American Pillar Arborvitae – Can It Survive The Cold

Q: We want to plant ten American Pillar arborvitae in our yard. Would I have
any issues if the ground is frozen when we plant? 

A: Pam Knox, director of the UGA Weather Network, looked at the number
of days on which the two-inch soil temperature at the Rome weather station
(closest to Bartow County) was at or below freezing. She found only two days
in the last ten years on which the soil was frozen. Further north, in Blairsville
or Ringgold, the soil might be colder but my bet is that even then there are
many days of winter when the soil in north Georgia is not frozen. It is fine to
plant the arborvitae now. But it is critical keep the root system moist for at
least six months.