“protects young or newly planted trees from severe, sub-zero temperatures, preventing bark cracking, sunscald, and winter dehydration. Using breathable materials like burlap or white, reflective tree guards acts as insulation against harsh winds and extreme cold, ensuring the tree survives its first few winters,” Forgive the google search, I just woke up a bit ago xD
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Hmmm, dang, sounds like meader would require some early thinning then. But I’d also like to attempt to possibly grow some new trees one day too xD
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I guess I could see burlap providing some protection from light frost. I struggle to understand how it will do anything at -20 for hours (days) on end though?
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I sprayed on WiltPruf this past Fall to help provide protection against desiccation overwinter – and considering the colder Winter this year, I’m glad I did. I don’t think the burlap would protect the tree by holding in the heat like it might for one of us out in the cold weather, but it could help against desiccation and sunscald.
WiltPruf is just sprayed on the bark, or what?
I spray shellac on new grafts to prevent desiccation.
I think it’s a bit more protection from sun and fast changing high and low winter temps like we usually have here in wisconsin. xD Consistent negative temps up to a point won’t be a problem because supposedly they’re ok down to -35ish as far as I’ve seen.
I am really interested in seeing some ripe persimmons from 4b areas of MN, WI, and ME in the future.
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me too!
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I remain incredulous but hopeful of such a thing.
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My prior attempts in 5a/4b leave me beyond dubious, but I’d love to find out it can be done.
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I have ones that have been in the ground for 8 years or more and are starting to finally grow. Our climate is more mild because of feet of snow and the great lake then you fellas have on the plains for sure. It’s whether they’ll be enough season to ripen fruit, rather than just be landscaping trees. I guess it’s possible they could go for a few more years and fizzle out, but the way they’re growing I doubt it. If I lived where the ground froze as hard as a stone every winter I doubt they’d make it. The ground here pretty much never freezes, unless it’s cleared of snow. I guarantee right now if I wanted to go outside and dig earthworms I could do it. I would have to tunnel down a ways, and the snow would constantly want to fill up the hole.
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I’ve had several springs when I couldn’t get a shovel 2” in the ground in my swamp on Memorial Day weekend. Feet of frost in the ground is the norm. One year maybe 7 or 8 years ago 6’+ deep water lines were freezing all over the state.
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It’s amazing how the snow coming thick and early makes a big difference. Here oftentimes it doesn’t freeze beyond an inch or two. I have figs planted outside that are still alive after our cold snap this winter, and one that survived last winter as well. If we get a cold winter where snow doesn’t come that would probably be all she wrote. But I don’t foresee that happening as long as Lake Superior is around
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It really shows the limits of the zone ratings system. The system just cannot take into account other important climatological features such as moisture, air humidity, snow cover, wind exposure, temperature swings, ect. Really the great plains are significantly harsher then in the immediate area of the great lakes or much of New England. Average winter lows, although mildly helpful in some regards, are only somewhat significant in determining climate challenges a grower will face. Even though our air temperature might get down in the negative 20s, I would consider you guys on the great plains to be significantly colder in all regards, and several growing zones below us in actual practical winter severity, especially when coupled with your average drier growing conditions.
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Yup. That’s why I grow what I know can survive and produce fruit. I’ve seen apples and crabapples all the way north to Int. Falls. Not all varieties can survive and produce, but many can. Pears are definitely “iffier” and take forever to produce fruit, but even some of them will make it well north of me.
I’d love to hear persimmons can grow and produce fruit in central (or even far SE) MN, I just really doubt it. I’m too old to mess around trying it, but I hope somebody younger will try it.
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It’s fair to say with the changing climate, it is going to become increasingly more common over the next few decades.
Yeppers. You know I think another elephant in the room with persimmons is that they are often really polarizing. I know a lot of people who basically just don’t care for them. I had a friend once say even after eating a good one that the texture made him think of atrophied eyeballs. I like them myself, but they tend to be rich and it is easy for me to be quiet sated for a while after eating a couple. Then there are the visuals: nasty when most beautiful and rich and gooey-sticky when best. Often their flavor tends to linger for a long time afterwards which some people very much dislike. Then there are the strange things that happen most of the time when you try to cook with them. They are not for everybody for sure, much like bletted apples. Some of us really enjoy them, but they definitely have limitations.
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Your climate may be changing. Not so much in central MN. I’ve only lived in MN since 2012 and I got to experience one of the coldest winters on record for the last century. My zone rating has not been changed like many areas. About every 3rd winter we get 3b low temps. My place is considered 4a.
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I’ve only tried persimmons a time or two. They aren’t for me. My interest in growing them was for deer food/attractant.
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