Dormancy heartiness

[schloaty]

Hi Everyone,
Just found this quote in an article from astronomy.com:

Quote[/b] ]In 1893, English astronomer Edward Walter Maunder brought something to the world’s attention: Between 1645 and 1714, astronomers reported almost no sunspot activity. This solar funk, which has not been repeated, came to be called the “Maunder minimum,” and it coincided with the coldest part of the Little Ice Age in Europe and North America. That period of global cooling started around 1300 and lasted several centuries.

If North America was in a mini Ice Age, as they say (anyone know the actual average temps at the time?), then I am of a mind to try some of my extras (sars, vfts) with little or no mulching. What do you guys think? No chance for survivors? I'm in Zone 5.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

In Upstate NY? With no mulch? With our winters?

Make sure they really are extra plants Dave! We hit -20F here in Oswego every winter. *I* barely return from dormancy, let alone the plants.

 

[schloaty]

HEY! I'm NOT upstate! (we get all bent out of shape when the NYC and Long Island folks call us upstate).

Heh, I know what you mean. It was a baaad winter. Thankfully it was a beautiful spring!

 

[scottychaos]

As an experiement, last winter I left a pot of sarrs outside on my balcony all winter..no protection except a thick layer of snow.
they werent always covered in snow, sometimes they were in the open air..I just left them there in October when I put all the rest of my plants in the fridge.. (5 or 6 plants in a group container..they were plants from the PFT "grab-bag"..mostly Judith hindles and tarnoc's..all "southern" sarrs..)
Rochester, NY.
there were no survivors.
Scot

 

[schloaty]

Erk! In a pot? Yikes. Most native plants won't live through that. I was thinking of sinking the pot into the ground and just not mulching. I'll only do this with extras....well, and the purpurea ssp purpurea.