Warranty/Refund & Planting Instructions:
REFUNDS – Refunds will be given on orders returned within (14) of receiving them. The entire order must be returned in the original package. We do not pay for return shipping.
STEP 1: UNPACKING YOUR BARE ROOT DORMANT PLANTS – The roots of your plants are packed in Water-sorb Polyacrylamide polymer which are non-toxic and ecologically safe for our environment and have been in use since 1942. When used in agriculture, it is capable of capturing 50% of irrigation and rainwater which it then stores for later use by the plants. Carefully cut and remove the plastic surrounding the roots of the plant and save the remaining water-sorb for Step 4. Note that if there was a copy of the quick planting attached to the plastic, do not throw it away! Remove all and any of the red twist-ties, twine or plastic bindings.
STEP 2: INSPECT YOUR ORDER – Your plants arrived DORMANT - (Winter Sleep – No Leaves) and BARE ROOT (No Soil). The plant might appear dead, however it is only hibernating. The roots might appear to be rotted or missing, however most roots are naturally black in color and most plants are shipped with the tap root only as we want the plant to form new feeder roots after planting. Make sure all the items listed on the packing list are in the box or accounted for. Then check all the plants; if you discover some broken branches or roots simply prune them off. This will not harm your plants. Next scratch away a small amount of the bark, approximately one inch up from the base of the plant or grafted area, whichever applies (Scratch Test). If the plant tissue underneath is white or green - it is alive; if it is brown or black - it is dead. If a plant is found to be dead – DO NOT PLANT IT! And contact us immediately as dead plants will not come back alive.
STEP 3: PREP YOUR PLANT – As mentioned earlier your plants arrived dormant and need to be awakened prior to planting or they will most likely not survive. Soaking the roots overnight in cold water will do the trick. Take care not to over-heat the roots and do not expose the roots to direct sunlight.
STEP 4: PLANTING - Plant outside in well drained soil as quickly as possible after soaking! Dig your hole twice the size needed and put half of the soil back into the hole, which will provide the newly forming roots with loose soil. Place the plant into the hole along with any water-sorb you saved from step 1. Add water to the hole prior to back filling with soil and allow the water to soak in. Fill the hole with loose soil, do not pack it down, however try to form the shape of a bowl on the surface to help channel water towards the plant and roots. Do not try to grow our field grown outdoor plants in a container outdoors or indoors as they will not do well and it will void the warranty. Do not use fertilizer, root stimulator or use any type of special soil the first season as this will damage the newly forming feeder roots and it will void the warranty! Mulch-(Food) over the new planting site as it will provide nutrients as well as helping to retain moisture! Water every day until the plant is established!
STEP 5: WATER, MULCH AND CULTIVATE:
Proper care of your new plants is very important. New plants can be very tender and require additional care until they are established. It could take 6-8 weeks for your dormant plants to completely wake up. Make sure you keep up with your watering and cultivating, if you want to check your dormant plant for life you can do another scratch test. If you get a failed scratch test after planting please refer to the Warranty Claim Webpage At: https://thetreestore.info/warranty/
FALL & WINTER WATERING
There's a chill creeping into the air. The leaves are changing colors. Winter is just around the corner. Now is the time to think about properly watering your trees in autumn to help ensure against damage in the winter. In the middle of winter, the ground is frozen. Trees are not able to access water, so it is important that you are watering your trees in autumn as necessary. Watering your trees in early autumn is different than late autumn, so water accordingly.
Early Autumn
In early autumn, you should stop watering your deciduous and evergreen trees. Do not worry about watering until the leaves have fallen from the deciduous trees. The trees are still growing in early autumn and watering will encourage new growth. If a frost comes when there is new growth on the tree, it will be damaged.
Late Autumn into Winter
Once the deciduous trees have lost their leaves in late autumn, it is time to start watering again. Evergreen trees will definitely need to be watered before winter - since they never lose their foliage and go into full dormancy, they will constantly be losing water throughout the winter. By late autumn, the tops of the trees have gone dormant, so they will not produce new growth. The tree is busy moving nutrients around in preparation for dormancy. Water deeply (at least 1-2 feet deep at a time) until the ground is frozen. Deep watering encourages proper root growth so that the trees will be able to access water farther down in the soil. Young trees, especially, need lots of water to establish roots in preparation for winter. Newly planted trees should be watered at the base, while more mature trees should be watered at the dripline. You can keep watering trees in late autumn as long as there is no snow cover and the air temperature is above 45 degrees. Trees in milder climates should be watered throughout the winter as needed, though usually the rains will suffice.
FROZEN GROUND
If your plants arrive after your ground has frozen solid for winter you can temporarily plant them all together in a well-drained container and set them outside where they will receive sun, snow, rain etc…