Unless the roots are grossly compromised, I would plant them this spring. Much better/easier to care for in the soil rather than in a pot.

tj

Ditto. Spring, ground, much simpler, much easier!

Just a thought. If it came to it, I know some people buy shade cloths to put over ponds, for example, which block off a given percentage of sunlight. If it looks like your plants are going to summer during the heat of summer, since they're not all that tall, I'm thinking 4 tall stakes & some shade cloth to keep the 'heat of the day' sun off them while letting their roots grow through the spring & summer into their permanent placement would be good.

Richard.

The ease part sure makes it tempting to plant them out!

I'd say the root systems where equivalent to the volume in a 1 gallon container less all the fibrous roots. Put about 5 quarts of media per 3 gallon container.

Richard, I sure thought about doing that. They look so silly but might be worth the payoff vs. babying in a container.

{{gwi:336570}}

Plant them out. The soil in the pots will be air temp, no matter how much shade they get, and if that is 90F, then the trees will suffer. Roots don't grow in hot soil.

OMG!!!!

look at the trunks on those ...

very seriously.. those are plants that bonsai peeps would fall to the ground and roll around ... unless thats just dog vomit on the left one ...

anyway ... i do either.. both ... i keep them right out the front door.. north side of house [no sun] .. on a retaining wall.. where i nearly knock them off every day ... forcing me to remember to water them ... WHEN they need it ...

but i think the key is .... size ... i do that with very small stuff ...

i think with the size of those.. mother earth would stabilize them better than i ever could ...

are you interested in bonsai???? sounds like a new hobby ...

ken

I had to look twice, even thrice, too Ken. I believe that is snow for watering, not the trunks.

tj

Concolor I take it? Good lookers there. I say it's ground time-when the time comes!

+oM

oh crikey.. lol

and i was the one who told him about the snow trick... lol ...

plant them ...

ken

You guys far funny! After the pic I had to look twice too!

Sure is snow and there is still plenty out there!

Right on, these are Abies concolor 'Compacta'.

The votes are in....I'll plant them out. Now if the soil would just thaw and drain!