Question About Pawpaws in 5.5 Inch Pots

I received my pawpaw trees today, I’m in zone 6a. They arrived yesterday when I was out of town and spent a night out in below freezing temps until I got back. Temps dipped between 20-30. When I brought them in, the 5.5 inch pots they were in were frozen solid. Will they survive this? I moved them into an unheated basement room until I can plant them, which might not be for another month. It had been suggested to me to attempt to wake them up early to make sure they were still alive, but I’m not sure if I should to that route. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

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One night in the 20s is unlikely to spell doom for them.
I would not try to ‘wake them up’, but plant as soon as you can dig a hole for them.

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I agree they will likely be fine with such a short exposure.
Just handle as you normally would have, like LuckyP said.

I’m guessing they’re dormant? Or do they have leaves?

I’d probably put them in one gallon pots soon as I could…and put them in the shade, inside or outside. (And plan to plant in permanent location next year or the one after.)

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Nah… I’ll differ with my friend BlueBerry…too many bad things can happen to trees in pots… at least at my place. Go ahead and plant them in their permanent location ASAP, mulch well, and tube or shade otherwise… and it wouldn’t be a bad plan to cage… even though rabbits don’t really care to eat them, they won’t hesitate to snip them off.

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