Who lives in Zone 3

I was wondering if anyone out there lives in a zone 3. I currently live in a zone 7/8 and am moving to a zone 3. Living in 7/8 allows me to grow pretty much anything. Im really bummed about the situation but what can you do. What are you able to grow? Can you still grow black pine/shimpaku/zelkova/maples? If so how do you deal with the winters. Due to me living really close to the mountains I will be able to collect local species but still love the classic trees. Thanks for any and all input

There are quite a few interesting species that thrive in Zone 3, but your growing season will be very short. To avoid Seasonal Affective Disorder and Bonsai Deprivation Syndrome, I suggest you consider building an indoor light garden with fluorescent lights. If you have the space & money, halide lights are the way to go. Then you will have to find out which tropicals do well in that environment. Some will give you immense enjoyment.
Iris

" black pine/shimpaku/zelkova/maples "


You can grow colder -tolerant versions of your favourites . Black Pine may survive , try Larch . Shimpaku may survive , try other cold-hardy Junipers . Zelkova will NOT survive , try American Elm , or Ironwood or Hop-Hornbeam . Maples , well Japanese Maples will NOT survive , so try Amur Maple or Red maples .

Curtis wrote:Due to me living really close to the mountains I will be able to collect local species

This is a gift my friend... lucky you! Native yamadori are always more interesting and of course easier to keep healthy.

Most of the species you listed are borderline zone 5... so zone 3 might be a challenge. But there are always options, i.e. storing in a shed or cold room. But with the short summers and long dry cold winters, it will be an uphill battle.

can sumeone explain the zone system to me and is it an American thing or is South Wales in the UK
on the zone list
reg Paul

The United States Department of Agriculture developed the zone system to help people in selecting plants for their area. It is based upon the average lowest temperature. It is mainly a guideline and some areas within a "zone" will vary quite a bit. There is a US map showing the Zones. It doesn't really relate to other parts of the world but you can apply their criteria for plant selection. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hrdzon4.html#3

I have no idea what zone I´d be... Central America.

Hey one question...people in cold areas can build a greenhouse for their tropical trees. Holding the same principle, can I stick cold weather plants into a freezer where I live, or am I just being ridiculous?

Paul, put at its simplest, the zone system is a geographical splitting up of countries according to the ability of plants to withstand the minimum temperatures those areas experience. Hence the term "plant hardiness" - which over here in the UK we probably experience more often as terms like frost tender, half hardy, fully hardy.

HERE is the USDA map.

There is a Europe equivalent of the USDA zone map and you can find it by clicking HERE. The comparative info from USA to Europe is available by googling hardiness zones.

It's important to remember that it's to do with minimum temperatures rather than summer heat. We can't grow most of those lovely tropicals we see on here (not outdoors anyway), not because we don't have the summer heat but because we don't have as high winter temperatures.

I was going to make a joke about how climate change will sort it all out in a few decades, but I'm afraid that might just be too close to the truth for comfort.

AK_Panama wrote:I have no idea what zone I´d be... Central America.

Hey one question...people in cold areas can build a greenhouse for their tropical trees. Holding the same principle, can I stick cold weather plants into a freezer where I live, or am I just being ridiculous?

The true tropics such as Panama are Zone 11. Some people have put temperate trees in refrigeration over winter, but I have never read that it worked very well.

AK_Panama wrote:I have no idea what zone I´d be... Central America.

It depends on your elevation. If you are totally frost free, you are in Zone 11.

AK_Panama wrote:
Hey one question...people in cold areas can build a greenhouse for their tropical trees. Holding the same principle, can I stick cold weather plants into a freezer where I live, or am I just being ridiculous?

Not ridiculous at all, but not a freezer. Many growers in the tropics winter temperate plants (not just bonsai) in a refrigerator. The only caution is that the refrigerator has a drying effect. You have to keep the plants in a plastic bag. I have wintered small bonsai in the refrigerator when I did not have a suitable location. It worked pretty well.

I believe you will find that South Wales is in USDA Zone 9. While many countries have their own hardiness scales, the USDA has become a universal standard, & you can find zone maps for the various continents.
Iris

bonsaisr wrote:I believe you will find that South Wales is in USDA Zone 9. While many countries have their own hardiness scales, the USDA has become a universal standard, & you can find zone maps for the various continents. Iris

Iris's suggestion is confirmed by the link to the European zone map I provided in my post.

Here are inks to many of the world's various hardiness zone maps. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone

REMEMBER . . . these (most of them, at least) only relate to the average coldest temperature. Many, many other climatic factors apply to the care of trees in the winter.

There are a couple of other zone systems that use other factors -- Sunset Magazine's zones take a number of climatic factors -- humidity, warm temps, proximity to the sea, etc. -- in to account. The American Horticultural Society's warm temperature zone map covers the heat stress for plants. Find it at the AHS website. I don't think Sunset has theirs on the web.

I wrote an article about climate zones for our old site. I may still have it if someone wants it. Dunno how much updating it will need.

Thanks everyone I get the meaning of the zones and thanks Fiona for the European map
reg Paul