Yes, perfect time of year coming up, once the leaves turn or fall.

I hear it's recommended to have a 12" dia. root ball for every 1" diameter of trunk.

Well, a 1" diameter is a big tree to move imo. You can go smaller and have less weight to handle without really losing anything in the long run.

As long as you know where there going, no reason to bypass this perfect time.

You'll get a jump start on the roots for next spring and a good flush of leaves and that leads to a more robust growth over the next year or two.

Oh, didn't notice you had them already dug. They'll probably loose the leaves they have just from the stress of transplanting because it's a little early for them to finish off for the year.

Best to dig After the leaves have sent their juices down to the roots for the season. So yeah, plant them now. They'll do better overall than storing them in pots this winter that's for sure.

I brought them home the first week of June. 11 trees 3 to 4 inches tall in a peanut can. Planted them 4 to a container. I can get 2 1/2 gallon plastic containers from work for free.

kept them outside and watered them every couple days just enough to keep the dirt damp. Never did lose any leaves.

about a week ago I repotted them since they were growing well. I cut the buckets off the dirt and from there just cut the dirt into four sections, one per tree. Moved that into a bigger bucket with more dirt without disturbing the roots.

how they are currently sitting. The bike rack keeps them up high enough that the dogs can't pee on them and they get plenty of sun.

How much should I water them after they go in the ground? Still have as little while to plan yet before the weather changes. Thanks

Nick

Oh, I see. Seedlings, from June.

The trees appear to be Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum). Not surprising they kept on growing, normally they start from seed in the spring and are a fast growing tree. Considered a Soft maple.

No wonder they forged ahead and grew all summer.

Was there a reason you haven't planted them in the ground? Waiting for a land closing deal or something? Otherwise, what they've done in the pots, they would've done in the ground already, except the roots would've covered a wider area by now and would not have to be disturbed anymore.

No matter when you get them in the ground, they'll need protection from varmints, rabbits in particular. Mostly in the winter and early spring is when rabbits are the most damaging. Chicken wire and a garden stake work good but it has to be higher than the seasons snow depth so they don't get at them from over the top. 4" diameter Tree tubes and a stake work too for smaller trees, you can get them up to about 48" tall. These work for rabbits, mice and deer.

To be honest we're not sure where we want them yet. I have two decided for sure. I honestly didn't expect them all to grow. Of the 11 I brought home I only lost 2 and that was because of a hail storm that came through.

I already picked up a roll of fence to cage them in. Between rabbits and deer we also have horses that we put out on the property to guard against.

in this post you are in nebraska ... and in your pistache tree post.. you are in
OK ....

what gives???

and in this post.. you are in Atlanta ????

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/fertilize-garden-after-heavy-rain-dsvw-vd~5426341?n=4

Ken, I think Houzz has added default names to members, same prefix, different numbers.

I've tried three times to add my name instead of the one shown. No luck yet

I'd plant them right now if it were me

sheesh.. so each HU is a different person .... go figure .... ken

Yup, threw me for a loop at first.

It must be if you don't enter a name when you register, instead telling you to add a name, it just adds a default for you. How clever but absolutely stupid idea. We'll see more & more HU-'s in the future.

Click on the 'Your Houzz' icon in the upper right corner of your page. The first option that shows up is 'Edit Profile and Settings'. If you click on that it will take you directly to your current screen name that you can edit to whatever you want.

Folks change screen names all the time so it is quite possible to alter what you currently have.

btw, there are hundreds of users with the HU prefix followed by a selection of numbers. They tend to be relatively new Houzz members/users who have not filled out their initial profile info correctly. And a good number are spammers as well so best to change to a proper screen name to be taken seriously.

I noticed to that there is no longer place to add your usda zone, that shows up along side your name. So you have to combine your name and zone to have it show up in your posts.

Well of the 9 trees I planted last fall, they all made it through the winter. Even one that the dog chewed the top 6 inches off of before I got a cage around it.

How much water should they be getting weekly? Last two weeks has had steady light rain so I haven't had to do much. Next to each tree I have a 5 gallon bucket with a 1/16" hole drilled in the side pointed at the base of the tree. 5 gallons takes about 45 min to drain. I can fill them quickly and move on to other stuff and it soaks in rather than making a muddy mess.

I just don't know how much or often they need watered.

Just check them once or twice a week, if rain is sparse. Dig into the soil with a spoon or screwdriver. If it starts getting dry an inch or two down into the soil, water them.

Once established, they won't be as sensitive to dry spells, although maples like moisture so don;t let them get too dried out.