There's nothing better than mother nature, water(ing), and mulch. You need to plant them as soon as you can.

Dax

How about that. Makes sense to me... For some reason I was under the impression that they would need to be cold stored in a unheated garage while young... I haven't received the maples yet and I'm expecting them next week sometime. What do you think the latest date I should plant them out?

As long as you can dig, you can plant. October's a great month to plant. I'll be planting for the next several weeks... many woody-plants much younger than your maples.

Dax

Different newbie - same question (almost) :)
I couldn't resist the grabbing impulse and now I am a happy owner of japanese maple seedling, which is a plug, that needs a permanent home. And we are also facing the cold nights below freezing point.
I would like however to keep this seedling as a container plant for couple of years. Now, the container will freeze much sooner than the soil in the ground. Probably next week or even tomorrow. So how do I proceed about that? Plant it and bring inside for some time?

Don't bring it inside.
Do you have a cold, but protected area...like a garage or shed?

I've slipped an entire container into a larger container, and then filled the space with bark mulch.

Or you can bury the entire container in the ground.

Josh

Thanks, greenman28.
I will try a container in a container thing. I remember now that I overwintered some containers inside the bag filled with packing peanuts on the deck.
How do you maintain the watering schedule? Obviously after the container freezes you don't water, but what about during the warm spells when it may thaw?

Sure thing!
Yes, keep it moist during those warming spells. Splash a little water or snow on the pot.
It sounds to me that you know what you're doing, but I'll post this pic for anyone who might be confused.
A pot within a pot.

Thanks, greenman28.
I will try a container in a container thing. I remember now that I overwintered some containers inside the bag filled with packing peanuts on the deck.
How do you maintain the watering schedule? Obviously after the container freezes you don't water, but what about during the warm spells when it may thaw?

Oopps.
I accidentally posted my previous post again.
Thanks again and happy Thanksgiving. :)

Hi skealo, This is my experience with overwintering my Maples (which I grow as Bonsai) or some people keep some of the dwarf species as potted accents. I would keep them in a unheated garage or shed. Make sure they are on the side facing the outside (if you have a garage that's connected to the house) as temperatures can fluctuate and may become too warm on warmer days if kept by the inner house facing wall. Also be sure that the trees are not on the ground, keep them on a shelf etc... Make sure that you don't keep the garage door open for too long as the cold drying wind can cause the trees to transpire too much moisture which can kill them.

I don't know if you will have this problem since you are in zone 7, but by me in the Chicago land are temps can get really cold. Make sure the trees don't experience more than a few days in temps bellow 20 degrees Fahrenheit as this can cause the roots to freeze causing damage.

As for watering make sure that the soil stays evenly moist to some degree never truly drying out, but water lightly when needed (don't saturate) on days warm enough where the water wont just freeze right away. Think that's everything... Do this and you can keep the Maples in pots as long as you want!

Good Luck :)

-Mike