Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: What to know about bare-root plants
Once again, it’s time to check out bare-root plants! From perennials to shrubs (including roses) to trees, planting bareroot is less expensive.
Bare-root plants are typically one to perhaps even 3 years old when dug out of the ground where they’ve been growing.
Prairie Moon Nursery has a great PDF on Installing Bare-root which includes the various roots systems and planting specifics. They’re shipped to you with no soil, just moist peat moss around the roots.
These plants are dormant and prefer to be planted in the cold! You just need to be able to dig a hole in the soil. Check local frost depths.
They should be planted right away. BUT, if not, you need to keep them refrigerated till you can! This winter has been incredibly harsh and, in my area, southern half of Minnesota, there’s no way they can go in the ground yet. It will be at least thru March at this point! Keep the roots damp and cool while in storage. MOST nurseries you order from will not send them out to you TOO early… I suggest you order from the most local source possible.
Let your plants roots soak in water while you get the hole prepared. Do NOT plant your shrub or tree too deep, it will suffocate the roots disturbing access to air, water and nutrients. The root flare should be at soil level!
If the soil is hardpacked, then loosen an even larger area so the roots will have an easier time growing into their new home. When placing your bareroot plant in the hole, make a mound of dirt in the middle to rest the plant on and arrange the roots out loosely from the center.
Backfill with soil and compact it with your hands, feet or water. If the soil’s dry, use water to compact it and get the air pockets out. Soak your plant thoroughly.
Water often during the first growing season and you’ll establish a healthy tree or shrub to enjoy for years to come! They may look a little puny at first but they will catch up in a few years and will thrive for years to come.
