 years agopicea
15 years agobencjedi
15 years ago
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)