Overwintering potted Cherry / Pomegranate fruit trees

General Fruit Growing
#1

Hi All,

Last year, I brought Redsilk pomegranate to the garage a bit too early (mid-oct). The garage is unheated no-light, winter temperature is between 32F-55F(?). The pome woke up immediately and started leave out. In this spring, when I bought it outside all the new leaves are fired, luckily it seems recover ok.
This year with sweet cherry blackgold & whitegold, I probably need to be more careful.

  • When will be the best time to bring them into an unheated garage?
  • Assume cherry and pome are different, since they have different chill requirements. Is this a true statement?
  • Should I try to let cherry accumulate chill hours before bring it in? Will the sudden increase of temperature wake them up?

I am in zone 7b, urban city.

Comments and suggestions are very much welcomed

Thank you

#2

If you could plant the cherry pots, that would be better. I just brought my plants in the garage today. In zone 6a. Lows at night are in the mid-twenties, so it’s time. Sunday night the low is 18F. Soon temps here will never be above freezing day or night. We do have a warm spell coming in about 7 days, I’ll leave the garage open till well after dark or when we hit freezing temps, I’ll close. Open it in the morning. So as you say it doesn’t get too warm in there. I guess maybe mid-December for you will be the time to start bringing them in. The sweet cherries would do better if you could plant the pots. I have an in ground White Gold, a very nice tree! Photos of it are in the
White Gold sweet cherry KGB pruned thread.

#3

In zone 7B you might be better off putting them against the south side of your house and covering the pots in mulch.

Is your handle an Infinite Jest reference?

#4

Thank you all for the tip. Unfortunately, planting the pot is not an option for me. Where we live are too much concrete jungle.

So if I can generalize into rules: When the night time temp hit the freezing, it’s the time to put them into garage. Making sure indoor temp is not too high. I will install a thermometer to monitor. Is there a rule of thumb what the indoor temp should be to keep them in dormant state?

Drew,
Your Whitegold looks great! I wish we have enough space for in ground cherry KGB pruned. Currently mine are on Gi5 in 10 gallon pot and trained following SSA method from MSU. Not great looking tree individually. Plan was keeping them on dolly, so I can move them quickly to garage to hide from rain in fruit ripening season. :smile:

SMC_zone6,
I am not aware of infinite Jest. Just coincidence.

#5

I would leave the cherries outside, along the north wall of the house. I do that with most of my potted trees. Pomegranates would go into my garage as late as possible- late Dec usually for me. Maybe a bit earlier for Drew. It isn’t forecast to get under 28 for the next 10 days here and the lowest it has gotten so far is 26. I’m still picking apples and the occasional raspberry.

#6

Hi Bob,
Interesting. Why the north wall of the house? Can you clarify?

Thanks

#7

Below 45F to keep dormant. Above 28F to avoid freezing soil in pots. But they could probably take somewhat colder.

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#8

I use the north wall to avoid temperature swings. There is also a small overhang there for me, which helps keep a bit of the heat, though it does mean that I need to water a few times each winter.

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