Outdoor protection, let's see what you're doing!

A greenhouse skyscraper Barrie?

hilashes-I have seen those on e-bay for sure!

Look through them(type in greenhouses on e-bays search)sometimes you can find better deals/ free shipping.If you have an exposed site(not protected from wind) you will need to make some serious fortifications

http://cgi.ebay.com/Greenhouse-12x7x7-LARGE-Green-Garden-Hot-House-NEW_W0QQitemZ320434838607QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9b679c4f

Scotty, I'd be giving that Magnolia a bit of protection... I have a small M. virginiana that had sever stem tip die back after last winter. And this is in a species that is zone 5 hardy. M. grandiflora, no matter what you read, is a zone 6 plant. The best forms (BBB, 24 below, Poconos, and Edith Bogue) will need protection outside the wamrest areas of Ontario (z. 6b regions of Niagara, Windsor, and maybe downtown Toronto and Hamilton).

If it were mine, I would mulch it heavily, then wrap the entire plant in frost cloth. That should be enough to get some foliage through the winter!

Cheers,
Paul

That should be enough to get some foliage through the winter!

"some foliage" ? ... oooh, these are substantial trees, ya?
If your're ok with some foliage, no prolemo amigo.
If a tree is what you expect is un árbol substancial ... you may be - fuera de suerte (out of luck).

Cheers, Barrie.

Barrie,
The real problem with these trees in zone 5 is that, until they have completely established, they are likely to have total defoliation and even stem tip or even branch die-back. I think that once the root system has established the stem tip die back won't be an issue, though the foliage will likely still be burned most winters. It's really a small price to pay to grow such a wonderful tree! Anyway, we alreayd grow a lot of plants that aren't completely hardy. And a lot of these (T. fortunei, W. robusta, B. capitata) will ALWAYS need protection in zone 5, and they can grow to the same large dimensions (taller then a Magnolia in the case of W. robusta)... This is one of the reasons I'm making the hybrid Rhodo's- to get a tall growing, large leaved tree that I won't have to worry about having burnt foliage!

I see Paul. I guess I'm disappointed when ever there's winter leaf burn on any of my trees.
For the first time I had leaf burn on a couple of my Eucalyptus trees this past year.
For that reason, I wouldn't grow them if it was a regular occurance. They've outgrown the
problem but looked a bit rough for a couple of months. They're too much of a visual
dominance in the yard to ignore so for me they'd have to look good all the time.

Cheers, Barrie.

So what Paul you don't like the tyvek idea? It's better then frost cloth for you guys since the winter is so cold up there. Water proof!

Scott, if you can get your hands on the frost-prof for a reasonable amount try wiltproof, what will get you is the dry air blasts when the leaves can't get enough moisture. Once there rooted in they'll be fine but if you want to save leaves this year you need to take a few measures. Not a big deal really. Frost-prof ships free if you spend more then 50 bucks here. Paul payed a ton of shipping for his so if I can order some for you and ship it cheap I will, let me know.

Bill

Hey Bill,

Ive been using the Bordo Copper Spray on the leaves for over a month. Would you suggest the Wilt pruf over that?

Also, would I spray it all winter long?

Scott freeze-prof lasts 4-6 weeks so it says and I'm not sure on the wiltpruf but I'm sure it lasts a while. I would use those over what your doing, I don't thing the copper spray will do much but I'm not familiar with it. Isn't it a fungicide?

Bill

By the way copper can poison plants if used to much I think.

Thanks for the tips! I went out and bought some Wilt Pruf. It supposed to last the winter...

The freeze-pruf was not enough to save my bananas from the low of -4C this past week. Not enough of a test to tell for sure if it works.

Basjoo ready to be covered with leaves.
<img src=" " alt="IMGP1386">
Banana enclosure. The stalks have been wrapped with c9 lights. It now needs to be filled with leaves... Hope they fall soon!
<img src=" " alt="IMGP1385">

Phyllostachys aureosulcata bent over, held in place with Miscanthus culms. I'll likely have to wrap the thicker culms with frost colth to make sure they overwinter sucessfully.
<img src=" " alt="IMGP1382">
It's not as easy to bend the thick clums without snapping them!
<img src=" " alt="IMGP1383">

Other, smaller, bamboo bent over to be covered by snow.
<img src=" " alt="IMGP1384">

And, just for fun, my potted dwarf Trachycarpus fortunei 'wagnerianus' (aka T. wagnerianus)
<img src=" " alt="IMGP1374">

We've had winter where temps don't drop below -4°C (24.8°F) and the pseudostems stay solid but the leaves frost down. Come spring they just pick up from where they left off. Last year was a complete die down and are smaller than normal, partly due to drought conditions. A total stage 4 watering ban was in effect from July 31 to just now. The only watering was infrequently on the "cheat" system. I never winter protect these bananas as it's never cold enough to kill 'em out right.

Cheers, Barrie.

P.S. Why would your bamboo culms be bent over like that?

We bend them over in the colder zones so that they get covered by snow. It gets too cold here for the culms to survive in a cold winter... The snow insulates enough to allow most of the folaige to overwinter!

Nice Waggie Paul,

Do you know what typar/tyvek is Paul? Just thought I would ask again since you didn't answer the first time. I was just trying to help you.

By the way the basjoo grove loaded with banana fuel survived 25.6 last night with very little damage. I would say it works in more ways then growth! Imagine if I sprayed it with freeze-pruf? All my other nanas toasted under the same conditions!

Bill