my new plant i received in the mail was dry and leaves fell off, but is still green. i put it in a bucket of water to saturate, now what do I do, and when do I prune for a tree. Plant is 2 1/2 feet tall.

Answer #1 · Carl Alexander's Answer · Go ahead and plant it. Dig a hole that is much bigger that the bare root plant, Cut off any broken roots but don't "prune" the roots. Use a mixture of the soil in your yard and a planting mixture.You don't want the tender roots to have to work too hard to spread. Depending on its shape you may want to trim the plant. Again, don't prune it, just trim it. Any branches that are on it will determine the shape of the grown tree or shrub. If all the branches are on one side of the little trunk, you may want to remove all but one and when it grows another, keep one on the other side. Trees make MOST of their grouth up from the top, not out from the earth but if it starts lop-sided, it will stay that way. If it is a flowering tree, don't let it bloom the first year. Let it put its groth into making strong roots and branches so don't use a high nitrogen fertilizer. It will put out leaves on its own but high N2 will encourge blooming.
Since it is summer, mulch it and keep it watered, it won't take much to kill it.)