First, I would strongly suggest you don't buy anymore :-) I think you would just be wasting your money. The perennial roots (unless properly stored, which I seriously doubt) are most likely desiccated and lifeless. Even under the best of conditions, this is not an optimum way to sell hardy perennials and they tend to have a rather narrow shelf life. Same with most of the other bulbs I can distinguish. Many of these summer flowering bulbs are not hardy and need to be dug for winter storage anyway. When they have been sitting for months after their intended planting time, the bulbs lose vigor and are unable to replenish their reserves without the ability to produce normal seasonal growth. Some - the lilies, for instance - never go fully dormant and are best not stored for any length of time at all, let alone 6 or more months. I'm not saying none of them will grow but do not expect much. Sometimes bargains are not really bargains at all and bare root or bulbs held for an extended period of time after their normal planting time would fall into that category :-)) My suggestion would be to pot them up and grow them on for the rest of the season, then store overwinter as appropriate. Research by plant as to its hardiness for your area and treat accordingly.

Reading this thread makes me all the more upset with our puppy who pulled out two of our three watermelon vines (among many other garden growth). Each vine she pulled out at the end of June had two or three softball sized watermelons!! ediej1209, we have one vine left with one melon similar in size to yours chugging away. Reading this I'm feeling lucky to have that at least! None of the books I've ever read has listed puppies as a garden pest but she's the worst we've encountered yet! :)

You should be able to plant all winter in your location. The soil will stay a lot warmer than the air, and roots continue to develop and establish much of the winter. It's quite incorrect to think that the roots of woody trees and shrubs (or much of anything) stop growing in the fall and winter. Even deciduous trees that are fully dormant should be planted in the fall/winter in your climate. The roots will grow! You probably have several months of establishment time ahead of you, until the soil gets cold enough at root level to slow down growth. By that time, unless your trees are extremely large, they should be fully established. As a matter of fact, fall is THE ideal time for planting in warm climates. The top growth slows down so that the plant can concentrate on root development. It's a good thing. It used to be common knowledge; I wonder why it isn't anymore. Your trees should be well established by the time hot temperatures roll around in the spring of next year. The last thing you want your new trees to experience is bud break, new growth, and hot temperatures on a root system that isn't developed yet. Be sure to follow proper planting methods...dig the hole no deeper than is needed for the rootball to sit at soil grade or higher....but two to three times wider. Do NOT add soil amendments of any kind into the hole or mix with the backfill. Use the native soil. Mulch with a 2 to 3 inch layer of something organic like pine straw, bark chips, etc. but do not pile the mulch up against the trunk. Be sure to keep the root ball watered and moist. Fall is the time for planting in all warmer climates. Actually, this is true for anyplace where the soil doesn't freeze solid. Don't trust information you get from HomeDepot. Once year, I over heard a clerk telling a customer that she could plant the cut Christmas tree she had just purchased in the ground after the holidays. A CUT Fraser Fir! Lordy.

The root system, as with the vast majority of all plants, including most trees, is not deep - generally in the top 12-16" of the soil - but could be quite wide, depending on the size and age of the shrub. Obviously, to retain the maximum health and vitality of the plant, you want to take as much of the rootball as possible when you transplant. And transplanting is just as simple as it sounds - you dig it up and you plant it in a new location :-) Ideally, you would want to do this while the plant is relatively dormant - late fall in mild climates, mid spring in colder ones. Dig the hole in the new location first and water the plant well after planting and throughout the first growing season after the move.