Hi thisisme, thanx for the response. I tried to follow the directions as closely as possible. I have even had a few conversations with a lady from that company, Cynthia was her name I think. The trees were cared for just as stated on their website in regard to their arrival. I wasn't able to plant them right away, so they were unboxed, and placed in upright with the roots still wraped as they were shipped in my garage. My soil in this area is quite sandy so I didn't feel the need to add additional sand to the mix. The water does not puddle when it does rain. If I fill up the area around the tree (fill the baracaded area built while planting) it is all drained within 15 min. Regular waterings are not conducted in this manner. I let my water hose trickle into the area around the trees. I have let my water hose trickle for up to an hour this past weekend and the soil seems to drain so fast the baracaded area never fills up. The hole that each tree was placed in was quite large. They were dug approx 2.5 - 3 feet wide, and several inches deeper than the root required. I then sorta loosely put dirt in the bottom of the hole that formed a cone shape. Then placed the roots down into this cone of loose dirt. I had a piece of pvc pipe that I used to measure across the top of the hole to verify that the depth was not below or above where the previous dirt line was on the trunk. I finished filling the hole and lightly tamped down with my foot. The folks at Willis instructed me last year that I was possibly over watering my trees, so this time around I tapered off the watering from every day to every 5-6 days this time. You thinking that I tapered off the watering too much? Would it be benificial to re-plant these trees using the Mycorrhizal Fungi? I did not use this a two to three weeks ago when I planted the trees.

If tree no. 2 is growing well in the container, then it has grown a good set of roots. You can plant it almost any time, and with a little coddling - not much more than the normal attention you should pay to a newly planted tree at any time - it should continue to do well. If you have it in shade at the moment, and the new spot is full sun, then start gradually acclimating it to more sun, just as you would harden off plants in the spring, increasing the exposure daily, over 3-5 days. Water well as you give it more sun. Once you have done that, plant away. If you can't adjust the sun exposure slowly, then make provision to give it a little more care once planted - maybe some shade for the first few days. Pay GOOD attention to watering - water the root ball for the first few weeks, and then spread the water over a wider area - water only when the top 2-3" of soil are dry, slowly and deeply, so it soaks to the bottom of the roots. The equivalent of an inch of rain per week is a good amount to strive for - adjust the amount/frequency of watering as the rainfall dictates. Mulch it well - as widely as possible, no deeper than 4", and no mulch in the 2" or so next to the trunk. You could also wait to plant it, but, it's out of my expertise to say whether fall or spring would be better in your area. I'll let someone else say.

While it is certainly suggested to bare root or clean out as much old soil as possible when repotting into one of the fast draining mixes, I can only say that by my own experience, I have not found it to be critical to plant development OR more encouraging to root rots if you do not. And my experience is pretty extensive. I have been growing in containers for more than 25 years. Mostly trees, dwarf conifers and other woody plants. Several of my trees have been around for that entire time. And I also grow an extensive collection of houseplants, as well as seasonal crops and mixed annual and perennial plantings. And I will say again............by NOT bare rooting I have never lost a plant to root rot nor do my plants appear to be suffering in any way. They flourish and grow and produce well and when repotting, always have a very healthy and well-developed root system. The same considerations for bare rooting when working with container plants exists when planting in the ground. There will always a be a discrepancy between the texture and structure of the soil a plant was grown in, whether it be container grown or B&B, and the soil texture and structure of where it is to be planted And similar cases have been made that these should also be bare rooted before planting. You will find convincing arguments both for and against but very few accept and adopt the practice wholeheartedly. There are simply too many risks involved for the average gardener. Typically, just properly loosening the rootball and avoiding amending the backfill (using only indigenous soil) is enough of an adjustment to allow for proper root development and the adequate percolation of water through the soil profile(s). And making sure the rootball is well hydrated before planting. In addition to my many years of successful container growing without bare rooting, one of the factors that has convinced me this practice is not absolutely necessary is the fact that most quality wholesale growers of containerized plants - the trees and shrubs that I favor to collect - have long realized the benefits of growing in bark based mixes, for much the same reasons we hobby gardeners do. The textural quality resists collapse or compaction, they are fast draining and they allow for healthy root development. In short, the nursery container mixes are very similar in content and structure as to the 5-1-1 mix, negating any overwhelming need to remove a hugely disparate soil mix by bare rooting. I won't tell anyone not to bare root - that is their choice, as is the soil mix they use or their method of fertilization. All I can I do is relate my experience based on my many years of gardening, both in containers and in the ground. Understanding the plant and its needs and understanding the soils you are working with are paramount. If you have these factors well under your belt, then you can make whatever adjustments you might deem necessary.

To Bill of MN: It is now planted!, mulched it more then 2 ft wide 2"deep, didn't bury the trunk at all. Picture attached. I'll do a progress report by Fall 2023 at the latest. To Ken of Adrien MI: No, there is no downside, this helps me to learn, it will be fun watching it change. This is my first year growing fruit trees and vegetables, so I'm all for hands on learning. Since late April, I've planted an Ayer Pear, a Black Ice Plum, a Toka Plum, a Chicago Hardy Fig, 2 Thornless Blackberry, a June Yellow Plum (didn't survive), Nikita's Gift Persimmon (under the union side shoots survived), 2 Golden Currant, plus a lot of vegetables. If I wasn't in zone5b, I would have planted a Mango tree also. Thanks to you all, much appreciated. .