For that guy you should look into covering it, for a couple years at least. It is not a hardy variety. I would also look into the hardy varieties since you will not need to cover them. Last winter we had continual cold for months and my uncovered Kazake lost no wood at all. I cover my young non-hardy poms with a "tent" made out of aluminum bubble insulation. Whatever you do don't use a plastic cover, it will roast it on sunny days. The reflectivity of my aluminum covers solves this problem for me.

Scott

I have 50+ yr. old pomegranates I grew x the seed of a store-bought one ("Wonderful" I'd imagine coming x the store?) & here in zone 7 with temps in winter freezing at night (20's last winter & minus 18 ... the record breaking one!) & we most always have fruit. But last Spring we got a late frost that nipped the leaves emerging so we got few fruit but this year the 10 ft. 'bushes' are loaded with fruit. Both the pomes & fig are against an aluminum west facing shed so get some reflection. My ? always is how do the pomes all ripen & the same size on the bushes at the same time in the Fall ... when the flowers & fruit set at many different times during the summer?? Neither the figs or pomes get fertilized nor get but very little additional water but both have been pest free & no winter protection now they both are full grown.

Thanks for the feedback. Had some questions ref pruning. Should one do that before the winter, and how should the pruning be done for a small tree?

If it's a small tree and you're worried about Winter damage, I wouldn't prune until after leafbreak in the Spring when you can see which parts have survived and what hasn't. The exception to this would be if you need to trim back to fit whatever winter protection you've devised for it.

I used Scott's suggestion of the foil-bubblewrap last Winter and it worked well. I first trimmed and tied up each bush with twine to make it more compact, covered that with burlap and more twine, then slipped a sleeve (top end taped shut) of the foil bubble wrap. My little trees had suffered die back to the ground the previous Winter (zone 7), but with the protection there wasn't any damage this go-around.

Scott,

Share with us how you made your aluminum bubble tent

Thanks!

~Chills

Where do you get the foil bubble wrap and is that the name it goes by? Same with the ground staples. Don't you have to worry about the sun heating up the interior and "cooking" the plant? Thanks

EJP, there are many sources for bubble wrap insulation. Type foil bubble insulation into Google for example. I bought one roll from Greenhouse Mega Store and another damaged roll on eBay. The eBay roll was only bent up a bit so I got a deal there, but if it sticks to itself in wet (e.g. if you fold/store it wet like I did once) then it delaminates. So if I were to buy more I would go with the Greenhouse Mega store since I know their stuff is top quality.

For ground staples type that into Google and get lotsa places. I got mine from Peaceful Valley.

The sun doesn't heat up the interior because the outside is reflective as well as the inside: the sun hitting the cover is reflected off and does not heat up the cover and plant. That is one of the main advantages of my method, all of the other covers people use have a risk of overheating your plant. Also, the reflectivity on the inside will reflect the ground heat back onto the plant at night. Its a win-win.

I came up with this idea because I bought some of this stuff to insulate my greenhouse and had half a roll left over so I decided to try it as a plant cover.

Scott

Sounds like bubble wrap is the way to go. I have not covered my figs for years for fear of late winter warm spells dooming the plant. Now I believe I can grow less cold hardy varieties using this wrap. Thanks a million. Love this forum!

Ed

Scott are you out there. I have a question about your tents .

I gave a very short tree started Woukd a 5 gallon bucket work to protect it?

thanks