I'm counting on unusual weather to help my late bare-root plantings....... I really have no way of knowing, but here's my story: I received a Redhaven from Stark Bro's on 5/16/14, it had some HUGE roots, but virtually no little "feeder" roots. It had a tiny green dot at about 2" above the graft. Now (25 days later) that little dot is a couple leafs about 1 1/2" long. But nothing going on anywhere else on the tree - nowhere! If it doesn't get better in awhile I'll get it replaced. Stark has a good policy that way. After that I got 2 more peach trees and a cherry tree on 5/24/14 from Stark Bro's. They were just starting to show some real tiny green leaf in several places upon arrival. All three of these are looking PERFECT 17 days after planting. Lots of growth and all that. So, given that I went on ahead and ordered two more apple trees that will ship from them on 6/13/14. I don't know if they'll work out, I'm just going by the fact that a big place like Stark is still shipping so I figure they must think they'll survive. BUT.., if they don't - they'll replace them. So for me, at the bargain basement sale price that some of these trees are coming in at, I'm taking the gamble. I may be missing something (like stress on the tree and future impact of that, etc) but if I'm not, I figure all I'm out is the time and effort to plant them. If it doesn't pan out, I get to do it all over again. It's no big deal. But sometimes I just can't pass on a bargain.....

Whole ginger lasts a lot longer for me when stored at room temp than in the fridge. The cold shrivels the rhizome. Room temps keep it fresher much longer (like basil and tomatoes). You can grate up the root and store it in the fridge though and then take a spoonful out when you need it. Or, as sassyewe said, store in the freezer, although this makes it a bit stringy, in my experience.

Thanks, Patty, you said it even better than I did! Lily, If you have ever ordered from DA you will know why they charge so much. The canes and roots are long and huge. See my hole that I dug for 2 Evelyns. 22 x 36 and 22 inches deep to bury the graft. In my opinion and experience, they are amazing. I also order from other companies like Northland Rosarium and Roses Unlimited, but I order from DA when I need DA roses that are current stock (ones that aren't discontinued). They come with great canes, great roots and jump up and grow big right out of the shoot. They don't know the meaning of 1st year sleep. Here's my comparison, taking into account the growth rate of each rose is different. Below are 2 DAR A Shropshire Lad... planted last spring from own root gallon pots from Heirloom Roses. Below is DAR Crown Princess Margareta 2 own root from DAR. They had total cane survival after being under a 4 foot snow bank all winter. The snow came in a huge storm that arrived before we had a hard freeze. The leaves were still green when the snow thawed this spring. I included the chair in the photo so you can see size comparison. AMAZING growth for 1st year and FABULOUS blooms. I already pruned it and removed all the leaves so it could start over. Bottom line for me is... If I want David Austin Roses and the ones I want are available at David Austin Roses, I buy from David Austin Roses to get the most for my money. Rebecca

I'd say chances of finding bare root stock in good condition at this time of year are slim to none. Most plants are setting blooms now and getting ready to start producing fruit. Bare root is used for dormant plants - strawberries should not be dormant at this time of year!! FWIW, my local nursery gets in bare root strawberries by the bushel in early February. But they immediately pot them up - 5 plants per pot. That is really the only way to protect those tiny root systems from drying out and the plants dying or being damaged by folks rummaging through a bin of bare root. That way, the plants can be sold well into the season (or until they run out) without concern for their health and viability.