planting bare root hepatica

I received 5 Hepatic roots. Anyone know how deep to plant them? The only thing I've been able to find in searching the web is "don't bury the nodes". A few of these roots seem to have "nodes" on all sides. I'd appreciate any help. I'm guessing they should be planted similar to iris rhizomes, i.e. shallow and more-or-less horizontal?
Thanks,
Deb

Do not plant them deep (well not poosible if they are bare root)...they like nice woodsy soil Just make sure when you plant them that the roots are in there securely so as not to be loosened by squirrels..birds etc. They will do fine.

Thanks for the reply. I put them about 1" and they're definitely in "woodsy" soil. Secure enough that the squirrels won't get them? Hmmm. May not be possible!! :) I think our squirrels have little back-hoes. :)
Deb

In the Minnesota wild, the dormant buds are actually just above the soil surface, but always covered by a permanent layer of duff(fallen leaves in various stages of decomposition). Hepatica do not grow like iris at all, and do not grow sideways along the surface, so there is no reason to plant them that way. So I would say, plant the bud just at our below the surface. But perhaps levilyla has better advice for your region.

I have both Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa and var acuta. When I transplanted several to other areas on my property, I have planted them at the surface and not just below. Not necessarily because I had been instructed to do so but more so because once I moved leaves away from the base of existing plants to be able to move them, I looked at how they were in the ground and that was how I saw them growing. Perhaps one of those decisions that one doesn't conscientiously make when transplanting but rather just does?

Thanks to all of you. I had never seen them growing in the wild, so had no point of reference. I think I've got them properly "laid in" now. Finger crossed! :)
Deb

You might want to cover your plantings up with leaves. Squirrels do pose a problem around me but more so in fall as they scurry here, there, and everywhere stashing goodies. Squirrels seem to love any freshly worked area regardless of what's planted in it. My thoughts are that newly transplanted Hepatica are more likely (at this time of transplant) to succumb to rapid freeze/thaw cycling. It's that heaving of the ground that can do in many plants and particularly those that were recently planted at or just below the surface such as Hepatica. After they've been in the ground for a year, natural accumulations of leaves should protect them well enough. You don't need to be heavy handed, maybe a few inches or so. They'll poke out for you when the time is right.

Thanks. I'll do that,too!

I would suggest that you lightly press them into the soil and cover them with shredded leaves.

I had also noticed when I transplanted the hypatica, and some other woodland ephemerals, that their roots are not very deep but they are buried in alot of forest litter material, so I try to replicate the leaf litter in some of landscape beds for the woodland plants.

Well there's leaf litter a'plenty in the area where I'm planting them so that should be fairly easy to accomplish! Thanks for the suggestion.

Deb