"Jefffooz" wrote in message
...
I ordered the following plants in bare root form. I don't think I will be
able
to get them in the ground for a couple of weeks because the ground and
weather
is still quite cold and very windy. How long can I keep the plants before
planting them? Will they die if I just leave them in their packages?

Monarda, buddleja, clematis, peony and echinacea.

Thanks

Jeffery

Whenever I acquire bare root plants in the spring that I don't want to lose,
I find it pays to plant them in gallon containers using quality potting soil
and keep them in an area that is above freezing. I did this with a bare root
Buddleia Bicolor and a Sixteen Candles Clethera that I received in early
March this year. I kept the pots on cement on the south side of the house
during the day and hauled them into garage when a frost/freeze threatened. I
planted both of them in their permanent location today, and both had
well-developed root systems.

Last year I ordered a couple of bare root honeyberries on sale ($20) and
received two very small plants that looked like twigs. I potted them in
gallon containers and added slow release fertilizer to the potting medium. I
kept these in the containers all summer, lavishing TLC throughout the
summer. They grew very little throughout the summer but did develop a good
root system. In the fall I planted them in a well prepared permanent
location and was rewarded by both surviving and not only surviving but
tripling in size this spring. One even bloomed.

Yes, it's a bit of work to take care of container plants, but it's difficult
not to take care of a plant when it's put in a spot where one notices its
condition or stumbles over it daily. BTW, I've never lost a bare root
plant when I initially planted it in a container.

John