r/arboriculture • u/RageDeemz • 7d ago
Overwintering Maple Saplings
I planted a few silver maple (I think) seeds on a whim earlier this summer with my youngest as an opportunity to introduce her to the life cycle of plants. They were initially planted in some old plastic plug style pots, and potted up into these bigger pots a few weeks ago. What would I need to do to get these through the winter? I’m in southern Wisconsin (zone 5). Should they come inside? Stay outside - in their pots or in the ground? I am maybe looking at replacing a much larger maple that was rotted on the inside and came down last year - would a tree grown from a seedling such as this be a good replacement, and what do I need to consider when replacing a mature tree?
1
u/Naomi_grintots12 6d ago
I've had success using straw mulch and a cold frame to protect my maple saplings from harsh winters - worth trying for those struggling with winter damage
2
u/spiceydog EXT MG 7d ago
Most trees (unless you're in the tropics) require a period of dormancy to survive, and that's definitely true of this maple in WI. Your maple looks more like a red maple than a silver maple, based solely on the leaves visible here. It might help to see the parent tree to be sure.
If this is going to replace an already removed tree, you can certainly go ahead and plant this out in the fall. DON'T plant directly over the site of the old tree; plant adjacent to it. If your tree is in danger of being damaged or eaten by animals, here's some info on caging.
If you don't feel that planting this out this fall is an option, you can heel it in in a protected area somewhere, or you can bury the pot in mulch somewhere in a protected area, or keep the seedling in an unheated outbuilding (bonus if there's a window) for the winter. When you do plant, BE VERY SURE that you replant at the same depth at which the tree germinated. When in doubt, plant it high, or on a mound. Please see this wiki to learn more about why planting depth/root flare exposure is so vitally important, along with other critical planting tips and errors to avoid; there's sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.
If you haven't already, I encourage you to check in with your local state college Extension office for native plant/shrub/tree selections, soil testing and other excellent advice. This is a very under-utilized free service (paid for by taxes); they were created to help with exactly these sorts of questions, and to help people grow things with specific guidance to your area.