I would suggest critter guards AFTER you stick 'em in the ground if that is a concern. Mulch an inch or two after planting. No freeze worries in your zone if you do it soon. Gonna take the soil a while to get that cold for an extended period of time.

Nike those babies!

John

Thanks...

What kind of critter guards? And what exactly do you mean by "Nike those babies"

You can get browse deterrent wrap/tubing at both lowes and hd among others.

Nike - 'Just do it' as in plant them without worry ;)

You have to remember that nature let's them sprout and then leaves them out all winter just fine. The fact that you sprouted them in a pot versus the ground is not significantly different in terms of native oaks.

its kinda late to be planting them permanently ...

but i do like the idea of 'healing them in' .... just slipping them out of the pot.. and letting ma nature take care of them for winter ...

i would do such.. on the north side of my house.. within a foot or two ... should keep the larger vermin .. deer .. rabbits away ...

i would simply dig a foot or two trench... deep as the pots... pull off the pot.. stick the rootball in the round.. fill back in ...

north side keeps them out of winter sun.. which they dont need.. since they have no viable leaves ...

ken

I don't know Ken, I doubt Nashville soils freeze for more than a couple weeks in January most years. I would think they would be fine in a permanent location if planted in the next week or two. Heck BnB stock is not dug around here until the beginning of November. I am picking up some BnB stuff next weekend that will go straight into the ground.

John

IMHO, now is the ideal ti me to plant those babies in the ground. Soil temsp are still very mild, the weather has had some cool nights, but it is hardly cold at this point. I bet yous 4" soil temperature is still well in the 50's if not near 60 degrees. Plant those babies, and don't worry about it.

Arktrees

Yes, now is an ideal times to plant them in their permanent location. Hardy woody plants can be planted in this area any time between mid fall and early spring. The ground doesn't freeze deep enough in Tennessee any more to really put a damper on planting (as long as you can get the shovel into the ground).

i have no problem deferring on z6 planting times ....

but that was not my real point ....

i am picturing this tree.. smaller than a pencil ... and how you protect them in 8 separate locations around the garden ....

my point was .. all grouped together.. protection is easy ....

and then there is the winter dryness ... if applicable... can you keep these SIX INCH BABES properly watered all winter long???? ... or would they be better protected otherwise ....

are you z6'ers ... suggesting that a 6 month old.. 6 inch tree.. is equivalent to a pot grown or ball and burlap.. tree of say 3 to 5 years old .... 3 to 5 feet tall ... ????

though i usually lecture peeps that plants are not their babies ... in this case.. THESE ARE LITERALLY BABIES ... and i will stick to protecting them .. this winter ...

if you plant .. get rid of any media.. bare root and plant in native soil ....

do you have snow cover all winter?????

good luck

ken

ps: best solution.. experiment .... plant 4 .. store 4 .... see what happens ....

I'd plant them now, too. Much less stress on the plants, which won't have to be watered NEARLY as carefully during the winter as they will if planted in the spring.

jowall, I'd protect them from deer and rabbits, if you have those in your neighborhood. Also, rodents such as voles and squirrels can strip away bark during the winter.

i would also put a big marker.. so they are not stepped on ...

ken

Thanks to everyone... 2 questions:

1. Any suggestions for how I can easily protect the trees while in the ground? I'm thinking something will need to be all around the sides and then on top as well. Correct?

2. Somehow, one of the water oaks had its leader cut off... probably the top 2-3 inches off of a 7-8 inch tree. Is it permanently damaged, or will it bounce back?

1. Depends on what kind of things you have to protect if from. Do you have (or even have the possibility of having) deer or beaver in the area? I use wire cages (no need for tops, in most cases) to protect my trees from the deer and beaver.

2. It'll sprout a new leader and keep right on growing.

I have used the guards at the link to protect seedling oaks. (Q robur). I collected acorns in my wood and grew replacements to fill an area where Japanese Knotweed had been killed off. I planted them out in their second year from seed i.e. about 1 foot tall. We get grey squirrels and roe deer and this type of guard works well against both if you choose the right height. Roe deer will stand up on their back legs to browse so although they are not that tall they can stretch to over 6 feet. So I had tiny little trees way down the bottom of a long mesh tube. The oaks are now well over my head and popped out at the top of their guards long ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tree guards