Hi Suzi, Unfortunately this forum is rather on the dead side. Sounds like you found answers to your questions, and I don't know anything about So.CA LowDesert, but I'll give you some general answers, if only because I really don't want you to feel sad. Small trees and seedlings are easy to transplant. The best time to do it is around the end of winter, soon before they leaf out. Now, and for the next month is the perfect time where I live. If you're seeing budswell on your plants, then transplant them now. The key to transplanting is to bring along as many of the roots as possible. If the small weeping tree is being transplanted to elsewhere in the yard, do your best to keep the rootball intact, and plant it at the same depth that it's coming from. Have the new planting whole dug in advance to speed up the process and increase your chances of success. Mulch after planting and provide enough water over the summer that the root zone stays moist but not wet. If you (or your friends) will maintain the seedlings in containers, there are some additional factors to consider. At transplant, ideally you should bareroot them by soaking them in a tub of water and very gently removing the garden soil. Then transplant them into a good container soil. Don't let the roots dry out while you do this. Bagged container soils like Miracle Grow are not good container soils. A good place to learn more about good container soils is in the container plants forum. When you give them to your friends, be sure they know to keep them outside in a sheltered location, and provide water (but not too much) and fertilizer (but not too much). Again, any questions about these points and the container forum is a really good place to learn more. Alex

If you can locate some old storm windows , prop them up againt a southern-facing wall and stach plants underneath. i can start putting perennials and such out immediately. I have had my perennial seedling out on the patio in ols aquariums with glass laid across the top.they made it thru the snow and cold w/o problems. I put them out early MArch. will probably put my delicates out in a couple of weeks once I get my ""cold-frames"" emptied of the lettuce and perennials. If it looks like it is going to get too cold at night, I just drag the tenders in for the night or throw an old canvas tarpover the glass. have been doing this for years now the only thing I frosted were my loofa seedlings last spring. the plants grew but refused to even form any blossoms mary Mary

Hello! I am new to container gardening. Bought the seeds from Select Seeds and four out of five sprouted in less than a week! I did as was advised: poked a hole in the shell, soaked them in warm water overnight, and here they are (well, except for one)! The seedlings are about 3.5-4 inches now. I live in NJ, Zone 6b. I have a lot of questions and looking for advice, please. Is it time to transplant them into a big pot and take it outdoors, or they should stay in those lovely coffee cups for a while? Should they be transplanted first into a medium sized pot? How should I tend for them further on? I intend to grow them on the patio and overwinter in house (hope to keep them alive that long). Should I plant all of them in one container, or each one should go into its own pot? Thanks a lot in advance!

Next year if I plant more seeds I'll start them outside directly and just see how they do. We had such a very weird Spring this year for our area that I couldn't move anything outside til almost mid June. I did have several false starts, but we were a lot chillier than I can remember for a long time. I'm hoping for a longer growing season next year!