North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Kristina & Bruce" <herenorthere@lycos.com>]

Tom Olenia asked - Although the unheated garage offers a good place for 
winter storage, as the weather warms, the plants in there never fail to start 
spring growth too early.  They end up having leaves, long before it is safe 
to have leaves outstide.
>
I know some people start moving the plants outside and back inside, but is 
there a better solution?  Will the thawing and refreezing at this point in 
the season be too extreme, or is a shaded northern exposure fine?
>>

I think keeping plants dark is critical to avoiding premature leafulation.  
That way they have no idea winter has left.  I keep figs in a detached garage 
that has only one small north window.  And I wrap those figs in burlap, which 
further darkens their world.

Many people's potted figs leaf out too soon in garages, but my figs are 
always deeply dormant when I bring them out.  In fact, maybe too dormant.  
From numerous discussions, the major difference I see is my trees are kept in 
the dark.  But I haven't tried this with fruit other than figs.

Bruce Wittchen
1/2 mile outside Hartford, CT


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