I'm not an expert.....but I'd pot them and overwinter in the unheated garage,
making sure that their roots never dry out completely.

Josh

I agree to plant them in spring. I live in the southern interior of BC, also zone 5. It's already snowed here.

I don't think there's any need to worry about them freezing since they are dormant. If you plant them now, they may get some root growth in the ground. The ground isn't actually frozen there already, is it?

Option B is fine too, if it makes you worry less, but I don't see any real advantage for the trees.

Option C is a really bad idea. Once dormant, they need a minimum amount of time in the cold (called chill-hour requirement) before they will come out of dormancy. If you put them under lights all winter, they may break dormancy after a long time, maybe not. If you do this until spring and they don't break dormancy, then it won't be cold enough outside to fulfill their chill hour requirement, and you'll have to put them in a refrigerator for a couple months. Don't try to overcome their need for the dormancy period unless you are just experimenting and are willing to lose the trees.

Alex

where in z5 .. it is too variable to give an answer w/o specificity

are they nudee .. or green and allegedly dormant.. and where did they come from ... if FL vs MI ... you can see a difference...

more info please ...

and why did they send them this late.. is this some arbor day nightmare???

ken

They came from Michigan, my local nursery prices were outrageous. They also told me they wouldn't dig them until spring. The nursery I bought them from told me they wanted to make sure they were dormant before they dug them. They are greyish brown in color, I don't really want to plant them and mulch them; I'm afraid the frost line will be too deep and or the mulch will rot the stems.

Pot them and put them in the coolest part of the basement. Forget the grow lights, though. The object is to keep them dormant but protected from temperatures so low that the roots will be killed. Don't overwater, but don't let the planting medium dry out completely. Once the worst of winter low temperatures has passed they can be exposed to light and allowed to come out of dormancy in a warmer part of the cellar or in the garage.

....also, as to the risk of mulch rotting the stems, the proper way to mulch is to not place it against the stems. Problem solved.

+oM

i am in MI .. they can be planted ...

you did not answer where you are ....

regardless of how rare you think these are.. they are near impossible to kill IF properly handled ...

it doesnt matter whether you plant them or pot them.. they are fully hardy in z5 ... and the ground freeze or frost line.. nor anything will bother them.. IF properly planted ...

potting requires a proper media... something quick would be a cactus mix ... wet it properly.... then pot the up.. and put them on the north side of the house ... DO NOT USE NATIVE DIRT

no sun on those pots for all winter ....

once the ground freezes.. tip them on the side.. so water doenst accumulate ... wont matter if they are covered with snow .. your only concern would be vermin.. like mice nibbling on them ...

who sent them in the wrong season??? .. michigan bulb????

to explain how hardy they are.. i got 6 foot sticks ... bare!!! [no branches] .. in a one gal pot.. in a plastic bag from BIGLOT one spring .... and 10 years later they are 30 feet tall ... if a 6 foot tree can live in a one gal pot.. and live... yours should be near bullet proof.. unless you try to love them to death..

i would also call the seller.. and ask them to make a note that it is a bit late for shipping .. and if they do not bud out in spring.. you will be calling on the warranty .... in MI they are a late budding tree .... so dont get wound up until may or so ...

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

ken

Thanks everyone!

psssst Ken, he said his location in the first line of his original post ;)

Anyway, I vote Option A.

I'd go with option B, in this particular case (zone 5, etc). Choice A would be my second choice. I don't think C would be a good option at all.

first line.. pshaw .. lol.. i looked next to the blank space next to the name .. lol ...

i am still angry about shipping in the wrong season.. wonder why they wont fess up to who the seller is .. [i think i really need to get a life.. like it matters to me who the seller is.. lol]

ken