All week it will be well below normal temperatures for this time of year. For example this morning it is -20C/-4F (-28C/-18F with the wind chill). And these temperatures are happening with absolutely no moderating snow cover. How cold is it in your 'neck of the woods'?
Hi, That does sound quite cold, especially for trees outside. But certainly some Japanese (not to mention other) maples can thrive in those conditions, even if the more delicate cultivars might not. In the winter of 08/09 we had a couple of weeks of extreme cold, where it reached -23C. I lost many more tender maples (pectinatums, other damage to macrantha) including several palmatums. For one (Eddisbury) it was the root stock that died, the grafted part resisted very well! Anyway usually as cold as we get is around -12C, and that for not very long. We are currently in a period of cold with quite a bit of snow, and I've been trapped in the city. I know my potted maples are safe indoors -- although to be protected from wet and freeze/thaw cycles more than from cold -- but have been watching the temperature, which has gone down to around -5C a few times. Even in Paris it's been cold with snow, yuk. This WE they weather service predicts a return to more seasonable temperatures (and for me a return to Normandie) of around 8C (46F) during the days. Normally we will have at least one more cold period in Feb (perhaps very cold) as the Azores high pressure system brings us freezing air from the continent. Hopefully this will happen before things get more advanced, as we had a very warm winter up til now, and buds are already quite swollen (I noticed last week that I can see flowers in one of the platanoides cultivars, some buds have already gone that far. -E
It's been crazy cold here since Monday. Yesterday the wind finally dropped off. But all week we have been in the single digits (f) with a wind-chill of -16(f). My garage is 21(f), which is where most on my container grown maples and bonsai live during the winter months. So far everything in the landscape and the garage looks healthy with little to no die back. All the buds have a nice healthy color and they are starting to get larger. But I must say that when it's this cold, the branches are terribly brittle. My garage is packed with maples, I accidently lightly bumped my Shishigashira bonsai and a couple branches snapped. Of course it’s on the front of the tree which makes it hurt even more, but I am sure it will fill in just fine this spring. After last season, I was spoiled with the mild winter. So this year, I took the advice of my wife who told me my maple winterization process was overkill. I guess I will see if it was overkill or not come spring. I keep asking myself why did I change something that has always been so successful for me. So far, so good, but I guess time will tell. Waiting for the warm up next week to spray lime sulfur. Looking forward to spring!
I use dormant spray each spring on a couple of small apple trees I have. Now albeit I only have one (fall planted) JM in my 'collection' but I had never even considered spraying it. Is this standard procedure or have you had insects issues previously for your JM? I am interested in the details and background of such maintenance.
I never worry until it gets beyond the -10F range in my area. If we get to -20F, I will lose some. So far this year we have been in single digits, although close to zero F, and the buds look good. On the positive side, we are almost to February. I am worried about the lack of snowfall, though. We haven't had hardly any precipitation and they are predicting more heat and drought for us next summer. Kay
I have aphid problems. I always have on this property. Scientist traced evidence of the first descendent of the modern day aphid to my back yard. It’s a hot bed of aphid activity. The BBC is coming this spring to do a story. On a more serious note… Use lime sulfur spray in late winter or early spring to kill any bug eggs before they hatch in late spring. In my area it works out that I spray in February. It will also enhance the bark color of any silver or gray bark varieties. Lime sulfur also preserves dead wood from further decay. Spray on a morning when the temps are above freezing and it is forecasted to get up into the upper 40's (or more). The goal is to allow it to completely dry before the temps go back down below freezing. Buds are starting to swell, but it's done well before they break. One other tip, be sure not to spray on glass windows or plastic. If you do, rinse clean with fresh water asap. I got some on the lens of my landscape light and it etched it. Luckily never sprayed it on an expensive window. It may not be necessary to spray your 'aureum'. The bugs have always left mine alone. I don’t know if it’s because the ‘Aureum’ tastes bad to bugs or if the tissue is stronger than palmatums. Out of palmatums they tend to favor some varieties over others. I think Acer palmatum ‘Goshiki shidare’ is their favorite. Oh, and another tip. If you see ants crawling up and down the trunk, it's the beginning of an aphid invasion. Ants farm aphids to drink their sugar filled excrement. The ants will drive aphids up a tree that they otherwise would have left alone. I sprayed a little bit of raid on the trunk of my Shishigashira one season when ants tried to start an aphid farm. Aphids have never bothered that tree before in all my years of owning the variety, until the ants got involved.