Question about planting trident maple

[JakeH]

So it's slowly starting to warm up here in SC, and I'm already starting to plan some things to do. I plan on ordering a trident maple from Evergreen Gardenworks and sticking it in my back yard to thicken up over the years. However, I'm a little lost when it comes to the time frame.

I've read that you should repot when the buds just begin to swell, but seeing as though the trident is coming from Cali, I assume that will happen much earlier than it would here.

So my question is, how much do I have to worry about frost killing the trident? Should I order the tree when there is no worry of frost here at the cost of having to repot it at a later than optimal time?

 

[Shibui]

It is a long way between us so please take anything I say as advice only.
Over here winter nights only get a few deg below freezing. I routinely root prune tridents from leaf fall through to leaves actually opening (well past bud swell). I've also been trialling late spring repotting. Most drop leaves soon after repotting when they are in full leaf and active growth but, so far, I have not lost any. All bud back after a few weeks. Even if this is not applicable to your climate I hope it will serve to let you know that tridents (here) are extremely resilient and can cope with far more than most give them credit for.
If you are in doubt about the change from Ca to SC for the trident you could just keep it in the pot for this year and plant out next spring when its growth will be in sync with your climate.

 

[JakeH]

It is a long way between us so please take anything I say as advice only.
Over here winter nights only get a few deg below freezing. I routinely root prune tridents from leaf fall through to leaves actually opening (well past bud swell). I've also been trialling late spring repotting. Most drop leaves soon after repotting when they are in full leaf and active growth but, so far, I have not lost any. All bud back after a few weeks. Even if this is not applicable to your climate I hope it will serve to let you know that tridents (here) are extremely resilient and can cope with far more than most give them credit for.
If you are in doubt about the change from Ca to SC for the trident you could just keep it in the pot for this year and plant out next spring when its growth will be in sync with your climate.

That is very interesting, if I am desperate to get it in the ground this year I may end up relying on the trident's hardiness to pull through. I just emailed and asked if his trees are budding yet; I'm hoping that if they aren't budding it will be safe to try and let them acclimate to my climate while dormant (I assume if they are in the cold they wont bud?).

If all else fails I can just keep it in a pot--Just hate missing out on a year of growing in the ground haha

 

[garywood]

Jake, we always want to work with optimal conditions but sometimes we have to adjust. An oldish gardening adaption is if frost or freezing is expected then protect with tenting. It can be as little as a gallon jug with water next to it or placing a translucent tote over it until conditions are favorable. Have fun!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Has Brent said if it was breaking bud yet? If it’s still dormant, it will likely stay dormant in SC until the weather breaks in a few weeks, at which point you can arrange the roots, and plant it out. If it has already broken bud, I’d follow Wood’s advice. Trident tend to lose freeze tolerance when they leaf out in the spring, so freeze protection would be necessary. Not sure about your forecast, but we have some very cold days in our next week.

 

[JakeH]

Has Brent said if it was breaking bud yet? If it’s still dormant, it will likely stay dormant in SC until the weather breaks in a few weeks, at which point you can arrange the roots, and plant it out. If it has already broken bud, I’d follow Wood’s advice. Trident tend to lose freeze tolerance when they leaf out in the spring, so freeze protection would be necessary. Not sure about your forecast, but we have some very cold days in our next week.

Haven't heard back just yet; that seems like the right game plan though. Best case scenario is it hasn't broken bud and can acclimate. If it has, I'll just have to plant it and protect it from frost.

We are gonna have plenty of freezes this week, looks like next week (when I'll probably get it) there'll be some better temps.