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Frozen fruit trees

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Ian W (U8604472) on Friday, 26th November 2010

  Following on from the frozen broad beans topic, I have 4 fruit trees on dwarf stock that are outside in large pots. The recent frost has made the surface of the soil absolutely solid. I was wondering whether I should be insulating these pots in some way or will they be ok?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by greeneddy (U6603838) on Friday, 26th November 2010

  Hi Ian I think the horse may have bolted. As I understand it, you should insulate pots before they freeze, so as to keep the temperature up a bit. I don't think there's any point doing it after the soil has frozen, but if I'm wrong, I'm sure that others will leap in to correct me. If the roots are surrounded by water that is frozen in the soil, it will be unavailable to the plant, but the trees should have slowed down all their processes with this cold snap anyway. I think you will either have to move them to a sheltered spot to thaw the soil out, and then insulate them, or just keep your fingers crossed.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Saturday, 27th November 2010

  Frost/freezing won't do roots any harm or the mycorhizomes that help with the nutrient absorption.
  
  

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• Message 4

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  Posted by DiggerSean (U14704361) on Monday, 29th November 2010

  Your fruits trees as has already been stated will be dormant now and won't be harmed. Insulating now will only "lock in" the cold temperature so wouldn't be worth while. The only problem I have with frozen pots is that they can crack from the expanded frozen water in the pot, so if possible raise them to aid drainage to help with that problem. Even "frost proof" pots will succumb.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Thursday, 2nd December 2010

  Even the exposed shallow roots of my grape vine the positiion of which I am hoping to readjust will probably not be harmed during this freezing weather.
  
  That is as far as I got with the teasing of the roots, and the tap root is slightly exposed so that I know exactly where to take most care not to touch! A very handsome tap root it is too. The shallow roots look good too, frozen as they are.
  
  I would obviously have prefered to do the whole job and get it done straight away
  but it is does take some thinking and some doing! When it is over 40*f and I have not got a cold, I shall finish it off, and do my Wassailing.
  
  There are three vines which I have propagated from the original by layering, and
  I shall now also be able to cut/divided the three trees in to three separate trees rather than having dependent systems. I may even be able to move the shallowest root system, with the most moveable tap root, to a site further away across the southish facing fence. I shall have to check carefully!
  
  A pergola to extend the branches and the foliage necessary for fruit increase
  then has huge opportunities which it would not otherwise have.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Thursday, 2nd December 2010

  Wassailing has to be done on the 11th day of Christmas, but a good song and dance at any time outside the growing season does good.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Ian W (U8604472) on Thursday, 2nd December 2010

  Thanks for the reassuring messages. I look forward to a bumper crop next year!!

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