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I have six Locust Tree saplings (PsuedoAcacia) which I grew from seed, last March, and are now 5 - 6 ' tall.
They are still in the large planter pots that I grew them in, and have been meaning to put them into the ground, but have been too busy, with work & Life.
I live in Western Maine, and we are just starting to get freezing temps overnight, with 40's to 50's in the daytime.
Is it too late to transplant these sapplings into the ground, and would they 'root' in the coming colder weather???
I don't want to loose them, after nurturing them from seed, you know?
I'd LIKE to get them into the ground, but I could store them in my girlfriends sunny, warm basement with good sun from her windows.
Now should be a great time actually. Ideally you'd do it when the trees are in a state of dormancy but ground isn't frozen, so either late fall or early spring.
With that said, I transplant nearly all times of the year, just avoiding really hot weather or when ground is frozen. Just takes more babying if you do it during active growth period.
I'd say go for it. Your trees will be happier in the ground than in a pot. Once transplanted just be sure to give them a soaking of water and try not to disturb the roots too much.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I agree, if they survived last winter in the pots they should do fine in the ground, which provides them more protection. Before a hard freeze you might mulch around the root balls for some extra protection.
Make sure you protect your trees from bucks hooking them with their horns. If you get all the bark stripped they will die. It is that time of year and the buck can be destructive. They make plastic guards or you could just put fence around them until they are large. But; perhaps you live in an area without too many deer?
All good advice so far. I'm nor sure I'd water them, tho, if they are in fact dormant: it won't help if they're dormant and it might freeze and damage the little roots.
To protect the bark from deer & rodents, use that long, tubular foam used for pipe insulation-- split up the side, it fits right on and then use tape to secure it a little-- just take it off in the spring so moisture doesn't collect & grow mold.
I have 100 seedlings that I will be planting in the next month. I always prefer planting mid October through December. I plant evergreens and I live in Oregon. The only time I won't plant is in the dead of summer when we have our hottest temps. I water well the first summer my trees (or anything) are in the ground. After that I become lackadaisical about how much water they get.
Works for me, but I don't know about Maine.
Well, there is quite a temp difference between Mane and Oregon...
Inland Maine could have a snowstorm this coming weekend; they are even getting snow right now. The Weather Channel is calling for a possible Nor'easter that will leave accumulations where the OP lives. This might play a roll in whether or not they transplant this coming weekend. Their nighttime temperatures are also going below freezing, especially for the next week, so the ground will be hard in the morning. After that it is possible that it might warm up enough? It is a fight against time for inland Maine this time of year.
Make sure you protect your trees from bucks hooking them with their horns. If you get all the bark stripped they will die. It is that time of year and the buck can be destructive. They make plastic guards or you could just put fence around them until they are large. But; perhaps you live in an area without too many deer?
This happened to one of my young trees last month. Stripped the bark off about a 2ft long section, about half to 2/3 around the trunk. What do you think chances are it survives? A month later it still looks okay. I'm guessing next spring/summer will be the real test.
Planted three tree late in October last year they did great. It's a perfect time to do it.
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