Bare root trees - dead or alive?

[sleuth]

About 3 weeks ago me and the wife planted 4 bare root trees - 2 persimmon and 2 pawpaw.

Since then I have been watching for signs of life, and there's nothing. No leaves. No new growth. Nothing.
I heard somewhere that if you don't see anything in 6 weeks, they're dead.

Anyone have any experience? So far, only 1 out of the five bare root trees we planted is doing well, and that is a non-fruiting, goldenrain tree which is ornamental. Woo.

I want fruit and nut trees dangit! Lots and lots of them! I was going to plant some more bare root dwarf apples and cherries and almonds later this summer!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Try scraping a small spot of bark with your fingernail...if it's green underneath it should still be alive.. if it's all dried out and brown... not so good.

 

[k15n1]

Water them and wait for next year. If there's no growth or shoots from the base of the tree, it's dead. If you get shoots from the base of the tree, the roots are fine. Eventually, you'll have to choose one of the shoots and remove the others.

 

[k15n1]

I was advised to use root stimulator about once per month for the first several years. Don't know if it works yet but the stimulator was cheap compared to the trees. I think we spent 1,600 $ on trees this year because the new-to-us acreage was basically just a lawn. So I'm following the nursery's instructions in order to avoid additional replacement costs in the coming years.

 

[Denim Deb]

Sleuth, I'm not 100% sure, but I think the seeds from the golden rain tree might be edible when they're roasted.

 

[Corn Woman]

You can look at the tips of the branches and see if they are wrinkled, if so prune those off. It's hard to prune new bare root trees heavily but it will help insure that the roots have a chance to take hold. Don't give up on them just yet, every tree in my yard was a bare root planing and 12 years later they are beautiful.

 

[~gd]

Most of the fruit and nuts grown on trees were delivered to the farms as bare root trees. I know llittle about persimmons and pawpaws. they are more southern trees then I know. Most bare root trees are dug and replanted while they are dormate A booklet says that most persimmons are grafted on to a drawfing root stock to keep the fruit easier to pick. Pawpaws spread by the roots With a stick left to show which way is up. Once dormancy is broken the trees are usually cut back by 1/3 to balance the root loss due to digging. Watering is usually advised for the same reason. If they were mine I would wait longer before giving up and I would have a chat with the nurseryman that sold them to me.~gd

 

[ORChick]

Sleuth, I'm not 100% sure, but I think the seeds from the golden rain tree might be edible when they're roasted.

Make sure you know what you have before eating the seeds. It seems that what is called Golden Rain tree - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koelreuteria_paniculata - does indeed have edible seeds. But what is called Gold Rain in Germany (though apparently not in English) - http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/laburnum_anagyroides.htm - is poisonous. Never count on the common name when identifying a plant, but always check the Latin. Could be, in an area with lots of German immigrants (or descendants), you could make a nasty mistake. (I had never heard of the first, and immediately suspected the second when I read the OP)