Post by nevermore on May 23, 2019 21:32:52 GMT -5
Tmann51.... for outside bog action... maybe try the revised overwintering option I’ve ended up using. I’m in the Cincinnati area... so we get cold winters including a few week stretches of well below zero temps randominh in a winter. Admitting its not the the same as your weather that far north.... but none the less... it gets bad.
So the very first in ground bog i made I used a deep layer of pine needles, straw and leaves directly on the plants for the winter. Most made it through a bad winter or two but I would always get some rot come spring time. The fluctuating temps in the spring with stretches of warm days then random freezing days increased the chances of issues popping up.
So when I made the new raised bogs I switched to using old canvas tarps and sheets for covering in the winter. And to keep the covering off the plants, I made a light framework from tubing. This allows an airspace between plants and covering. Since doing this, I haven’t lost any plants in the winter. This method allows you to uncover the plants easily in the spring for the warm stretches and give them airflow..... and then cover them back up if the weather gets bad again. I was originally concerned the coverings would not alway enough air movement vs open pine straws or leaves do ...but being cloth does allow some evaporation and it hasn’t been an issue.
I figure the only need in the winter is to block the wind from hitting your plants Any covering isn’t really keeping your plants any warmer then the ambient air. There might be a minimal amount of temp given by ground... but that’s negligible. So the simple sheets block the wind just fine for me plus the set up seems to help with rot issues. These plants are a lot tougher then I originally thought. Plus as a last benefit.. .. you don’t have to do that pain in the cuss cleanup come spring like you do with leaves.
Now you being in WI is potentially a different story... but you could always try it on a few test plants.
So the very first in ground bog i made I used a deep layer of pine needles, straw and leaves directly on the plants for the winter. Most made it through a bad winter or two but I would always get some rot come spring time. The fluctuating temps in the spring with stretches of warm days then random freezing days increased the chances of issues popping up.
So when I made the new raised bogs I switched to using old canvas tarps and sheets for covering in the winter. And to keep the covering off the plants, I made a light framework from tubing. This allows an airspace between plants and covering. Since doing this, I haven’t lost any plants in the winter. This method allows you to uncover the plants easily in the spring for the warm stretches and give them airflow..... and then cover them back up if the weather gets bad again. I was originally concerned the coverings would not alway enough air movement vs open pine straws or leaves do ...but being cloth does allow some evaporation and it hasn’t been an issue.
I figure the only need in the winter is to block the wind from hitting your plants Any covering isn’t really keeping your plants any warmer then the ambient air. There might be a minimal amount of temp given by ground... but that’s negligible. So the simple sheets block the wind just fine for me plus the set up seems to help with rot issues. These plants are a lot tougher then I originally thought. Plus as a last benefit.. .. you don’t have to do that pain in the cuss cleanup come spring like you do with leaves.
Now you being in WI is potentially a different story... but you could always try it on a few test plants.