Keep them cool and dark. And don't let them dry out. Cover them with plastic if you have some.

dormant and zone appropriate .... just sling them anywhere ... dont over think it all and try to baby them to death ....

black pots out of sun ... dont need them heating ...

out of wind ... dont need tissue desication ...

make sure the media is moist ... insert finger and find out ... water if needed.. but dont swamp them.. dormant plants dont need a lot of water ...

though my attached unheated garage stays coolish on cloudy days... on sunny days .... its can get 2 to 3 zones warmer with trapped heat.. the upside is.. the cement floor stay frigid thru about june.. lol ... the heat goes up thru the roof vents ... cold roots in pot.. tend to keep the plant dormant ....

now.. the real question.. is why do you need to wait for the ground to warm.. perhaps you ought to plant them immediately .. and let ma nature deal with it ... i used to plant as soon as the soil thawed down here in MI .... or cant you get it done due to other things ..

ken

Thanks for the advice everyone. Yes the conifers are all hardy to my zone.

I'm just planning to wait until the ground thaws and the soil is workable. We have clay soil so need to make sure it's workable and damp not wet...else it compacts quite easily.

I would love to get them planted as soon as I receive them, but the weather will dictate, the last six nights we've had overnight lows as low as -20C or -5F...but things should dramatically improve by early next week.

Good part is that we're getting past the point of Teens and Twenties (F) below zero, Although were forecast some near Zero(F) lows until next week.

You should be able to get by with an unheated garage from now on. Depending on how cold it will get you could throw a sheet of plastic over them and even a couple old blankets to insulate and slow down temperature changes at night. Just have some stakes or other support so the weight doesn't crush/bend the trees.

i would just put them in the garage ... and leave the door open during the day ... ken