名媛直播

I am completely new to 名媛直播 (first post). I bought a Japanese Juniper and Boxwood from a garden center a few weeks ago and pruned and potted them in training pots and have been keeping them indoors with a grow light. They seem to be happy inside--they have some new growth and have not started wilting/browning or losing foliage. However, I didn't learn till now that they need to be kept outside in order to experience seasonal changes. I live in an apartment in Minnesota. My balcony does not get much sunlight, and winters in Minnesota can be harsh and get below zero. I know you can grow these plants outside in Minnesota but I'm worried that a potted bonsai will not do as well in extreme cold as a shrub planted in the ground. I am worried that the lack of direct light and the extreme winter temperatures would kill my trees, but it sounds like from what I am reading that they will probably die in a couple years from the stress of not having dormant seasons. Does this mean my trees are just screwed? What would be the best way to take care of them? Maybe they are fine inside with a grow light during the spring/summer but put them outside in the fall/winter? Maybe take them back in before it gets way too cold?

Perhaps share some photos?

Here are some pictures.

You will not keep either of these plants alive inside. They need light humidity and cold in the winter. That means frost. Get them outside or they will be dead in months if not weeks.

Second that. To use your own words the trees will be screwed if kept indoors and there are no way around it.

Zero is not that cold. Actually a bit too warm for your trees, but may work. My junipers is kept in an unheated greenhouse which gets down to -20 in winter.

Tropfrog wrote: Second that. To use your own words the trees will be screwed if kept indoors and there are no way around it.

Zero is not that cold. Actually a bit too warm for your trees, but may work. My junipers is kept in an unheated greenhouse which gets down to -20 in winter.

I would bet the original post temperatures were in Fahrenheit and the replied are Celsius. 0F is pretty cold and typical for that area. 0C? is not. -20F is pretty cold and might stress them.

An apartment option for winter could be a cold frame on the balcony butted up against a wall absorbing heat from the building. Maybe a cold frame with a heat source. I think you want to avoid the pots (that is, the roots) getting too cold too fast.

1850 and forward Sweden lost a lot of citizens to USA in the big migration. Most of them ended up in minesota because the climate was just what they were used of. So, yes, as a Swede I think I have fairly good understanding of the minesota climate without even been there. Same temperatures as sm?land in mid Sweden, but more snow in winter and drier authums to my understanding.

Comparable to my climate minesota is better for junipers. Here we need to protect them from excess rain in authum and winter. In Minesota you should be able to cover the trees in snow most of the winter. Under 50cm of snow there are a cozy -1-2 degrees. Yes I use the international standard unit of measurement used by all countries in the world except for 6 old fashioned ones. Hence do not need to specify. If any other unit of measurement is used It would be needed to state so. K, F, RA, R?, N, D, RE the like. Convertion is not a problem.

I would just keep the trees on the balcony year round. Build a nice bonsai bench out there and get a few more hardy trees. Maybe you will spend more time out there. In winter put them on the floor protected from wind. When snow comes just cover them totally.

Correct, being from the US I defaulted to F. I think I'll use a cold frame on the balcony?for the winter. Do you think it is definitely necessary to keep it heated? I do not have an outlet on my balcony.?I know everyone likes to be snarky and act like trees will die in 3 days if kept inside, but from what I can tell the main issues are 1) wintering, 2) light, and 3) humidity. My concern with keeping outside is that I read that boxwood and juniper need a lot of light, which my balcony does not get. Trees do not need light in the winter, so they could go outside then, which would solve issue 1). 2) and 3) can easily be handled with grow lights and a humidifier, especially with a?hygrometer to ensure humidity levels are good. I would need some convincing that there is something magical about wind and rain. Thanks for the helpful responses!

Get yourself a ppfd app to your phone and check for yourself. Outdoors in the shade is more light than under cheap grow lights. Your trees is best kept outdoors, period.

It is not about the absolute temperature. It is about the day night flucturations as well as the seasonal fluctuations. You cannot move a tree from indoor conditions out to the balcony for winter. A tree kept indoors all summer and authum is not ready for dormancy and will die If exposed to freezing temperatures. Authum plays an important role in getting It ready. So do the heat and sun in summer.

Your balconny may not be the perfect spot, but for sure it is better than indoors. You will not need heating in winter.

Jkapching@gmail.com wrote: Correct, being from the US I defaulted to F. I think I'll use a cold frame on the balcony?for the winter. Do you think it is definitely necessary to keep it heated? I do not have an outlet on my balcony.?I know everyone likes to be snarky and act like trees will die in 3 days if kept inside, but from what I can tell the main issues are 1) wintering, 2) light, and 3) humidity. My concern with keeping outside is that I read that boxwood and juniper need a lot of light, which my balcony does not get. Trees do not need light in the winter, so they could go outside then, which would solve issue 1). 2) and 3) can easily be handled with grow lights and a humidifier, especially with a?hygrometer to ensure humidity levels are good. I would need some convincing that there is something magical about wind and rain. Thanks for the helpful responses!

The best answer is to find a local bonsai group and find out how?people keep their trees alive. Local people know local weather.

Trees evolve with a combination of wind, etc., and don't migrate to avoid extremes. They also don't go inside but stay in one place looking for sun, rain, etc. They not only evolve to endure weather but actually require local conditions.??

Of course, it doesn't rain an exact amount on an exact schedule but if the tree gets too far outside conditions it gets stressed;? too much stress and it dies. Unlike modern cars there is no dashboard telling why it died but it will be a combination of conditions outside its customary conditions.?

Do they require sunlight in winter? I don't know. That would require controlled experiments, which biologists know how to do. My trees all evolved with sunlight all winter. Wind blows insects away and rain dies he same.? My tropicals all seem stressed when the come inside and all seem much better outside in the following spring.

Over the years they just do better in outside conditions.?