Bonsai Under Threat Of Snow
Well, usually snow is rather nice, but:
- Don’t underestimate it (that goes for any Sith lord, too)
- And, yes, we’re all special snowflakes, but snow builds up into something heavy and not so special
- Brush off large accumulations before it melts
- After it melts and refreezes, leave alone, or you can brush off twigs
- Too much snow can break branches…brush, brush…
- Take care brushing branches in very cold weather—even flexible plants become brittle
- If snow is frequent in your area, protect throughout the winter, i.e., in a greenhouse
- Perhaps relocate to avoid heavy falls (relocating the bonsai is another idea)
- Place bonsai on the ground in milder areas
- Snow is a good thing around a pot, as snow insulates roots to safe temperatures
Michael Hagedorn 
4 Comments
Here in Southwest Florida we are more concerned with a sunshine blizzard…going up to 83 today.
Stay warm and safe y’all…
Thanks Phil. We needed that.
So true Michael
Trees are protected for now. Very cold weather last 3 days, snow coming tomorrow and sunday. -7c here
I usually lose a few branches every year due to snow here, in Victoria. Best protection in my opinion is to place bonsai under a bench, directly on the ground. Shallow cardboard boxes, like the ones free from Costco, give additional protection from cold and wind, but also keep the bonsai pots reasonably clean over winter.
In several cases, when a branch was partially broken, I brought it back to its original shape and tied tightly together with rafia. After a couple of years the branch repaired itself quite nicely.
Mike, thank you for reminding us about snow problems and the remedies.