Best time to Plant baby trees?

School received from one of those supermarket voucher collections, approx 20 baby trees: cherry's, birch & rowans. They're all approx 1.5ft tall and are beginning to sprout leaves. Should I just get them planted asap or wait till warmer weather? Head teacher wants a copse, so I will be delayed a few days while they decide on location! Any ideas?

 

are they in pots or are the roots wrapped in some plastic foil containing a handful of soil.. or different?

 

Bare root or container grown?

Bare root ones have no soil around their roots when they are supplied. If they are bare rooted, they need to be watered and planted asap.

If they are in containers, its less urgent. As long as you keep them watered they'll be ok for a few weeks and you can plant them at your leisure, any time.

If wild rabbits (furry demons) are at large in your area, you will need to protect the young trees with plastic guards but in an urban setting, that's probably not necessary.

 

bare rooted - they were kept in a box indoors for weeks before someone gave them to me to deal with! their root balls are covered in plastic so I was able to water them straight away but we were due snow so i put them in the greenhouse these last 2 days. No rabbits - just children!!!! and footballs :( that's going to be my next challenge, keep them safe and unbroken!

 

Sorry, but that doesn't sound good. Bare rooted need planting within a week, and preferably less. Don't leave them in the greenhouse, too hot when the sun is out. Put them somewhere cool - frost-free garage for example. They don't need any light this time of the year, although if they are sprouting leaves it sounds as if they have been kept somewhere warm :(

If you can't plant them TODAY then you need to get them into pots TODAY. They are unlikely to be happy just keeping their roots moist on a by-hook-or-crook basis I'm afraid :(

FingersCrossed though

 

thanks they're going to be planted tomorrow morning as head teacher finally chosen position - i've warned that some/most may not survive!!! hey-ho - i just can't believe no-one told me when they arrived and just left them for weeks indoors... thanks for the advice.

 

Hi fair weather gardener,
if some of the little trees survive after planting, you best check regurlarly that the soil stays moist enough, esp. when we will get a dry spring. They will still be vulnerable in summer..

 

hi, yes i can see that this will be a regular task you know you can get plastic helta-skelta style sleeves to put on new plants, shall I use these???

 

If there is a chance that rabbits etc might eat them, yes.

 

Yes, that is a bit naughty. There'd be some falling out to be had if I was to plant some trees, and nobody told me they'd arrived weeks ago:(

I really hope your trees make it. Not just for you, but for all the kids at the school. Even the most hardened townie kid secretly appreciates watching new plants and trees grow, and to waste that opportunity just because someone couldn't be bothered to tell anyone that the trees had arrived, well that's the sort of thing I've been known to occasionally have a rant about.