Besides piling hay all around the base of my trees. I bought a few packages of pool Noodles. And cut them down the sides with a box cutter and fitted around the trunks of all my trees. Then packed my hay around my trees. Its a great insulator.
What a great idea! I had always worried about the top of the tree when as you pointed out, it’s about keeping the roots from freezing! Definitely much easier than trying to keep the tops from freezing. I planted 10 young fruit trees so this will be a much better and easier method. Thank you!
I thought I had lost my fig tree this past winter with the excessive cold. But thankfully if re-sprouted from the roots. I didn't get any figs this year though... This is good info to know. Thanks Luke!
Just wondering - Here in Colorado we get down near -25 at times, so I like the idea of insulating the roots - But - we also get many late spring freezes/snows that kill off the flowers if the trees flower too early. In spring, should the insulation come off fairly early (after the super-cold temps are over) to help keep the trees from thinking it's warm enough to initiate flowering too early? Maybe just the black layer, so that the leaf mulch could still help keep the ground from warming up to flowering temps too soon? We have intense sunshine at our altitude (about 5500 ft), which I'm concerned could potentially heat a black layer quite a bit while the air temps are still too cold for the trees to flower safely. Thanks!
Me and my toddler's routine in the morning is laying in bed and checking RUclips for any new videos from our favorite people! Thanks for sharing this info! I feel I can apply this to some of my perennial plants (we dont have fruit trees...yet!) as well since we live in central WI and lost a few last year due to the ridiculous cold temps.
Brilliant idea! You saved me a trip to the store! And I really like that using the black landscape fabric adds a solar element as well if we don't have much snow cover! Will be doing this to our baby apple tree, and some shrubs!
I tend to forget how cold it can get in Michigan, since I've lived where it rarely if ever freezes - California and now Florida since 1979. What I miss is real seasons, especially Fall and Spring. Good video. All those leaves........... Another good video. You were born for this - - - well it looks like it to me anyway. Thanks you for your videos.
Such great info here, Luke! I like how quick and simple this is, anyone can do this! Hopefully your trees make it through the winter, it sure would be great to see some fruit on them next spring!
Thank you for this great tip! This will definitely come handy for our young trees as well, we been losing tropical fruit trees (guava and avocado) year after year because they don't survive to cold winter (surprisingly even in California) .. we will be trying this method for sure
How long do you believe is a limit of covering fruit trees during the colder temperatures? I am in South Mississippi so it doesn’t get too cold, but the temperature can freeze our trees.
I ordered a Kwanzan Cherry Blossom tree which is scheduled to arrive sometime next month, which makes me nervous about planting in as the weather starts to get cold. I live in California, so it doesn't get freezing cold. Which might be my saving grace.
Thank you this was very informative. We recently moved into a home with lots of fruit trees and I didn’t know that we need to protect the roots, is it go late to do them now? We already had a couple of snow falls in our area.
That looks very effective Luke. I seldom get a frost, let alone snow (but it doesn't happen occasionally) but if one's forecast I'll know what to do. Always learning from you my friend :)
Lucky fruit trees Luke my part of zone 3 usually hits -40 for a few days every winter ! Luckily by then we have nearly a meter or 3 feet of snow insulating the ground !
Good idea Luke! I have some young Saskatoon berry trees (juneberry) that I planted this spring. My biggest fear is that they did not get the roots down deep enough for winter. These are a hardy zone 3 trees but I am still concerned for them. Like Stephen, we see -40 degrees all of the time. I even saw -56 once. However, like Stephen says, we normally have a very deep layer of snow by the time it gets real cold. Whatever snow comes down after the middle of November will still be on the ground in the middle of April.
I would be worried about mice eating the bark below the leaves which would girdle the tree and kill it. A plastic protector around the trunk and pushed a couple of inches in the ground would work
Do you put a plastic protector and a root protector? My peach tree survived 5 winters with just extra mulch, but this year fire blight and other infections swooped through the garden.
What can I do for my young trees, peach & wisteria, to protect the buds that grew during mid Michigan warm stretch we had a couple weeks ago. Now, the overnight lows are in the teens & I'm afraid for those buds. Thank you!
hello love your vides I have sow a peach tree from a seed , it 4 inches in my front yard i live in zone 7b do i tranfer to pot and take it inside for winter?
I have a smaller one which I planted in early Oct this year. Now I put it inside the house as the weather is getting cold, so can the peach grow in-house? This is my 1st try for growing peach from seed. Thanks! :)
Roots need to breathe in oxygen received from above ground atmosphere and will continue growing until ground freezes. Ever notice how first snow to begin melting is around the bottom of Tree Trunks who's large Woody masses radiate Suns heat.
That's what I was wondering. I was scrolling to find a comment that would address this. And also the moisture they need. I'm wrapping the bark of my peach and apple but still not convinced to cover the ground around the root.
Ok i need some clarity. This guy said he was able to keep his tropical plants alive outside during the winter instead of digging them up and taking them indoors. By alive does he mean just the roots or was he able to maintain leaves and flowers of "hardy" plants in the winter? I think i ready somewhere that hardy tropical plants are more likely to survive the winter as well rather than regular tropical plants
When we planted our fruit trees this year we covered them with 9 square feet of mulch. should i still put some landscape cloth over the mulch? i have an inch of mulch spread evenly over each tree should i double it to 2 inches then cover with the black cloth?
We get cold snaps with temperatures from -10 to -30 degrees fahrenheit in the winter and unfortunetly that is enough to kill the trunks of sensitive trees (I'm gambling with a sweet cherry this year). The rootball often survives since it's covered in snow, but the trunk doesn't, so in the spring the rootball sends up new shoots but the grafted part is dead. So I will put up a netting around the first 1-1,5m of the tree (to keep away the hares) and fill that with leaves, hoping that will insulate the tree enough.
Hi! I am worried about the plastic nursery tag that is around the trunk - at 4:35 of the video you can see it getting covered, later you see it again staying on the trunk at the end of your video. I have seen branches killed by these constricting tags as the tree girth increases, as well as entire trees when the tag is located around the main trunk of a young tree.
I had to learn this lesson too. I lost a pear tree and a peach tree. All that hard work of years just gone so yes sir lesson learned lol. I have 6 German shepherds so Im thinking i might need to use some chicken wire. They are super smart. Can I fill it with leaves and it be ok? Help
Uhg I'm hoping ours survived this winter. It got winter early while we traveled and this winter was nuts but ar least two of my trees seem to be trying to show buds. I live in hope. My rose bushes however look done for.
In England we get the same cold weather, minus 20 f is pretty normal. I was looking for protection from Peach Leaf Curl, as my 2 year old tree, bought as a grafted tree on Rootstock was riddled with blisters. Our local Radio Gardening expert advised me to cover LEAVES with winter fleece in January and February, as the leaf curl is a Virus which enters the buds during wet and cold. Is he right, is our climate so different than in America that these tropical trees can't cope? Smart people in England grow trees up against a south facing wall (sunny side) and cover with a plastic awning in Winter. I made a mistake and planted the tree right in the middle of the lawn. Do I need to also cover the roots do you know? Our very hottest Summer days could reach 70 to 80 f, but not much more. Blossom grows on the trees in around March I am told. I want to try what you have shown, but worry the tree won't get enough water. Thanks, Neil.
Just saw your video I was wondering about small persimmon trees that are not native persimmon trees but the ones that are as big as oranges we like to grow them but I have trouble keeping them alive through the winter here in Oklahoma when they are saplings. I like your idea if If you have any more suggestions for keeping them alive please let me know but I will try this. I like the one lady’s suggestion to protect the bottom of the trunk of the tree from mice I will do that also
We use wood chips after the trunk has been wrapped in plastic tree wrap to keep the mice from eating the bark. Also this year we had to put 5ft. fencing around each (12) young tree (and stake them down) because the deer love to eat the nice tender branches. Costly? Yep, but so were the trees and the time and effort of planting them.
I planted 8 ornamental pear trees, 5' tall. First winter the deer stripped them good. Next fall I put three 8' bamboo pole around each tree (buried 18") and ran heavy duty deer netting horizontally around using the bamboo to hold the netting. Supported the netting on the bamboo with zip ties. Because the netting was only 3' H, I started 3' high so more of the height was protected. Well, it kept mom and dad away but bambi got in there in the spring. She didn't do much damage because I didn't need branches that low and the trunks were fine. So for me, this worked really well. That was 3 years ago and all is still well here in Hudson Valley, NY.
I got blooms on my pears here in tennessee. anybody have any other ideas other thing covering them we got 20s coming here in a few days, I guess towels and blankes?
Besides piling hay all around the base of my trees. I bought a few packages of pool Noodles. And cut them down the sides with a box cutter and fitted around the trunks of all my trees. Then packed my hay around my trees. Its a great insulator.
Thank you for this tip!
aww, it's like tucking them in for their winter nap, with a leaf-stuffed comforter!
What a great idea! I had always worried about the top of the tree when as you pointed out, it’s about keeping the roots from freezing! Definitely much easier than trying to keep the tops from freezing. I planted 10 young fruit trees so this will be a much better and easier method. Thank you!
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
Great tip, love how the mulch protects the root system.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
I thought I had lost my fig tree this past winter with the excessive cold. But thankfully if re-sprouted from the roots. I didn't get any figs this year though... This is good info to know. Thanks Luke!
suburban homestead how's the fig doing, do you prune it? if not then how huge is it
Just wondering - Here in Colorado we get down near -25 at times, so I like the idea of insulating the roots - But - we also get many late spring freezes/snows that kill off the flowers if the trees flower too early. In spring, should the insulation come off fairly early (after the super-cold temps are over) to help keep the trees from thinking it's warm enough to initiate flowering too early? Maybe just the black layer, so that the leaf mulch could still help keep the ground from warming up to flowering temps too soon? We have intense sunshine at our altitude (about 5500 ft), which I'm concerned could potentially heat a black layer quite a bit while the air temps are still too cold for the trees to flower safely. Thanks!
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Me and my toddler's routine in the morning is laying in bed and checking RUclips for any new videos from our favorite people!
Thanks for sharing this info! I feel I can apply this to some of my perennial plants (we dont have fruit trees...yet!) as well since we live in central WI and lost a few last year due to the ridiculous cold temps.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
I like this idea. I am going to protect all my young trees using this method. Thanks
+Wanda Beaudry Kelly Great! Let me know if you have any more questions. :)
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
Brilliant idea! You saved me a trip to the store! And I really like that using the black landscape fabric adds a solar element as well if we don't have much snow cover! Will be doing this to our baby apple tree, and some shrubs!
Great video, wish I’d known this 2 winters ago. We’ll next winter I’ll be all set!! Hopefully no more dead young trees! Thank you!
I tend to forget how cold it can get in Michigan, since I've lived where it rarely if ever freezes - California and now Florida since 1979. What I miss is real seasons, especially Fall and Spring. Good video. All those leaves...........
Another good video. You were born for this - - - well it looks like it to me anyway. Thanks you for your videos.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
does this attract or hold bugs and disease near the trunk?
I was thinking the same thing. When the leaves get wet and break down, will it rott the base?
Such great info here, Luke! I like how quick and simple this is, anyone can do this! Hopefully your trees make it through the winter, it sure would be great to see some fruit on them next spring!
The black material that you are using I think its called garden membrane is this correct.
Great idea! I'm definitely going to be doing this ...solar heat protector! Love it!
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Thank you for your very informative video. Do the branches survive the cold weather?
I love this guy.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Thank you for this great tip!
This will definitely come handy for our young trees as well, we been losing tropical fruit trees (guava and avocado) year after year because they don't survive to cold winter (surprisingly even in California) .. we will be trying this method for sure
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Great idea! Thanks for sharing! Definitely doing this with our new-this-year peach tree.
+injoystampin That would be a super idea for it. I think you will love the results.
I think the Peach Tree would like an Electric Blanket !!!
How long do you believe is a limit of covering fruit trees during the colder temperatures? I am in South Mississippi so it doesn’t get too cold, but the temperature can freeze our trees.
How will they get the necessary water from snow etc.?
I was just hoping on RUclips to search for this info. Thanks very timely.
I ordered a Kwanzan Cherry Blossom tree which is scheduled to arrive sometime next month, which makes me nervous about planting in as the weather starts to get cold.
I live in California, so it doesn't get freezing cold. Which might be my saving grace.
Thank you because Vegas nights are very cold now
You actually do have to protect peach buds in the winter. They are very cold tender. Wrapping the tops help protect them
Thank you this was very informative. We recently moved into a home with lots of fruit trees and I didn’t know that we need to protect the roots, is it go late to do them now? We already had a couple of snow falls in our area.
Any suggestions for container/potted fruit trees? I have no space to bring them inside during the winter.
Kristy Richard I know it's three years late, but bubble wrap.
Hi, thanks for the great advice, just wondering, we live in Scotland, when would be best to remove insulation,
That looks very effective Luke. I seldom get a frost, let alone snow (but it doesn't happen occasionally) but if one's forecast I'll know what to do. Always learning from you my friend :)
How do you water the plant also what to do if it's in containers
Here in pa the melting snow is the watering
Lucky fruit trees Luke my part of zone 3 usually hits -40 for a few days every winter ! Luckily by then we have nearly a meter or 3 feet of snow insulating the ground !
Good idea Luke! I have some young Saskatoon berry trees (juneberry) that I planted this spring. My biggest fear is that they did not get the roots down deep enough for winter. These are a hardy zone 3 trees but I am still concerned for them. Like Stephen, we see -40 degrees all of the time. I even saw -56 once. However, like Stephen says, we normally have a very deep layer of snow by the time it gets real cold. Whatever snow comes down after the middle of November will still be on the ground in the middle of April.
Yup it's the terrible truth lol. I'll do an episode in the snow again this year lol.
***** I was tempted to do one about winter garden prep in the north country using an ice auger for one of my tools!
That would be fantastic lol
Excellent, thank you!
+Clara Slate I see you are binge watching some of the older episodes! I love it! WOOHOO! :) So glad these reached you well.
Haha!!! Just trying to do my homework! I don't want to kill my new baby calamondin!!! :)
I would be worried about mice eating the bark below the leaves which would girdle the tree and kill it. A plastic protector around the trunk and pushed a couple of inches in the ground would work
He said a plastic protector. They are spiraled and also have ventilation holes. They protect the trunk from rabbits, voles and the like.
Do you put a plastic protector and a root protector? My peach tree survived 5 winters with just extra mulch, but this year fire blight and other infections swooped through the garden.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
@@shilpams did you find a solution?
Can you tell me if this would work for a plum tree in northern Wisconsin or should I do something additionally?
Thank you.
What can I do for my young trees, peach & wisteria, to protect the buds that grew during mid Michigan warm stretch we had a couple weeks ago. Now, the overnight lows are in the teens & I'm afraid for those buds. Thank you!
hello love your vides I have sow a peach tree from a seed , it 4 inches in my front yard i live in zone 7b do i tranfer to pot and take it inside for winter?
I have a smaller one which I planted in early Oct this year. Now I put it inside the house as the weather is getting cold, so can the peach grow in-house? This is my 1st try for growing peach from seed. Thanks! :)
That is very helpful. It looks great!
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
Since it’s been a few years, how has it helped?
Thanks! Simple and Easy
Wow..will do this.. Tnx for this post..
Roots need to breathe in oxygen received from above ground atmosphere and will continue growing until ground freezes.
Ever notice how first snow to begin melting is around the bottom of Tree Trunks who's large Woody masses radiate Suns heat.
That's what I was wondering. I was scrolling to find a comment that would address this. And also the moisture they need. I'm wrapping the bark of my peach and apple but still not convinced to cover the ground around the root.
Great tip Luke! I'll give it a try with my new Cherry tree and Grape vines as well.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Ok i need some clarity. This guy said he was able to keep his tropical plants alive outside during the winter instead of digging them up and taking them indoors. By alive does he mean just the roots or was he able to maintain leaves and flowers of "hardy" plants in the winter? I think i ready somewhere that hardy tropical plants are more likely to survive the winter as well rather than regular tropical plants
Now my trees will be protected
best idea ever! thank you
When we planted our fruit trees this year we covered them with 9 square feet of mulch. should i still put some landscape cloth over the mulch? i have an inch of mulch spread evenly over each tree should i double it to 2 inches then cover with the black cloth?
Nice idea. I have a question though. I am in zone 7 and I was wondering would this work with a mango tree during the winter months, thank you.
Very nice ma, thanks I will use it this fall.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
We get cold snaps with temperatures from -10 to -30 degrees fahrenheit in the winter and unfortunetly that is enough to kill the trunks of sensitive trees (I'm gambling with a sweet cherry this year). The rootball often survives since it's covered in snow, but the trunk doesn't, so in the spring the rootball sends up new shoots but the grafted part is dead. So I will put up a netting around the first 1-1,5m of the tree (to keep away the hares) and fill that with leaves, hoping that will insulate the tree enough.
Hi! I am worried about the plastic nursery tag that is around the trunk - at 4:35 of the video you can see it getting covered, later you see it again staying on the trunk at the end of your video. I have seen branches killed by these constricting tags as the tree girth increases, as well as entire trees when the tag is located around the main trunk of a young tree.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Another great video Luke. Thanks for the tip. ~Pete~
Would I need to do this if my tree is in a large pot
Thank you very much
Great tip
What if a load of snow covers the black tarp.it wont get heat then.we get alot of snow were I live.i put mulch around it will that be good enough.
great, how about adding some bottles of water below the black fabric.
and if it snows and freezes , moisture doesn’t harm the trunk ?
What if I do a back to eden style garden around my trees....would I still need to do this.
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Do they not need watering?
Great video :-) Hopefully this winter won't be as bad as last year's.
I would put a trunk guard on to protect the bark from rodents that may move in under the leaves. The rest is great!
Thank you!
Thanks man!
Does this work with fruit trees too?
Yes, but should you cut the branches back, and how far back before wrapping them in trash bags if needed ?
can we use burlap to cover or can burlap can it be used as insulator?
Will this kill the grass underneath?
Great technique!
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Does black material cover used has to be water proof?
Do you use IV Guard or anything to prevent infections and winter bacteria? Also do you water them at all if you have freak warm days in winter?
How much do I have to water my peach tree that I grow from seed, and it's 3 months old now?
Will burlap work?
This warm tree technique is ok ....but how do you water for fruit tree ?
That's my question. How will they get moisture from snow etc? I think i'll just mulch.
I had to learn this lesson too. I lost a pear tree and a peach tree. All that hard work of years just gone so yes sir lesson learned lol. I have 6 German shepherds so Im thinking i might need to use some chicken wire. They are super smart. Can I fill it with leaves and it be ok? Help
Can I do this with cypress mulch instead of leaves?
Uhg I'm hoping ours survived this winter. It got winter early while we traveled and this winter was nuts but ar least two of my trees seem to be trying to show buds. I live in hope. My rose bushes however look done for.
Thank you for your videos, this is exactly what I was looking for! Also buying seeds from you real soon!
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Hello Great tips, Can you use straw?
I would assume so.
Pile leaves at base as wide as leafs of canopy. Cover with geotec. Saved you 10 min
How about burlap or hay?
great video ,thank you
In England we get the same cold weather, minus 20 f is pretty normal. I was looking for protection from Peach Leaf Curl, as my 2 year old tree, bought as a grafted tree on Rootstock was riddled with blisters. Our local Radio Gardening expert advised me to cover LEAVES with winter fleece in January and February, as the leaf curl is a Virus which enters the buds during wet and cold. Is he right, is our climate so different than in America that these tropical trees can't cope? Smart people in England grow trees up against a south facing wall (sunny side) and cover with a plastic awning in Winter. I made a mistake and planted the tree right in the middle of the lawn. Do I need to also cover the roots do you know? Our very hottest Summer days could reach 70 to 80 f, but not much more. Blossom grows on the trees in around March I am told. I want to try what you have shown, but worry the tree won't get enough water.
Thanks, Neil.
What about orange trees or Limon trees or even blue berries during the winter?? Same thing?
So 8 years later did this technique work for your young trees ?
What do I do with apple trees that iam growing that are 6 months old will they make it through the winter in ground
So helpful thanks!
+CutestHeidi So glad it was helpful!
Very interesting. But does this attract unwelcome creatures in need of a warm den for winter?
Do you not wrap the trunk of the fruit trees to deter rabbits??
l like your idea, it is very helpful, i have a question that do the branches need to be covered too?
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html
Just saw your video I was wondering about small persimmon trees that are not native persimmon trees but the ones that are as big as oranges we like to grow them but I have trouble keeping them alive through the winter here in Oklahoma when they are saplings.
I like your idea if If you have any more suggestions for keeping them alive please let me know but I will try this. I like the one lady’s suggestion to protect the bottom of the trunk of the tree from mice I will do that also
We use wood chips after the trunk has been wrapped in plastic tree wrap to keep the mice from eating the bark. Also this year we had to put 5ft. fencing around each (12) young tree (and stake them down) because the deer love to eat the nice tender branches. Costly? Yep, but so were the trees and the time and effort of planting them.
I planted 8 ornamental pear trees, 5' tall. First winter the deer stripped them good. Next fall I put three 8' bamboo pole around each tree (buried 18") and ran heavy duty deer netting horizontally around using the bamboo to hold the netting. Supported the netting on the bamboo with zip ties. Because the netting was only 3' H, I started 3' high so more of the height was protected. Well, it kept mom and dad away but bambi got in there in the spring. She didn't do much damage because I didn't need branches that low and the trunks were fine. So for me, this worked really well. That was 3 years ago and all is still well here in Hudson Valley, NY.
What about the graft should that be protected from the cold?
Great idea, but is it not important to have the leaves 4 inches or so from the trunk so that mice, etc., do not chew on the bark?
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
Cool vid. Have you thought about mulching them all year long with woodchips?
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
Would this work for potted trees?
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
Love this idea. I am growing an olive tree in the ground here in NJ. Arbequina. Can I use this method for my young tree?
ruclips.net/video/BID4JtxMMJ8/видео.html.
I got blooms on my pears here in tennessee. anybody have any other ideas other thing covering them we got 20s coming here in a few days, I guess towels and blankes?
When do I stop watering?
Could you use lawn clipping
Too high a pile of matted down grass clippings could adversely suffocate underground roots. Just make sure to remove back to original grade in Spring.