Winter storage/location

More trees and less room has left me with a problem this year.After locating trees in my frost free potting shed and small lean-to greenhouse I am then left with the garage.My question is,how long can they accept a virtually "no light" enviroment?

No light is fine for dormant trees. Even evergreens.

Though I am the last guy to ask for advice regarding conifers I have always read that they require light throughout their dormancy. I would imagine its not enough to provide much in the way of photosynthesis so I've often thought its so they can tell when the day length begins increasing...If anyone knows horticulturally why conifers need light in dormancy I'd love to know.

Dormant deciduous trees require no light and are sometimes better off without it.

-Jay

Yes. If a tree -- needled or broad leafed -- has green on it in the winter it would prefer some like, because it can still photosynthesize. It may survive in a no-light situation, but not happily.

If they have no leaves, they don't care, but remember the old "out of sight, out of mind" saw. Don't forget an occasional bit of water. They won't need much, but they will need some.

I would suggest that if your overwintering location allows your evergreen trees to freeze ( the soil ) and stay frozen, then their light requirements are minimal to nonexistant and they will be fine in there for several months. I kept pines and junipers in my garage from late November to late March/April for 10 years...the soil was always frozen by late December and stayed frozen for 3 months. They all were healthy, broke dormancy in the spring and consistently grew well. I know that Bill Valavanis keeps many of his trees, including evergreens, in a garage for the winter that I believe has minimal to no light where they are allowed to freeze and stay frozen through the winter.

Please read this thread from B.S.G. if you have time, it will expand on my understanding about light and lack of need for light in winter. I think W. Valavanis knows what he's talking about.
http://bonsaistudygroup.com/general-discussion/greenhouse-pictures/