Do a Search here on the GardenWeb for...the toothpick technique. I have over the years done a few postings about this little known propagating method which should be done now, in September-October. It is easy. Works well. May be the only method that does work on difficult to root plants/shrubs/trees. I first learned of it from several top horticulturists at the Arnold Arboretum back in the 1970's who developed the idea and then just decided not to publicize it for whatever reasons. Since my first posting here on GW about The Toothpick Technique I have received numerous 'thank you's' from propagators across the country and England. Check it out.

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.

Seasoning time for bulbs is like onions and garlic- you can eat onions and garlic right out of the ground, but if you want to store or ship it, you need to let it cure a bit first. Bulbs are like that too. If you plan on transplanting them quickly, you can pull them and use them fresh. But if you want to hold them for replanting later, you need to give them time to season and really go on hiatus before storing them. I've moved around daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinths no problem without seasoning if I do it directly. I also don't treat bulbs like a lot of folk do. When I get a package, I pot them up and grow them out for a year first before putting them into garden spots. After their blooming time is done, I empty out the pot and let the bulbs season till it's planting time in the garden later that year. It takes a year of patience, but most pots divide a lot, so I end up buying half the bulbs I would otherwise. Anyway.. I came to give an update. I planted in the first bed with plants, and the second bed will be finished by the end of the weekend. I haven't done any bulbs yet, because I figure I'll do all those at once when I'm doing other bulbs in the yard.

jc, I think she means temporarily, as in until she can get them planted into the ground. I have done the same thing. It’s kind of a compromise between keeping them potted on the patio, (where they dry out quickly and need water twice per day in summer) and planting them in the ground. It keeps the roots cooler(summer) without actually planting the rose. In my case, I use this trick when my sons have dug the hole for me, but I’m not physically up to planting the rose yet. I just pop the container into the hole, mulch the top, and water as needed. It works great! I just need to remember that the rose isn’t actually planted in the ground yet. I once had a rose grow it’s roots right through the drainage holes and continue growing on its merry way! Oops! I ended up just leaving it. Roses grow enormous here, and it helped keep it “mannerly”, for a while:). Lisa