Are you planning to train trees open center or central leader? I agree with the second response, although i don't use clothespins but I assume it's a fine method of training shoots to wide angle branches. I happen to like the added control of using spreaders second season if spreading is needed. Some varieties naturally produce branches with the desired angle. For me, the most important part of training a productive, early fruiting tree is to only remove branches more than a half or a third the diameter of trunk at point of attachment and doing this as soon as possible. More vigorous varieties you use the 1/3rd rule. Remove very little else until tree begins to bear fruit. Pinching competing buds, as mentioned, to maintain the dominance of the leader, is something I also do when trees are at your stage. I rarely cut back the height of bare root trees as is often suggested. I really fail to see the point- especially if you are in deer country and want to get the tree above the browse line as soon as possible. The exception is when you need to develop low branches.

These are difficult days for those who grow under lights. My thought is that if you plan to move them back inside for colder weather then it is probably better to leave them inside. They are going to need to harden off by being in the shade for the next few days, so although they will be receving more light than inside, this is unlikely to be a big boost. The alternative is to take them outside with idea of somehow protecting them during the cold periods as diggingthedirt describes. Since you are in Zone 5, this would go on for a long time and one bad day of forgetfulness could be disasterous. In the past, I have usually just waited till close to my last frost date and then just put things out with the idea that I might have to ferry many trays of seedlings into the garage for the night. However, this year, I made more of an effort to move my cold hardy broccoli,onions etc out early and plant them early. Then it occurred to me that I might be able to move some items (annual that are supposed to like cool weather and perennials seedlings) out now. I just did this today, but will have to keep an eye on them. As I said, this is a difficult transition period. My main reason for doing this is that although I added a 5th grow light, the space is very crowded, plants are far from all being centered under the lights. I don't use those cell trays because of the varying germination and growth styles of plants. I start most of my seeds in small flats that I inherited from my mother(about the size of the smaller six-packs that you get at nurseries). Since I don't have enough of these I have improvised by re-purposing similar containers. They go inside a plastic bag and only go under grow lights as those particular seeds germinate. Then when they get their first leaves and get potted up, I transfer them to an odd assortment of recycled six packs, small peat pots, small pots that I have collected over the years and small yogurt cups that have holes drilled in the bottom. I keep like with like. Does this solve the problem of creating the right conditions for each type of plant? Sort of. Up to a point. The problem of course is that although I aim to keep tall plants together, and raise one end of the grow lights to accommodate them, I end up sticking plants that are a bit too short in adjacent to them. When you are trying to squeeze pots into every last space there is no perfect system.

DTD I don't want to be on working on bare garden soil for extended periods b/c compaction, but a nice leafy spongy surface would be fine. Could also put down a board to stand on to spread the weight a bit. Katy, when I first began gardening I kept a journal, and enjoyed referring to it in subsequent years. I learned there's variability and not to 'panic' when blooms and leaves were running late. I had the evidence of how many plants I killed and discarded. But I didn't really use it for a lot of future planning. I feel so inadequate about that, putting things together...the needs present when I'm out in the garden then I just feel overwhelmed. If I only had my husband at my beck and call every day all day.....or, lacking that, a head gardener.... I got a notice from Weston Nurseries about sales for their "preferred customers" which I will be shortly after I arrive at their chelmsford location tomorrow at 9 am. A $65 azalea for $15 and enkianthanis for 25$ insteadof 67. Worth the trip to "fill in" ....always, always filling, filling, filling..... are you? Marie

Pics would help others to help you. I'm in zone 7/8 and planted mine before a cold snap here too.. It took them awhile to get going (2+ weeks). But now after a few warm days they have started picking up. But they also haven't been eaten on to much. My first batch in beds rotted so I had to start over.... Would have to see pics to really help here's the size of mine planted about 3 weeks ago in ground These were planted around same time in beds