Two summers ago my maples were tested with really dry, drought conditions and high temps. They really surprised me when they came through the next year as if nothing had stressed them at all. This winter it is going to be the cold. Being in the Midwest, I usually wrap my Japanese maples with floating row cover or burlap, just to keep the wind from drying them out and the deer from eating them. For the last ten years our winters (zone 5) have been pretty mild. Of course, this winter is having frequent below zero weather, as many are experiencing in the U.S., and I didn't get around to wrapping anything. I am really wondering how they will do this spring. Are there others who never wrap their maples in this kind of weather? How have they held up? To complicate matters, I will be moving in the spring and plan on digging as many as I can to take with me. So even if they make it through the winter, I am going to stress them again. Worried. Kay
The last time we got this cold was 1994. Some may laugh when I say that I was not collecting Japanese maples then, I was actually finishing high school, and collecting my empty beer bottles and bottle caps instead. (so my parents would not find them) Wow have times changed. Just like I was good at collecting beer bottles back then (because I never got in trouble) I am also very good at collecting Japanese maples and other rare plants now (so don't let my age or poor sense of humor discount my experience). Many of my friends in horticulture have been around for a very long time here in the Cleveland and surrounding area; in fact some where even around back when the lakes would freeze several feet deep and it would be cut by saw for their ice box. Good thing we have a refrigerator now, because I can't remember the last time our lakes froze several feet deep. Many of them have been growing Japanese maples all along and they are only mildly concerned, at best, about this cold. They seem to think everything "should be" fine and they are more concerned about some of the new zone 6 plant introductions that came into the area from the south last season, when we were "upgraded' to zone 6. I am moderately concerned about a few losses. Mainly the newer / more exotic varieties or mutants, that when you look them up the zone hardiness is "unknown". I also remember having conversations with some of my friends in horticulture about some varieties that I own, that they use to grow, but found them un-hardy back in the day, but right now those varieties don't come to mind. The good news is that there are several very old specimen Japanese maples at their nurseries, in their gardens, and in many very historic gardens and homes in the Cleveland and surrounding area. All have survived the winters of yesterday with little to no protection. The last big event that killed some old Japanese maples was not winter cold, but a late May heavy frost. Many of my old friends in horticulture were more surprised and devastated by that then they are talking about this winter. They would also warn about the whip graft, being bad news for the winters of yesterday (this is where a cut is made off the side of the understock and the scion wood is slid in off the side of the trunk and wrapped). Mainly because this graft type would fail under high wind or snow load especially when combined with extreme cold. This is concerning, because much of the grafting I see with maples coming out of the mail order business is the whip graft (not all, so its not a blanket statement). It's done today, because this type of graft is fast and easy, requiring little skill. That is why I don't have any in my collection with the exception of two that are grown in pots and sheltered over winter.
I have not protected any of my inground maples and have not lost one from the cold yet. BUT, this is by far the worst winter I've had since collecting. This winter will be a true hardiness test for me as well. I have planted over 100 jms in the last 4 years. I've gotten to the point that I'm just going to accept the fact I'm going to lose some. I'm most concerened with anything that was just planted this last summer. I go out and inspect them every once in a while and some of them I can tell already are going to be damaged if not dead. The ones that look the worst are any with colored bark, even if its green. They pretty much all turned a dark purple color. I've noticed in past winters they have darkened but I've never seen them this dark. Time will tell and after the research I've done, I'm pretty confident a good amount will survive. Anything that has been in the ground longer than a year that doesn't survive will get added to my 'not hardy enough' list. Then I will try other cultivars in those spots. I still have so many that I would like to have so it wouldn't be the end of the world if a few die to open up some spots for new ones. Now if I lose 75% or more, I think that will be the end of my Japanese Maple addiction. Good luck to all you that are also going through this brutal winter.
You can't give up. A pond is not a pond, without the use of Japanese maples: http://www.flickr.com/photos/takahara/12151661756/
Wow that's beautiful! Love the yellow one hanging over the pond. Trust me, I don't want to but it's up to the trees :-)
Two weeks ago we had a brief warm-up for about 4-5 days and I've seen some sap running down the bark of my older maples. This past week we've had temps below freezing all day long again and tonight's low on March 2 should be the coldest we've seen all winter long at -10 F. (-22C). How concerned should I be? Man, will Ol' Man Winter EVER pack his bags and leave??? Kevin in KC
A short letter to Winter: Dear Winter, you have done an amazing job this year. Thank you for all the snow and extremely cold temperatures. How about you take a much deserved vacation and allow Spring to take over and we'll see you in 8 months. Sincerely, Everyone
I second this! Everyone likes an overachiever to a certain extent, but now Winter is just showing off. Time to let Spring move in and do its thing and please take the next Winter off; or, if you must, just work part time from home next year.
