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123cococo

Digging and holding over winter

123cococo
9 years ago

Ok.Decided to downsize .Unsure how long it will take this property to sell.Plan on digging up many conifers and potting them.They may need to be held over for the winter .Having read previous posts understand grouping them in shade the best idea. My question is with some being balled and burlapped how to overwinter these.Our winters here have historically been mild but last year broke all records,numerous ice storms and colder than usual temps.Digging a trench to heal in not a possibility.Would surrounding them with straw bales and than mulching over work? I expect some losses but would like to minimize this of course.Any advice would be highly appreciated.Thank you in advance.

Comments (9)

  • gardener365
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yep, b&b or pot the rootballs and go get or have a truckload of mulch brought to you and cover them up. That's precisely how we used to care for trees that were dug at a nursery I worked for (larger b&b trees.) Pots....same difference.

    Dax

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks so much for your quick answer.Will this work for my maples as well ?

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i would BB them.. and slide them in a pot for ease of transport ...

    having moved 1650 pots of plants when i moved... i suggest that you set yourself a budget.. and buy ANYTHING that can be replaced rather cheap ...

    e.g. .. not every arb is some precious plant... eh ...

    and you might want to contact some of the grafters.. and see if there is any interest in scion from those you might leave behind ... maybe you could trade for some new mail order plants ... presuming you have some rare stuff ...

    work smart.. not hard... when it all boils down.. i hope you can leave many common plants behind ...

    and.. if you are scaling back.. maybe its time to start a new collection of minis ... you are scaling back the house.. why not scale back the garden ...

    are you moving very far???? .. this is a big factor to consider ....

    ken

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Ken.Was hoping you would chime in.Yes, common sense will prevail.Not moving far and may actually find the land first so they would all be in the ground this winter. That said, may not find the right land which brings me back to BB.Buying pots for all of them would be too expensive.I would say roughly 150 conifers and maples are coming with me.I am not moving anything on the scale that you did.That said anymore advice about keeping them alive while they wait would be appreciated.K

  • whaas_5a
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Unless you have light airy soil, I'd put a very course soil media at the bottom and the sides of the pot so the plants can root if they need to. It will help with any roots getting saturated as well.

    This is typical of what conifer nurseries do when shipping b&b.

    As others have eluded to, think quality not quantity. The bigger the ball the better.

    The roots above ground a full zone less hardy. Keep that in mind if you have any zone 7 plants. Most other are going to be more than fine with you being in Nashville.

    Good luck and don't strain yourself. Its a new beginning.

    I only took one b&b tree from my last house.

    If you're thinking about taking 160 conifers you must have a pretty sweet collection. How about some pics?

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Buying pots for all of them would be too expensive.I would say roughly 150 conifers and maples are coming with me.I

    ==>> i did NOT buy a single pot.. of the 1650 ... EVERY nursery has a recycle bin ... and some that were friends... have secret stocks of large ones... that they let me use.. if i returned them later ... and it was months later ... you must have been stringing along a few nurseries.. [making their boat payments lol..] .....that should consider you a good friend.. ????

    you need to focus on hunting them down.. NOT BUYING THEM ... the ptos. not the nurserymen .. lol ...

    and you arent quite with me.. when you suggest all 150 need to come with you ...

    there should be nearly half [???] .. that may have been your first.. and your beloveds.. but you should come to some realization... its time to part with them ... or that you could have new ones mailed to the new house... WHEN YOU HAVE TIME TO GARDEN... [you are leaving the actual house move out of your equation ... see PS] ... for 20 bucks a pop for older plants ...

    and some.. that are so foo foo.. you probably will kill them if you move them ...

    etc.. etc.. etc ...

    can you not.. at least cull it down to 100 ... or 75???

    also ... any family in the general area... where you can 'store' some ... perhaps a kid with a veg garden.. that you can heal them in for winter.. 10 at a time.. so you only need ten pots??? ....

    any garden club friends who might have some pots.. or will help dig them up for/with you ... for one prime specimen .. your plants have a value ... when i was planting the 1650 hosta pots.. peeps were allowed to pull off a division.. presuming the plant was large enough ... etc ...

    you seem to have a preconceived notion of how it will all go down ... and i am trying to have you think outside of the box you are already sitting in ..

    this is big time labor.. it doesnt need to be biog time cost ... and if you can deflect some of the labor.. so what if it costs you some plants ...

    PLEASE!!! ... just start thinking outside the box.... isnt that why you are asking here???? ..

    you also might not want to list the house.. until you have dug everything out ... refilled holes.. and remulched the beds ... trying to put agreements to dig afterwards.. into house sale documents.. can get rather hairy ... talk with an attorney in that regard ... most likely.. you will not accept a CONDITIONAL OFFER on a sale... we will do the sale when the new buyer sells his house.. hell .. you could be waiting years ... and selling.. on a condition.. that you can come back and destroy the garden AFTER CLOSING ... is not something a smart buyer would do either ... regardless of whether they want the plants ... and many wont care ...

    good luck ....

    ken

    ps: i moved in january ... the pots were actually here by early december ... the old owner didnt mind.. though they thought i was insane.. lol .. it worked this way.. because i didnt get an offer until late october.. which meant late dec closing ... the beauty of it all.. was that i had upwards of 4 months to deal with moving in.. painting.. carpeting.. etc ... before spring broke ... and i could go garden ... i simply dont know what i would have done.. had i had the garden to mess with.. while putting the house together ...

  • 123cococo
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the advice.What I am in the process of doing is removing what has been in the ground two years or less so less of an issue. I went with a complete no mow yard and will remove them, rake and seed grass.This is what the realtor suggested. It won't be on the market for a month as painting, staining etc.so I have some time.Not as labor intensive as what you went through Ken because I have two very strong sons that are young and lift weights.lol..I actually looked at what I was using to garden and it would be about two acres, than I was spending hours mowing about thirty acres and the rest woods.I am scouting out about five acres that are wooded and will clear about two for my conifer babies.I will follow your suggestion and start looking for free pots..Whaas I have pics from last fall but right now things are in various stages of being torn up.How about I post pics when I get them settled into their new home. .

  • whaas_5a
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fall pics sounds good to me!

    Ken, you likely set the record for most periods in one post!

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Not as labor intensive as what you went through Ken because I have two very strong sons that are young and lift weights.lol

    ==>>> now they mention free.. studly labor ... crikey .. lol ...

    ken

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