Keeping trees over the winter in pots.

[scott44]

I have about a dozen mixed oaks and chestnuts that I have in 1gal Rootmaker pots and want keep them over the winter and move them to bigger pots next year, gameplan is to keep them growing in the yard for 2-3yrs and then plant them. My question is how do you guys keep your trees alive over the winter in pots? My plan was to bury them and throw a mulch layer of hay on them with a fence and window screen around the trunks for mice/voles. Thanks in advance.

 

[scott44]

That's what I did last year. Make sure you get the pots below soil line. Put the dirt back in. I put on 3-4" of mulch over them. I took a section of 36" hardware cloth and surrounded them with it. I also made 4 holes and spread them out so if voles/mice got in they wouldn't take out my entire batch.

Hardware cloth sounds better than fence and window screen, thx.

 

[Jameson]

Late late fall well after leaf drop water the snot out of them. Soak them.

Move them near the north side of a building where they will be in the winter shade from the low sun, maybe do this first so they aren't so heavy. You don't want the sun to warm the pots during the winter.

Pile leaves on them if you dare, mice or other rodents may like the leaves, too. Try to pile snow on them during the winter. I am able to snowblow my driveway onto my potted plants. Once they are frozen you want them to stay frozen until it is definitely spring. Hopefully the last snow or frozen leaves are over your pots in the late spring.

Over the last 10ish years I don't know if I've lost more than a couple small trees doing this. Out of probably 250 or so in that time. Got a few apple trees and strawberry plants to overwinter in pots again this year.

 

[scott44]

Late late fall well after leaf drop water the snot out of them. Soak them.

Move them near the north side of a building where they will be in the winter shade from the low sun, maybe do this first so they aren't so heavy. You don't want the sun to warm the pots during the winter.

Pile leaves on them if you dare, mice or other rodents may like the leaves, too. Try to pile snow on them during the winter. I am able to snowblow my driveway onto my potted plants. Once they are frozen you want them to stay frozen until it is definitely spring. Hopefully the last snow or frozen leaves are over your pots in the late spring.

Over the last 10ish years I don't know if I've lost more than a couple small trees doing this. Out of probably 250 or so in that time. Got a few apple trees and strawberry plants to overwinter in pots again this year.

Thanks, I was wondering about the watering.