If you can dig in your soil, plant it. Water it as needed - probably not much after the initial, soil-settling dose until it starts to grow, but keep an eye on, and a finger testing, the soil in the root ball - water if it is dry. Mulch as widely as you can - at least 3', but more is better - no deeper than 4", and put no mulch in the inch or so next to the trunk. If your soil is still frozen, then keep it somewhere cool, so it doesn't break dormancy early, but where it won't freeze hard. Keep the root ball damp, but not soggy. Plant it as soon as you can dig your soil - it will do better in the ground than staying in the pot. Keep it watered as needed - when the soil is dry 2" or so down - over the summer, and into next year. I would do no pruning until it has been in the ground for the summer, and probably not 'til next spring - the more leaves it has, the more roots it can grow over the summer. You want to prune it to a vase shape - get a book on home orchards and see what it has to say about pruning fruit trees, and especially peach trees. You don't prune fruit trees as you prune ornamentals - you are looking for the best fruit growth, not the most attractive tree, so it is a bit different. It will take a few years for it to grow up enough to flower and fruit - at least 2, maybe 5. I don't know if that cultivar will need a pollinator or not - you may have to get another peach tree to plant near it.

Hi Roberta... Your question is good..however...us "pros" use plug trays in many ways. FIrst, it depends on the size of the plugs...for instance, I use 501's- that means there are 501 tiny cells per tray. Those would be for things with super tiny seed...begonias, petunias ect. It is unlikely you are using those though. There are many, many sizes. My guess is you have 72's or, perhaps 35's. Does not really matter..the answer to your question about soil is what you need. Use the BEST stuff you can find, a soiless mix (all peat based). The best thing you can do is pop into a greenhouse and ask if they will sell you a bag of their mix(it is a commercial blend sold to growers, many different brands). It should cost you about 15-20 dollars. It will be a big bag, not to worry, you will use it all. They may also only have it as a compressed bale...'bout 35 bucks. The soil you use in a plug tray is the most important thing. Yes, plug trays are easier to use and save a lot of space. The top-notch soil mix will pay off in everything you plant. It is very worth your time to find this stuff. BTW..yes, there are specific mixes that can be bought for plug production but you do not need this. You need the all purpose greenhouse mix. Your other question...I used to live in Rockford and was a grower there too. I got smart and moved to the land of sun (TEXAS!) but I remember well the schedual for perennials. I assume you plan to sell them as green plants. If you had a greenhouse it would not be to early to plant but since you are doing this in your house, the light levels will be way to low and your seedlings will probably stretch and be a sickly mess in very short order. If it were me, I would wait until March or so to get started. This way you can at least be moving your trays out into better light on warm days. A better way is to start your seedlings in the mid-summer and winter them over (once dormant, a garage will do pretty well to protect them). As spring comes around, you simply bump them up to a bigger container and you will have blooming plants to sell (at much higer prices). Growing stuff in Illinois is frustrating this time of year- even when you have a greenhouse. The quality of light is just so poor. I hope this helps a little....your questions are actually rather big and I know I only have touched on the answers. Hang in there- Tim

If you have a very cool place such as a basement or cellar, the daffies should be fine. Refrigeration is used when the planting zone is actually too warm for proper stratification, or to delay development or sprouting. Look on the label to see if the producer has had them under refrigeration - if it doesn't say, they weren't. You don't have to wait until fall to plant, the bulbs can go into a prepared bed now. The worst that will happen is that they will sprout some leaves... and you might want to put a fluffy mulch over those leaves after frost, although if you don't mulch and it does freeze hard, those leaves will die back --- and the bulb will try again next spring. Most daffies are very determined to bloom in the spring, thus they send up someleaves to check the weather, before sending up the blooming stem. If you wish to add bulb food to their planting area, they will really like it, although you can wait until spring to spread it. Very, very important is that their soil have good drainage... they will struggle in clayey soil and thrive in sandy soil. If the soil *is* clay, put a couple inches of crushed oyster shells or coarse sand under the bulbs when planted. That will provide drainage for several years, and you will probably have to lift and divide the bulbs just about the same time the shells or sand need replenishing. Read the link for general info, and enjoy the daffies! Here is a link that might be useful: daffy info

You will need a mix with low water retention. No peat. Never water these on a schedule or they will just split and die like Lithops. The leaves shrivel a little and get soft when they need water. Don't let them stack up too many pairs of leaves. Watering every week is probably be too much. Depends on your exact conditions. Moisture meter does not help at all with these. And watering when bone dry is not a good guide either. A succulent plant does not need water when the soil is dry, This is a big misconception. It needs water when it needs water. Just like a person, if the glass in front of you is empty it doesn't mean you are dehydrated. You fill it up and drink it when you are thirsty. Not being difficult here - just my tips based on growing my own. As Dinie mentioned above from my comments in the other thread, these are pickier plants to grow. It gets easier when you start to figure them out!