I dug up three hemlock in the mountains of Virginia yesterday. Raining. Still raining today. I dug a plug 8-12" in diameter with the tree centered in the plugs. Trunk diameter 1" and 3/4", 18" to 30" tall. Put them in plastic bags and got back home after dark, sill raining. Left them outside in the rain overnight. Around 11:00AM this morning there was a break in the rain. I then picked all the soil and roots from other plants off the trees root systems. I didn't wash them with a hose, just picked away till I had cleared off all the other plant roots and the most of the soil. Trimmed the tap roots back for eventually going into a bonsai pot. Cut all the long roots back to where there was a branch coming off of finer roots. Put all three in training pots with a planting medium with grit, small Permatil and some organic content. Watered them well and it started raining again. It's just after midnight here now and has been raining all day and will continue on Monday and Tuesday. Trees sitting out in the rain just like they would be if they were still up on the mountain. Plan on going back on Tuesday, rain or not, and getting 3-4 more of them. I have no worry at all about them living.