While winter is a great time to plant in South Carolina, it is VERY IMPORTANT to never plant a frozen rootball!
To take the frost out of a frozen rootball, simply run water over it from a garden hose. While it may take several applications if water won’t soak through the frost, you’ll be surprised how quickly cold water will thaw a pot!
Planting a frozen rootball is similar to what our ancestors did to keep blocks of ice frozen all summer-long in an icehouse. The ground around the frozen rootball will keep the frost IN the rootball – it won’t take the frost OUT!
The frozen rootball of an evergreen plant is unable to pump water up to its leaves, thus the leaves will dry up and fall off the same as if the plant were not watered during hot weather!