Group Planting of Trident Maples

Hi all,

Having an unseasonably cold winter here in Eastern Pa. I currently have my group planting of Trident Maples residing in my garage. The thermometer in the room says temperatures are reaching 30F, maybe a little higher or lower on some occasions. Day-time temps are around 35-38 on the colder days. Is this too cold for the Tridents or are they hardy enough to do alright there?

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Rob S.

If they are on a concrete floor, they should be fine because the concrete stores warmth. That should keep the rootball from freezing. If you're really worried, place them next to an interior (heated space) wall, which will also give off some warmth.

you can also wrap the pot with bubble wrap or foam...

Just moved the pot next to the interior wall. Temp's reading 37F. Should be fine I'm thinking.

Thanks for the advice!

-Rob S.

Keep your Tridents above 25F and you'll be fine. Mine are in about 26F (as of today) and have had their soil freeze. I don't worry too much as its more the cycle of freeze and thaw that can injure the fleshy roots.

Keep your eye on soil moisture if you're going to have them in the upper 30's.

-Jay

drgonzo wrote:Keep your Tridents above 25F and you'll be fine.

Really? I thought they were hardier

I bought some trident seedlings in fall, and they have just been sitting outside, their plastic pots burried in a heap of compost for winter. And we are just comming out of a 2 week stretch with night time times dropping below -10c (about 14F). Should I be ordering new plants?

I think they'll be fine. My windswept trident is planted on a slab and it stays out on the table all winter. It never got above 25 degrees F here yesterday, and they've survived single digit temps overnight time and time again.

leatherback wrote:

drgonzo wrote:Keep your Tridents above 25F and you'll be fine.

Really? I thought they were hardier

When giving advice or sharing my own experience with a species I will err on the side of caution but I do tend to think that Tridents are a lot tougher than folks think.

I have an experiment running this winter with seedling stock planted out in the ground, we'll see if the tops can withstand my Upstate NY winter...Outdoors.

-Jay

I have kept my young tridents in my unheated garage(25F-35F) for two winters now and they are fine. Like Jay I am attempting some seedlings in the ground through this winter to see how they fair. I will report come spring.

Todd

Thanks for the quick responses guys! I'm feeling a lot better about them sitting in the garage now. Everything that I've read has pretty much agreed that they're hardier than given credit for. I'll post some pictures soon too. Definitely update us on the trident seedlings.

-Rob S.

I've got a trident in the garden and I live in a zone 5 where temps cam go down to -24F. It's probably seen at leasr -15F and has survived there for about ten years.

wind is the killer not neccessarily the air temp

It's interesting to hear your problems with regard to low temps and how they are addressed -here in south aust we are dealing with temps at deg .45c-47 c( don't know what deg. f that is).-and when I venture outside the sun stings a little(not sure how the bonsai put up with it)--and as with the cold it's the wind that really damages.