{Disarmed} Re: OVERWINTERING IN ALASKA

Hi Ellen,

I guess we are in zone 1 here in North Pole. (just outside Fairbanks.) We know the cold days are coming, mostly because the daylight is so much shorter each day. We lose about 7 minutes of daylight a day until the winter solstice. Less sun means colder weather, usually. The high temps for today will be close to 40 but the frost doesn't thaw in the shade at this time of year.

We have native wild iris in the yard. They are almost indestructable. The cultivated iris are in a bed just in front of the native iris. We'll be sure to uncover them when most of the cold weather has gone for the season, around  late April in our area. We do get frost up through mid-June, but the plants should be able to survive that. The wild iris start to send up shoots in June.

Thanks for the information,

Pat

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Ellen Gallagher <ellengalla@yahoo.com>

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2006 12:42 pm

Subject: Re: [sibrob] OVERWINTERING IN ALASKA

> Hi Pat,
>
> My climate in the far White Mountains in New Hampshire is
> considered a USDA Zone 3 climate where
> the temps can get to -40 F (the coldest I have seen here is -42
> F). We had periods in the winter of 2004 where
> the high for over 2 weeks was -12 F. Last winter was warmer but
> the Siberian bloom was the same for both
> bloom seasons.. We have reliable snow cover all winter which is
> a boon for flowers in cold climates...white
> mulch.
>
> It sounds like your bark mulch is five inches above the
> Siberians. Do you have a rim around the 1" plant?
> You will need to uncover the bark mulch when the days start to
> warm up (as long as the snow is gone) so
> plant can get some sun. *This is in no book that I have read -
> just works for me. Winter losses of Siberians
> are negligible. I use pine needles to mulch both Siberians and
> Japanese irises.
>
> It sounds like you are doing fine surely better than me since I
> haven't cut mine back yet and it was only
> 24 F degrees this morning...snow can come at any time - look at
> Buffalo.
> Cheers,
>
> Ellen
>
>
> pat_cariati <cariati@mosquitonet.com> wrote:
> We planted about a dozen Siberians this spring. We
> bought them from a
> grower in Maine. Although we have some knowledge about their care
> during the growing season (the leaves just started to turn brown a
> week or two ago,)we aren't sure about protecting them during the
> winters in the Alaskan interior.
>
> The temperatures usually drop into the -40(F) to -60(F) range at
> least once every winter. We often have periods of below
> zero(F)that
> last as long as a month. Needless to say, the ground freezes down
> to
> about three feet each winter.
>
> We have mounded bark mulch over each plant to a height of about
> six
> inches at this point. The plants have been cut back to about an
> inch
> above ground level. The plants are already experiencing days when
> the
> frost covering them does not melt. Soon, all will be frozen in
> their
> beds.
>
> We are hoping that someone with experience with the Siberians in
> cold
> climates like ours can give us some pointers.
>
> Thank you,
> Pat
>
>
>
>
> __._,_.___

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