storing trees?

[buckhunter10]

Ok I just ordered some chesnuts and oaks, and they have arrived at the house. I cannot plant them for a few weeks. What is the best way to store them?

Right now I am keeping them in the bathroom tub, dark room, and keeping the rootball moist. Anything else I need to do?

 

[Turkey Creek]

A few weeks is going to be a problem with that method. You should be keeping them in the coolest place you have and making sure the roots dont dry out. How many of them? If it is a small number I would probably pot them up in the short term in fabric pots that you can just plant pot and all later in the spring. Your fault or the nursery's that they were delivered too early?

 

[buckhunter10]

A few weeks is going to be a problem with that method. You should be keeping them in the coolest place you have and making sure the roots dont dry out. How many of them? If it is a small number I would probably pot them up in the short term in fabric pots that you can just plant pot and all later in the spring. Your fault or the nursery's that they were delivered too early?

Ok I can pot them and keep them in a cool dry place. I will be able to plant them the first week of March.

Not a huge number of trees just like 5-7.

My fault on this one, I forgot to put notes on the order to have them ship them in 2 weeks vs. right after the order.

 

[Turkey Creek]

If you are looking at less than 14 days then you can probably just put them in the cool spot, above freezing, and keep the roots damp. Oaks tend to be slower to break dormancy, cant speak to the Chestnuts. Sometimes it is even necessary to "sweat" oaks to get them to break dormancy.

 

[Brushpile]

Dig a shallow trench, place the roots in it and cover them with dirt. This is called heeling them in. The plants can be lifted out without digging.

 

[buckhunter10]

thank you all - I got them in the ground and they all looked great! Now just need to give them some 10+ years haha!