[massa]

Hi, i have just bought a pear and plum tree for £5.99 each from pound stretcher, the trees look healthy and are starting to bud already but the instructions are very limited. The trees are bare rooted and i was intending on planting them this weekend weather permiting! i have placed them in my unheated greenhouse as i bought them (still in packaging) but i dont know if i should put them in a tub of water prior to planting or leave them as they are until planting? thanks massa.

[Kleftiwallah]

Plunge the roots in a tub of water while you prepare the ground.  Dig a gurt big hole and drive in a stake to one side of the hole and put a layer of good well rotted manure in the bottom.  Place the tree in the hole and check that it is no lower or higher than planted previously, at this stage you can select by rotating which side of the tree looks best. 

Trim off any damaged roots dispose of them and place the tree in the hole, spread the roots out to cover the bottom of the hole and start filling in the hole with good compost, every so often shake the tree up and down to settle the soil around the roots and eleiminating any air pockets.  Fill the hole and tread well down filling up the hole as the soil is compressed.  Tie the tree to the stake using a proprietary tree tie (rubber job) like a dog's collar.  Bingo, look forward to collecting the fruits of your labours.   Cheers,   Tony.