Sea change VS my bonsai

[ness]

Hey guys, a question that has been really bugging me of late.
I'm considering moving North, to the gold coast.
I currently live in Melbourne, and I would like to take my trees with me.
I have a variety of species, of varying ages 10-30 year old trees.
95% of them are potensai, in 50 litre tubs and Styrofoam crates.
Just wondering if they could handle the sudden shift in climate?
Could I make this transition possible?
How?
Please, some theories and/or experiences
All considerations are appreciated!
Thank you.

[Bougy Fan]

I would think now would be a good time, or a few months ago. I would not want to move them in summer, as it can get quite hot up here in sunny QLD. You will notice how much better they grow up here, excepting some deciduous trees.

[ness]

I'd say you're right. Transport in the coldest part of the year, while they are in torpor.
Then gradually wean them into the climate, buy keeping them in shade at the beginning.
I know some of my tropicals will love the humidity,
But what of my black and red pines, japanese maple?
Will the deciduous trees have to be plucked yearly?
I have a Chinese corky bark elm that i've let grow into a tree, some of the years when it was about 2 foot tall, the Melbourne winters were mild, and the leaves never dropped.
Most leaves survived over 4 seasons, but they became very hard and woody unlike the seasonal leaves it normally got.

[wrcmad]

I have moved trees from Sydney up to here at all times of the year - never been a problem. I didn't really wean them at all.

I know some of my tropicals will love the humidity,
But what of my black and red pines, japanese maple?
Will the deciduous trees have to be plucked yearly?

Your tropicals will love it.
Black pines and red pines will do well.
White pines not so much.
Tridents are fine. Japanese maples can burn in summer, and watch for fungus due to humidity.
Chinese elms will grow like stink. I don't pluck mine, but they drop their leaves just before bud-burst every spring.

[Bougy Fan]

Chinese elms should be fine - mine usually lose their own leaves. Some of the more "exotic" deciduous trees don't do well up here - trees that need it to be very cold. You will most likely not have any autumn colour either.

[ness]

Thanks for the great replies guys! This makes my decision to move north heaps easier
Building a shaded garden area is no trouble at all!
Now I need to work out how to transport the buggers!

[shibui]

I think you all might be making a mountain out of a molehill here.
1. QLD is not that much hotter than Vic. More humid, but not much hotter. It is certainly less cold up there but we still get 40C days in summer. I think it is the lack of cold that makes it difficult to grow some temperate species and some will object to high humidity but the actual temperature won't worry them.
2. Don't go overboard with shade. Shade is detrimental to good growth with the trees we use as bonsai. Much better to get them used to as much sun as possible to get compact growth. Trees will adapt when changed from one location to another. Even if leaves get scorched the tree will grow another set that are better suited to the new conditions.

Commercial nurseries send plants north and south all the time without any complicated arrangements and the plants are ok.