While you’re likely familiar with potted plants, which are commonly available at garden centers, bare-root trees and shrubs may be a new horticultural concept. Or perhaps you’ve seen these soil-free twigs with seemingly tangled roots and wondered, “How would I care for that?” But once you know the basics of bare-root care, you’ll likely feel as if you’ve opened up a whole new world of plant possibilities.
Look for a healthy, hydrated mass of roots on bare-root plant material.
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
Once planted, new roots will begin to develop as the plant becomes established in its new location. (It’s essential to give the plant plenty of water during this establishment period.)
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
If the weather’s stopping you from preparing your planting area, you can pot up your bare-root plants to hold them. (It’s nice to have extras, too, just in case.)
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
First off, you can’t dillydally with bare-root plant material. Be aware that it’s only available in the winter and very early spring. Bare-root plants are harvested and shipped in the dormant state. Once the plant begins to break bud, the window for successful planting closes rapidly. So good news: You don’t have to wait until spring to start planting! What’s more, there’s a wide variety of bare-root plant material available, including fruit trees, fruit vines/canes, shade trees, ornamental shrubs, roses and some perennial vegetables.
While some bare-root plants are available at garden centers, most gardeners turn to mail-order nurseries to get theirs. One advantage of going mail-order is that you can often choose from a wider selection of plants, including rare heirloom varieties. But don’t get too carried away! Before you buy anything, be sure that the plants you want to order (perhaps from across the country) are suitable for your climate.
Another advantage is bare-root plants usually cost 10-40 percent less than container-grown selections, even after shipping costs. Bare-root plants are economical to ship because there’s no heavy soil to add to freight costs. The roots are packed in sawdust, shredded paper or sphagnum moss to hold moisture. This temporary root-ball is then wrapped in plastic to prevent the packing material from drying out.
Whether you purchase your bare-root plant material from a garden center or through the mail, it should be planted in the ground (or in a container) immediately. If you must postpone planting, leave the roots wrapped and store the plants in a cool place protected from freezing temperatures (a refrigerator works well). Do not open the bag so that the plants can “breathe.” That bag allows for adequate oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange at low temperatures, and the loss of moisture can occur rapidly – with detrimental results.
If it will be several days before you’ll be able to plant your bare-root material, either put your plant bundles in a large container packed with potting soil or dig a trench to temporarily cover the roots with soil until you can provide an adequate hole. The goal in handling bare-root plants is to maintain adequate moisture to prevent desiccation (drying out).
There’s one unique trick to planting bare-root plants: As usual, dig a hole at least twice the width of the root mass. But rather than simply setting the plant in the hole and backfilling, first build a cone-shaped mound in the center of the hole. Position the plant over the mound so that the roots cascade around the mound. Next, backfill as usual, staking if necessary.
Thoroughly water during the first season of growth. (For optimal root growth, most plants require one inch per week, applied in one soaking, rather than infrequent sprinklings.) Finish off your planting with 2 inches of mulch, being careful to pull the mulch away from the trunk or stem. The mulch will retain moisture and suppress weeds as the roots are established. (You may need to add more mulch through the years so your plant can continue receiving the benefits from it.)
Bare-root plants are an affordable way to experiment with new plant material. Though they may appear weakly without a soil-bound root-ball, these plants really are robust and healthy – and easily established directly into your landscape. (And once you get comfortable with bare-root plant material, you won’t miss lugging around that heavy root-ball!)
