@Paul, I’ve heard this before but I don’t really understand how it can help. Surely if you incline the pot you are going to create a pool of water at the lowest point?
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| Anyone cover pots in winter? http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19373 |
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| Author: | SeanR [ 18 Oct 2023, 15:20 ] |
| Post subject: | Anyone cover pots in winter? |
Was watching a video on youtube and a guy mentioned the wet weather and covering pots? Talking about Pines and how they don't like too much wet in winter. I don't have room for any over head shelters in the sunny part of the garden. Was thinking of just throwing some breathable waterproof material over the pot to keep excess rain off and checking every so often. Anyone do this or think its a stupid idea ? Sean |
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| Author: | Jay [ 21 Oct 2023, 22:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
That's right mate. I keep my Mugos and Scotts under cover in the winter. |
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| Author: | Paul B [Swindon] [ 22 Oct 2023, 10:27 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
I don't usually cover, some go in an unheated greenhouse [if there is room] mainly to give them a start next year........ but only during the worst of the weather. All mine are in good free draining soil so it's just a case of tipping the pot a bit with a piece of wood, this greatly helps drainage so prevents water logging. |
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| Author: | daryl [ 22 Oct 2023, 10:50 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
@Paul, I’ve heard this before but I don’t really understand how it can help. Surely if you incline the pot you are going to create a pool of water at the lowest point?
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| Author: | Paul B [Swindon] [ 22 Oct 2023, 18:38 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
I suppose it keeps the water away from the main part of the roots. Plus it depends on how many and size of drainage holes, wire holes although small also help........... I don't do it to all my pots, plus it's not tipped to that degree. |
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| Author: | daryl [ 22 Oct 2023, 19:14 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
Yes, my rather crude diagram was a bit extreme! Going back to the original question, I have not yet found a suitable material to make a cover for just the soil surface. Anything totally waterproof keeps the rain off but also traps moisture in. Lighter materials are difficult to keep in place and tend to flap around and get dislodged in the wind. I’ve given up. I have a couple of small plastic greenhouses which I can put any less resilient trees in and a cold shed with a big windows which I can put bigger trees on the floor. |
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| Author: | SeanR [ 23 Oct 2023, 14:38 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
Thanks for the replies, appreciated. This all stems from watching a video about White pines on youtube, apparently they hate getting their feet wet. Not had a white pine for many years but just bought one and reading up a bit. I am building a shelf at the moment at the side of the house, made from 2 scaffold planks. I could put the pine underneath that and it should keep fairly dry. The only issue is me worrying about light. See so many conflicting opinions online about whether pines need full sun in winter. I try and keep all my pines and juniper in enough light during the winter but its difficult as the sun gets low. Its too late to repot the white pine into a more free draining soil, it will have to wait. Ive tried those cheap little plastic greenhouses, they just tear in the wind. Also, had an issue with a few of my junipers after a spell kept in one of those over winter, must have not been enough air flow. Anyways, i will work it out |
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| Author: | Gary Jones [ 24 Oct 2023, 11:57 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
I can't really explain the physics of pot tipping, but after watering a tree, once the water has drained through if you then tip the pot slightly more water drains out so it certainly has an effect. I think it's something to do with saturation and the pressure of the head of water. For me in winter I don't usually do much (I've got lazy) but in the past I've loosely wrapped plastic bags around the pots (of pines) to reduce the amount of direct rain that they received but allowing air flow to remain. It certainly kept them drier and it improved their health & vigour the following year in my perception. Obviously any internal space such as a greenhouse would do the job perfectly. |
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| Author: | Paul B [Swindon] [ 24 Oct 2023, 13:21 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
Daryl......... I tend not to cover the soil often, when I did I just used the good old carrier bag and pegged it down with old bonsai wire as a staple shape. Didn't keep 100% rain off but enough to keep the soil drier. I have used the small plastic greenhouses in the past and lost most of the trees in there, mainly due to mould and bad air circulation, even though I opened it completely during the day...... so it got binned 
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| Author: | daryl [ 24 Oct 2023, 13:25 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone cover pots in winter? |
It all depends so much on the weather doesn’t it? I’ve had no problems in the past with the little greenhouses but at the moment I feel that everything is so wet that putting them inside would be a bad move. They really need to dry out first. |
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