Do you know the names of the varieties and the rootstocks? I always start my bare root plants in pots, in good quality potting soil, and have around five apricots growing in pots right now. First, look at the size of the roots, the way they grow, and get a pot which would allow the roots to spread out and down as much as possible. A fifteen gallon plastic pot half filled with soil seems to be better for the plants than trying to cram the roots into a five gallon pot. The larger pots don't dry out as fast as smaller ones, and in our hot summer climates, keeping the pots watered can be a challenge. After a year of so, if the roots start growing out of the holes on the bottom, it's easy just to lift out the root ball in a 15 gallon pot, add 6-12 inches of fresh potting soil on the bottom, two teaspoons of slow release Osmacote fertilizer mixed in, and replace the tree at the top. And it saves buying another pot. You plant the trees in pots the same way you would plant them in the ground, spreading the roots out to their natural level of growth, filling in the potting soil carefully so the roots aren't compacted together. The branches are pruned (or not) to balance the root spread. If the roots are long and ample, the branches need less pruning. If there are a number of long branches that make the tree top heavy, then they can be pruned back by half. The article below will give you more information. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit Trees in Containers

Hi Glo, ThisÂll be shortÂfor meÂbut I thought IÂd reply before I leave again! Did you get these all in bare root (the ones that arenÂt bulbs)? I think this may be one of those that everybody will have a different take on, but if it were me, IÂd just keep them in a cool/cold dark place until they could be planted directly outside. I donÂt think youÂd gain much by sticking them in pots firstÂand waiting will save you some work. (I know! I know! You want to do something NOW!!!) This, again, is just me, but if you stick the ferns and bleeding hearts (are they "old fashioned" Dicentra spectabilis?) in a COLD place or the fridge for a week or two to get them acclimated, I think you could plant them out now already (My bleeding heart is coming up already, and the ferns will stay dormant until it gets warm enough). With the warm weather weÂve been having this year, they should be fine, and if youÂre gonna worry about them, mulch them over for a while with non-cottonwood leaves or (weed seed free) straw or wood/bark mulch. Same thing with the lilies, Stellas, and peonies. Assuming your soil is workable already, IÂd be inclined to just harden them off and plant them! Even better if you do it during a week when you know weÂre into one of our warm stretchesÂjust to give them a little bit of "settling in" time before they get hit with more cold. When you plant the peonies, be sure you bury them with the eyes only about an inch below the surface of the soil. TheyÂre kind of like Iris! Too deep and they may not bloom for you. And the Peonies will take a few years to develop into the big, beautiful plants you see in pictures, so donÂt be disappointed the first couple yearsÂand by about year 3, buy a peony ring to put around them to help support the flowers when they get rained on! The Cannas and, IÂve never grown them but, I think the tuberoses, need to be protected from frost, so that sounds like something that might be good to stick in pots to give you a head start. I hope youÂre happy with your order from Michigan Bulb when you get it. Back when I was at PaulinoÂs, that always seemed to be the mail order company most people complained aboutÂquality, size, etc. Let us know what you think when you get your stuff. IÂd be interested to hear if maybe theyÂve improved in the last 9 years! $200, huh? YouÂre BAD, girl!!! Skybird

Root starters not really fertilizers but are typically plant growth hormone-based and sometimes with additions of various vitamins (like B1). For the most part, they are really quite unnecessary (especially the B1) for already growing plants but can be helpful when taking cuttings and propagating. They tend to be promoted by nursery staff as add-on sales but without any real understanding of what they can and can't do. One of the reasons that fall planting of trees and shrubs is so often recommended is that these plants in fall naturally undergo an extended period of root growth and root extension that will continue until the ground gets too cold. Plant roots are quite capable of growing perfectly well on their own without us messing about :-) In more than 30 years of professional gardening and countless 100's of trees planted, I've never used a root starter or stimulator product and never had a tree not do well from just a proper planting technique and adequate water. Just make sure you rough up the rootball or release any circling roots - that is ALL the stimulation or encouragement they need!! Myth of root stimulators.

Ok, I think I'm going to be fine with them. I did call Palatine because our weather is making things difficult. It rained yesterday so I was afraid the ground was going to be too wet to plant, but I left it all day and the sun was shining and I went out there a little while ago and tested it and it seems dry enough. I did start soaking them this morning at 10am, and they're still sitting in water, but I asked if I could take them out of the water and just put them back in the plastic and hold them until tomorrow and plant and they said yes. Which is what I am going to do. They also said it's also a good idea to put them in the refrigerator, as Pickering used to direct me to do. She said the reason they don't suggest it, is because most people can't really fit them in their fridge. I have the room and I may do that tonight. Our forecast also calls for rain tomorrow late and again on Monday, so I really have to hit the right moment to plant. [g] She said if the weather really interferes that much I can take the whole bundle of 3 roses that are tied together and put them in a large pot and cover them over with soil up over the roots and the grafted bud union and water them in and hold them that way while waiting to plant. Thanks for sharing your experiences, it's always good to hear that people have had good results doing them several different ways.