elegentry

I would heartily recommend removing the under and around stuff BEFORE planting the tree. It's one of those preparation things that really rewards doing first. You will curse yourself later if you don't - and you might kill the tree with the disturbance to the roots. it sounds as though you have willing helpers enough. Having said that, bear in mind that it is not actually essential to buy the tree bare-rooted. Especially if you want a small one, you could always buy one in a pot. It will cost a bit more, but it would give you several more weeks to get the job done. As long as you don't plant it in the middle of summer, you should still get good establishment this year. I'm not sure about the cross-pollination thing with almonds, but a good nurseryperson can no doubt tell you and probably sell you a grafted one with both male and female on it. They do that with pears, I know. I agree about Digger's Seeds. They do good stuff. Only open during the week, sadly, but I think they do mail order. Good Luck! I