Planting an Eastern Redbud tree

I will be planting an Eastern Redbud this afternoon. I received it in dormant stage from The Arbor Foundation after ordering it in the summer. I will be following the directions given in THE TREE BOOK that came with it, ie; after digging the hole and inserting the tree completely soaking the ground and continuing to soak once a week until the ground freezes. I'll be adding mulch also.

Is there anything else to worry about or do between now and spring or is it best to let Ma Nature do her thing till then?

Come spring will it be safe to use a systemic product to keep Japanese Beetles at bay next summer? I know it won't keep them off but I'm hoping it will minimize the amount one can eat.

Other people who live in a climate more similar to yours can give you better advice on planting, but the one thing I would warn you on is that I've seen a ton of people posting here when they got mis-identified trees from Arbor Day, so pay attention in the spring when it leafs out to make sure it's really a redbud...and if it's not then make sure you find out what is is as soon as possible so that you can make sure the location you planted it in is appropriate for whatever it turns out to be.

As far as the systemic--I'm not sure redbuds are going to be bothered by Japanese beetles, and I would never recommend applying a pesticide when you're not even likely to have a problem in the first place. Here are three sites that mention redbuds specifically as a plant they don't typically bother (if you google, you'll find other references as well)
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/stop-japanese-beetles/
http://www.landscape-america.com/problems/insects/japanese_beetle_controls.html
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2004/controling_j_beetles.htm

gk1153 could post a picture of this dormant plant, so that viewers here could positively ID it, redbud or not. Take a closeup of the stems and buds; shouldn't be difficult to ferret out the answer.

I agree with ecrane. I've been managing plants for many years and with heavy JB pressure around for most of them. Redbuds are not in their bullseye.

I'll get a picture taken tomorrow.
I read the links ecrane gave me and see I was worried about JBs for nothing (if it is a redbud)

I have a serious problem with JB's, and I have a very happy, healthy young redbud tree; so I can reassure you that JB's don't bother the redbud at all. They gobble up just about everything else in my yard/garden but not the redbud. In fact, my redbud is quite independent. So far at least, it never seems to have any problems with disease or insects. It receives only the general fertilizer that I apply to the surrounding flowers and shrubs in spring and summer. I've had it for maybe 4 yrs, and it is growing nicely and blooming each year. The past 2 years it even made seed pods.

I'm not in your area or zone, however.

The reason I got one is every spring while driving my spouse would admire the redbuds growing alongside the highways. We lost a young maple in our yard in a windstorm and I figured to replace it with the redbud. So I know they grow in the zone I'm in.

I just didn't read up on them like I should have. We've got a linden and birch the JBs just love to munch on and next year I'm planning a more determined effort to stop the grubs and adults in my yard. Maybe the linden and birch leaves won't have so much of the leaves eaten by the time JB season comes to a close.

If you find a way to irradiate JB's I'd love to hear about it. I have lots of roses which the adults love along with centipede grass to feed the grubs. I've tried milky spore, nematodes, neem, and harsh chemicals for the grubs. On top of that I have the local opossums and raccoons munching on any grubs that get past the other controls, but that doesn't stop the JB's from coming here from elsewhere in the neighborhood. Those things are quite the menace.

I love redbud trees and am very happy with mine. Hope you have success with yours as well.

I'm sure I won't be able to get rid of them all, scutler. I live on a farm and next year there will be soybeans on three sides of the yard and corn across the road.

We've got opossums and raccoons living in an old barn. So far I haven't noticed any skunks here but there are some nearby. We don't have any moles in the mown areas and I don't really want any. I am going to add milky spore and nematodes to parts of the yard. With three acres to mow I can't afford to do it all in one year. I'll put a systemic (Bayer Balance) around the linden and birch and plum trees (one of each) in the yard. I'm hoping to avoid harsh chemicals but they haven't been ruled out, yet.

I don't know if your plum is a decorative one or an edible one, but if it's edible and you intend to eat the fruit then don't use the systemic on it--it's not intended for use on edibles and since it gets taken up into all the plant's tissues it's not like a regular pesticide where it can be washed off, etc.

Your red bud should be fine. We have lots of JB damage on other trees, but they don't bother red buds.
They LOVE our climate; I pull seedlings all summer long. Your red bud should thrive without special care.