So do I understand correctly that you have to dig them up? How large are they? It might be difficult to dig this time of year and dogwoods absolutely hate being moved at any time. I'm in western Maryland also and the ground is frozen here.

That said, you definitely wouldn't want to bring them inside. They're dormant and you want them to remain in dormancy. You would need a nice size root ball and you'll need to dig a planting hole about 2x's the size of the rootball. Plant them at the same depth they were before. Water them in well and give them a nice layer of mulch.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice.

Yes, I have to dig them up. The plants and shrubs are all different sizes. Some bulbs, some ground covering plants, some small shrubs, and some perennials.

The dogwood was planted last year. How deep and what diameter should I dig around the existing tree to get the roots?

Also, do I need to transplant the same day I dig up? Or can the plants stay outside in containers a couple of days until transplanted?

Thanks!

The nandina shouldn't be a problem, just get a fair amount of the rootball. Bulbs will be fine.

Since the dogwood was planted last year you should be able to move it sucessfully if you can get enough rootball. Dig along the dripline...think of the dripline as a circle that could be drawn on the soil around a tree directly under the tips of its outermost branches. Dig down as far as you can and try to keep the rootball in tact. You can get burlap in a fabric store if that would help.

You don't HAVE to re-plant your plants right away. You could keep them in a protected area away from drying winds till spring. Water them ABOUT once a month...but don't overwater. Water well and then wait until the soil has dried a bit...they are dormant after all and don't require a great deal of water. Just don't let them get too dry.

Btw, there is a tree forum here at GW and the people over there are very nice and knowledgeble. This forum is generally pretty quite.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/trees/

Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a dogwood

Thanks, Peggy - you've been a great help! The link is just what I needed, and I'll try the tree forum just to see if they have any additional tips.

Sue