question

[Roy Herold]

MJ:

Speaking from experience, I'd wager the ones with the most growth are
sikokianum, thunbergii, taiwanense, angustatum, serratum, undulatifolium,
and amurense. Am I close? I made the same mistake for a couple of years
running. I just potted everything up and stuck them in the unheated garage
until late April, or brought them in the greenhouse if they were determined
to leaf out. NOT happy campers by any means. Some really got set back,
going dormant early, or having the central shoot just rot out. Worst off
were the ones I had stored in the fridge upside down-- the shoot makes a
u-turn. I think I wound up planting them sideways. If the frost is out of
your ground, I'd go ahead and put them in the ground, fairly deeply as you
suggested. At this point in the season, I doubt very seriously if the frost
will get over an inch deep.

What do I do now? The ones I am reasonably sure are hardy (to subzero
temps) are outside: sikokianum, thunbergii, angustatum, serratum, and
amurense. (Why I EVER kept amurense inside is beyond me. It's from Siberia,
for heaven's sake). Taiwanense and others of questionable hardiness that
may rise early get potted up and put under the bench in the greenhouse.
Strangely enough, even though the greenouse is much warmer than the
refrigerator (45F at night), they emerge right on schedule (May). Go
figure. I did try an experiment this winter and left my largest taiwanense
outside-- haven't checked on it yet.

The only ones in the refrigerator this winter are candidissimum, fargesii,
franchetianum, tortuosum, and one or two other late risers. They'll go into
the ground in late April, and will emerge right on schedule in June/July.

--Roy
Got my seeds planted today...