Planting bare root tree

Leif

I received a bare root dwarfing quince yesterday, wrapped in straw and plastic. It went in the garage overnight, and is now in the porch, at about 5C. The temperature outside is below zero at night, and the soil is frozen. What should I do?

Ideally the tree needs planting, but the soil looks like it will be frozen for at least a week, maybe a lot more.

I've toyed with the idea of using warm water to thaw the turf, cutting away the turf, using more warm water, and then digging out a large hole, mixing in compost, and planting. Perhaps the warm water will make it too muddy, and could be applied to the soil after digging and composting, before putting the tree in. Or should I just dig the soil, or wait till the temperatures rise?

Mojisola

It will be fine as it is, wrapped in straw. It's in suspended animation at the moment and will be alright to keep until this cold snap has passed.

Leif

Thanks. Presumably the roots will need no water for 2 weeks, as that looks how long the snow will last?

Mojisola

It's better if the roots don't actually dry out but if you keep the straw round them, they should be alright.

If you think they are getting too dry, a quick mist over will be fine. The tree won't be transpiring without leaves so it won't be losing water that way.

Ectophile

Don't let the roots dry out, as that can kill them. Small seedling trees are usually supplied in plastic sacks to keep them moist, so wrapping the root ball of your tree in plastic may help.