The situation is that I ordered a pear root-stock and an elderberry back in september to plant in the fall. For some reason it was not shipped until the end of November. When it was shipped the weather forecast said I’d have 2-3 days in the mid 40’s that I could possibly plant them in. But before the package arrived the forecast changed and it never went above mid 30’s plus it snowed and there is a covering of snow still. It’s not looking good for getting any warmer days this year (but who knows, could get lucky). I put the package in my refrigerator thinking I could keep them dormant for a time.
My question is, would it be better to keep the package in the refrigerator long term and possibly keep them dormant as long as necessary, or should I open it up and try to keep them as houseplants until spring? I’m somewhat hesitant because a couple years ago I tried to overwinter elderberry cuttings I took and though they started off doing well not a single one made it past January. I assume they either needed to go dormant or the humidity is too low in the house.
I live in central Alabama so my suggestions are what I would do at my location. If you get a break in the weather where the soil is workable I would plant them at their permanent location. If you have a cold place like an unheated basement you could put the plants in containers with soil and keep them dormant until the weather/soil is suitable for planting outdoors. Although you could keep them inside in a heated area this would be my last choice. I just don’t like the thought of the possibility of the plants breaking dormancy when they should be collecting chill hours. Just my opinions from a different location.
RE Elderberry: I only have a few years experience with elderberry, but I think if you can dig a hole, you plant it.
My little experience with cuttings is that elderberry cuttings need to be kept outside or in a fridge. Otherwise, they push growth without roots and that’s the end of that. Hence why yours probably failed. You can even just shove them all in the ground close together or put soil in a pot and put them all close in there and leave that outside.
I’d keep them cold till you get a break in the weather, then plant them outside. I have to imagine the real risk with planting them outside is that they’re not fully dormant or are kept somewhere warmer, and then you put them outside, and we get a very cold snap, and then they get damaged by cold. So don’t let them warm up. Also, if you bury the roots well (and even better if you can cover with leaves or mulch and then snow to insulate) they can always spring back from the roots even if the top gets damaged from cold.
I had big plans to move a dormant peach tree (3 years old) at this time of year, but I’m suffering the same weather issues as you. Looks like we might get a bit of a break a week or so from now. At least my 5" of snow mostly melted yesterday, I hope your snow does too. It looks like it’s going to be a cold week and wading through ankle deep frozen snow wasn’t going to make me happy.
Dunno. I was going to say experiment. But sounds like you already did a partial experiment. So, try the other option to see how it goes. I am doing something similar. I just bought some potted figs. I will practice overwintering them in garage. Next summer, will buy a few potted figs on sale at the end of the season. And will test them outside in winter to see how low they can go. Nothing crazy but see it temp goes down to 18 or 20 for a night or two, will it kill it. It is all education, so don’t sweat it. Only issue is if you are old like me, not much time left for putting knowledge into practice.
Re: elderberry as long as the wood is dormant and the ground isn’t frozen solid. You can dig a hole and plant the cuttings and they will develop roots over the winter.
I don’t know what you’re winters are like but I’ve pretty much always been told. As long as the ground is workable, you can plant dormant stuff. It’s just crappy to be outside in the cold lol.
You can put them in a pot with soil in a protected area like an unheated garage or under a deck or crawlspace or you can heel them in if the ground isn’t frozen solid until you can plant them proper in the spring
I keep rootsocks and bench grafted apples/pears in the fridge for months. They can start to wake up but dont really grow much. Usually get grafting materials starting in March, and finish planting in early July. I keep them rolled in moist beach towels tied with twine. Pay attention to how the roots are wraped, don’t let them dry out and don’t keep it to wet or they will rot. The tops can poke out.
You may even weigh the idea of containerizing them. Pot them up and grow them on until you’re ready to set out. It may not be optimal, but that’s exactly what Turner and Sons Nursery in McMinnville does. They field grow, then bare-root the trees, pot them on and sell to the garden centers.
I should add that planting them outside when it’s snowy is particularly problematic for me because I’m paraplegic and to plant things I have to sit directly on the ground. Also very hard to wheel a chair through snow anyway. The weather forecast claims there could be a couple days in the low 40s coming in a week or so… if that doesn’t happen maybe I’ll open the box up, pot them up if necessary and keep holding them in the fridge for now if they look OK.
Just an update… I managed to plant them today. It was 45 outside and only isolated snow pockets. The ground was actually kind of tough, it seemed frozen about an inch of so down, then was alright. My mulch was all frozen together though and practically impossible to use. I’ll be curious to see if these survive.