| Root death in trees isn't an all at once thing. The finest roots on Jap. maples start to die at temperatures around 25*, or even warmer. Increasingly larger and more lignified roots succumb to chill as the temperature drops, until at (industry accepted standard for Acer p's) around 14*, all roots are killed and the organism succumbs./ It's VERY unlikely you'll be able to protect the plant from killing low temperatures in your vehicle, & insulation only moderates the speed of temperature changes, it doesn't protect from killing highs or lows. Additionally, if low temperatures don't kill it, soil temperatures above about 45* will stimulate growth. Once the tree has begun growing, it will have lost nearly all it's ability to cope with any freezing temperatures and can be killed by temperatures at or just below the freezing point. Trying to over-winter in a vehicle is not a viable option. I would ask a friend to allow you to over-winter it in an unheated garage. Set the plant on the floor & cover it with an overturned cardboard box to guard against the night when your friend leaves the door open & it's below 0 outdoors. The overturned box will trap geothermal heat & hopefully prevent the extreme lows that will assuredly kill the tree. Do remember to toss a little snow on it from time to time so the soil doesn't dry completely. Damp, but not wet is what you're aiming for. You could also bury the container against the north elevation foundation of a heated building & mulch it heavily. Wrap the top in burlap to help prevent dessication if you employ this strategy. Al |
