At 12:57 PM 11/14/03 -0500, Shireen Gonzaga wrote:
Hi again ...

I have a couple of Japanese maple saplings
that I kept outside in pots. With the cold
temperatures coming (zone 7), I was originally
planning to bury the pots in the soil for
the winter.

I recently ran across an article about
over-wintering in the refrigerator! Can I
actually use the crisper compartment to
store those saplings?!

Shireen

Overwintering in the refrigerator is possible, but really is a solution for
those that have no other alternative, such as folks that don't have a
meaningful winter.

You shouldn't have any problem overwintering your Acer palmatum in zone 7,
even if you live in a apartment as long as you can get them outside, such
as on a balcony. Acer palmatum are hardy in containers down to about 15F.
This can easily be achieved by keeping them in something like a styrafoam
cooler placed next to the wall of the building. You really need only do
this on the coldest nights. If it looks like it will be in the 20's or
higher, just leave them sitting out, but out of the wind and keep them well
watered so they don't freeze dry.



Brent in Northern California
Evergreen Gardenworks USDA Zone 8 Sunset Zone 14

http://www.EvergreenGardenworks.com

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