Is it safe for a Shimpaku Juniper Kishu to change climate’s drastically

Beginners
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I am receiving a new tree soon. It is coming from a climate where the temperatures are currently between 50 and 70. My temps over the next few days will be in the 20-30s. Maybe a little less at night. I live in an apartment so I don’t have access to a garage. All I have is a small 3 shelf greenhouse on my deck. I have a local bonsai garden that I can use for boarding if needed. I know these trees are fairly hardy when it come to cold weather but my concern is that the tree isn’t used to temperatures this low. Is it safe to introduce it to my environment so drastically?

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It is going to come down to 2 main things I would say.

  1. Is it pushing any new growth already? If yes then you dont want it in freezing temps.

  2. What is the roots situation? Is it in a nursery pot or a bonsai pot already? Is it in organic soil or non organic soil? Based off of those would effect how cold your roots will be able to handle without being in dormacy.

Is the cold stretch just for a couple days then u will be above mid 40s or do you have a couple more weeks of winter still? If it just a couple days you could probably be ok to keep it in the apt.

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I’m not sure if it’s showing new growth currently. I’ll know soon though. It’s an established tree * over 20* in a bonsai pot. It’s in a 3 part mix of akadama, pumice, and lava. These temps should last a few days and then bounce back into the high 30s and 40s during the day. My concern is nighttime temps falling below freezing for the next few weeks. I may just play it safe and have the tree in boarding until early spring.

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4

I would lean to keeping the tree safe. Keep it above ~40F.
From experience, more than twice…, I have put non-accumlated / greenhouse trees outside into 25F temps and killed them. They have not slowly cooled down and acclumated to the temps, ie - stored sugars for winter antifreeze… These WERE indoor potted christmas pines that should have been safe at freezing temps.
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Next fall, leave them outside to do their thing.
My five shimpakus are currently outside, under a lean-to tarp covered storage. The soil temps are about 25F… (I monitor them…) Going to be about 7F tonight. Been doing this for more than 10 years, doing fine.
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BonsaiOn!

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Thanks for the reply KurtP. Sorry for the delayed response. I contacted the seller and he said that the tree had been exposed to temperatures under 30 a couple times throughout the winter and that it should be fine from anything in the mid to higher 20s. I thought the temperatures where he was were warmer in the winter. The Shimpaku came from NC. Ive decided to just bring the tree into an unheated room in my apartment during cold night under 25. Temps should be warming up here in Connecticut soon!

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