Just had shrubs delivered - it's about to snow...what do I do?!

[ILoveJoeBrown]

Do I plant them out anyway, or leave them outside, but in their cardboard boxes to keep relatively warm until the snow goes over? Or keep them inside somewhere?

I'd keep them in their pots in the most sheltered part of your garden.

Or in a garage if you've got one.

If they’re in pots they are ok for a bit. If they’re bare rooted I’d stick them in a bucket of water (if not freezing) or damp soil or even sand in the shed. Keep them cool and the roots moist, they’ll last a week. Make sure the roots don’t dry out.

Thanks all. They are in the garage. Not sure were going to get much snow now that I've seen the weather reports, so hope to dig them in tomorrow. I have some insulating 'felt' from a recent food delivery so will put that round the top of the soil to keep them a bit warmer while they root down.

Don't plant them if the soil is frozen, you'd be better in taht case to wait a few weeks. Are they in a pot or bare root? If in a pot, keep them cool or outdoors, and they can last a year or more. If bare-rooted you can heel them in - drive a spade into the soil and push it forward to make a slit, drop the plants into that, in a row, and firm the soil back on to them.

Don't be tempted to bring them indoors - the greater warmth will tempt them into growth, and they'll get a shock when you do plant them out.

Thanks all. We are in a thankfully sheltered spot and it's more likely ro just rain a lot for the foreseeable! I have dug them in next to a fence, where they won't get blown around [though I think I might move one to a different spot, by some mature shrubs for protection.