Our
backyard had so many maple saplings (only 1" to 6" or so), that we needed to get rid of them, but we didn't want to kill them - we wanted
to preserve them. So we got a whole bunch of small plastic pots for
planting, that way we can give them away or replant them somewhere else.

BUT -- When we were putting them in those pots, my mother had the crazy
idea of pulling them out carefully and keeping as much of the root as possible
WITHOUT a dirt ball. Literally, bare roots. And then putting them in pots
with new soil. I knew this wasn't a good idea, but I'm not a plant expert, so I
didn't say much. I tried planting mine WITH a dirt ball attached if I
could, but most of the trees were planted by her with her method...

We have 40 saplings, and 1 tree that's probably over 2 feet currently.
That big one was very hard to get - because its roots were UNDER the
leftover stump of a very large pine tree that fell due to lightning about a year ago. We tried preserving
as many of its roots as we could but it isn't doing well.

They were surprisingly doing fine on the second day! They were perking up! But then
a lot of rain fell and they were probably gravely overwatered... A
gigantic accident on our part...

What do we do with them?? They have insane transplant shock (because of
the bad transplanting method) AND they were overwatered just as they
were getting better. There are only a few perky ones. All the rest of
them are wilting, some of them with curling leaves, and they look like
they're dying.

I NEED help!! I want them to survive!! I've been trying so hard to take care of them and I'm so worried about their survival! What can we do to reverse the
affects of overwatering, and to help their root growth to help get rid
of the transplant shock??