Can seedlings be kept in garage over winter?
 

My sister lives in the country where her and her husband built. She's getting a
neighbor who's cutting down ALL the trees all his property because they're
mis-shapen. Well, let her ask the question:

"So, when he wasn't around last week, I walked onto his property and dug up a
number of very small maple and oak trees. Put them into soil in a big
galvanized tub and put it in the garage. They continue to look very healthy
although they are, of course, changing leaf color and loosing leaves too. Do
you think I could hold them in the garage for the winter as outside, if not in
soil for protection, they'd have a trouble with frost? Thought the garage
temperature would allow them to go dormant yet protect them from frost. I'd
water them every now and then to simulate snow melting for watering. I can't
dig a hole big enough for the tub now as our soil is tough to dig in with all
the stone and tree roots. Thought the garage idea was a good alternative.
And, since they're free, worth the try."

Can seedlings be kept in garage over winter?
 

On 29 Oct 2003 20:24:49 GMT, c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:

My sister lives in the country where her and her husband built. She's getting a
neighbor who's cutting down ALL the trees all his property because they're
mis-shapen. Well, let her ask the question:

"So, when he wasn't around last week, I walked onto his property and dug up a
number of very small maple and oak trees. Put them into soil in a big
galvanized tub and put it in the garage. They continue to look very healthy
although they are, of course, changing leaf color and loosing leaves too. Do
you think I could hold them in the garage for the winter as outside, if not in
soil for protection, they'd have a trouble with frost? Thought the garage
temperature would allow them to go dormant yet protect them from frost. I'd
water them every now and then to simulate snow melting for watering. I can't
dig a hole big enough for the tub now as our soil is tough to dig in with all
the stone and tree roots. Thought the garage idea was a good alternative.
And, since they're free, worth the try."

That's what I do with trees I start from seed, or seedlings I dig up.
However, yours were dug before they were dormant and so my suffer from
transplant shock. It's best to dig them up after they go completely
dormant.

Can seedlings be kept in garage over winter?
 

TOM KAN PA wrote:

My sister lives in the country where her and her husband built. She's
getting a neighbor who's cutting down ALL the trees all his property
because they're mis-shapen. Well, let her ask the question:

"So, when he wasn't around last week, I walked onto his property and dug
up a number of very small maple and oak trees. Put them into soil in a
big galvanized tub and put it in the garage. They continue to look very
healthy although they are, of course, changing leaf color and loosing
leaves too. Do you think I could hold them in the garage for the winter
as outside, if not in soil for protection, they'd have a trouble with
frost? Thought the garage temperature would allow them to go dormant yet
protect them from frost. I'd water them every now and then to simulate
snow melting for watering. I can't dig a hole big enough for the tub now
as our soil is tough to dig in with all the stone and tree roots. Thought
the garage idea was a good alternative. And, since they're free, worth the
try."


If they are that small and its getting frosty you should just be able to
'heel them in' overwinter and plant them up at your leisure.

Its best to move/plant decidiuos saplings when fully dormant anyway. The
danger of protecting from frost is that you will promote premature
tender growth which will then cause extra stress on the trees. You need
to protect the roots from drying out. The best way is put them in the
soil. The tops should be fine.


Strange neighbour removing trees due to the shape.. Who says a tree
should be such and such a shape anyway.. It takes all sorts doesn't
it!-)
/
Jim