It's going to be a bad winter for a lot of zone 5'ers...

With windchill, we've had -9 F already...

Dax

Kvolk,

Some say that wrapping really only benefits conifers and not deciduous plants, but in my experiments I find that wrapping (or covering with a box) does make a difference in limiting wood damage on more tender deciduous plants. To me it makes sense, anything that keeps a plant out of the wind all winter would help.

I have a ginkgo tree that while it survives here, suffers winter damage unless I enclose in a structure made of 2x4Âs covered with vinyl tarp. Surrounded by this it comes through winter nice.

While thuja occidentalis is native here, some of the cultivars suffer winter desiccation unless wrapped. The past few winters I took the easy way out and covered them with a box or even a plastic garbage can.

The only thing I might add is that I first wait for a good snowfall and mound snow around the base of the plant (to insulate the root zone), then I cover with the box. But, our winters might be a bit different than yours: we usually have consistent snowcover from Dec to mid March, which is welcomed during the annual cold snap.

Speaking of cold, -15F yesterday morning, but itÂs really been "up and down" this winter, with 34F earlier in the week.

Glen

This is what I have done sucessfully for the last 2 years here for my Kashima and Winter Flame: Drive 3 rebar stakes around tree, far enough out to avoid roots. Create a ring around stakes with plastic fencing. Fill with mulch. I use bark mulch, but this has it's downsides. You can also use shredded leaves or pine boughs. The mulch works for me. What you have done looks like it will work as well. I have a Ukigumo and an unnamed weeping red dissectum that I provide with no protection and they do fine.