Bare Rooted Plants: Intimidating On The Surface, But The Way To Grow

Beginning gardeners are often bewildered when they order plants from a catalog, or online, only to find that on delivery day, what they’ve received is a tangled mass of stems, some rooted twigs, or a crown with roots attached. Even an experienced gardener can be flummoxed when opening the box on the front step, only to find some roots inside a plastic bag filled with damp newspaper.

What they’ve received are bare rooted plants. And, despite the bewilderment and doubt of what to do next, bare rooted roses, perennials, berry plants, trees, shrubs and fruit trees are the best way to buy new plants — better than plants in containers, better than balled and burlapped.

Many, but not all, plants are sold bare rooted. This allows the grower to harvest the plant, be it a strawberry or a fruit tree, in the dormant stage, clean and pack the plant, and store it in a climate-controlled facility where it remains dormant. At shipping time, the plant is boxed and, in most cases, reaches us in two to three days — still in the dormant stage.

As long as this plant isn’t allowed to sit in the shipping box for days on end, or set in a sunny spot, you’ve got a plant that’s ready to go into the ground — and it will take off like a bat out of hell shortly after planting. Keep in mind that the plant is dormant, though, and should remain that way until planting. You can get away with short-term storage, but every day that plant remains out of the ground and it senses the warm air around it, well, it wants to grow. And if you don’t let it grow in the ground, problems will arise.

If you think a plant growing in a plastic pot, say a shrub or perennial, will do better than the same plant that’s planted bare root, chances are, probably not. The potted plant has a root mass that’s filled the pot and has to have some remedial work done in the root zone to encourage new root growth. This can result in stalling growth when planting, or some die back if roots are removed or damaged in the process.

Exactly the opposite happens when you plant a bare rooted plant properly. Since it’s dormant, it won’t “take off” until the soil temperature is right and, at that point, the root system bursts into action, with the shoot system shortly behind. There is little to no planting shock.

But once you receive your bare rooted plants, it’s very important to rehydrate them. Only then can they be planted or “heeled in” for planting days or weeks later. In most cases, your plants will arrive with an instruction sheet, but here are some steps to follow regardless.

When the box or package arrives, you can leave the plants in there for a day or two, as long as you keep the box cool and out of sunlight. It’s best, however, to open the box, inspect the plants and rehydrate them. You can do this by simply filling a bucket with room-temperature water and letting the roots soak. In the case of trees and shrubs, only the roots need hydrating, though the shoots can get wet. If you have received rooted crowns, say of strawberries, try to only hydrate the roots. Rehydration needs to take place even if you plan on planting the same day of arrival. For same-day planting, hydration can take only an hour. In any case, the roots should not sit in water longer than overnight — while, on the other hand, if you let the roots totally dry out, you’ll have issues after planting.

Then, get your planting hole, or holes, ready and prepped. They should be as deep and wide as the root mass, and keep your backfill soil to the side of the planting hole, ready to use. You can amend the soil with compost or other organic material, but be sure to use the native soil, as well. Never add any fertilizer at this point; you can add a bio stimulant to the backfill if it’s granular, or a water/bio stimulant for the first watering.

When in doubt, always plant high. You can probably tell where the original soil line is on the tree or crown, and this point should never be below your finished soil line. As you put the plant into the hole, make sure to spread the roots while you slowly add soil around them. Don’t compact the soil; use your fingers to firm the soil in and around the roots, and in the hole. Never bend or allow the roots to circle the hole, and don’t crowd the roots. Make sure the plant is labeled with its name and date planted. Ten years down the road, it’s going to be difficult to remember its variety and age.

Being mindful of the original soil line on the plant, complete the backfilling process and try to leave a small moat of soil around the upper outer edge of the planting. This will capture water and stop it from washing soil away from the crown. Try to use a watering can with a gentle output, or a hose with a breaker at the end, to prevent flooding. Too much water will inhibit new root growth. You can always add water, but you can never take it away once planting is completed.

If planting a fruit tree, you will probably want to stake the leader or main stem. There should be instructions on this with the plant, but in general terms, the stake should be outside the planting hole diameter with a tie between the stake and leader that isn’t tight, but will give the stem stability in heavy wind, yet the ability to move instead of snapping.

Water the planting regularly, which can be done less often if the soil is cold and damp. As we get into later spring and summer, watering may be necessary several times a week. No fertilizer should be used for at least a month and, in some cases, for the first planting season. This should also be explained in the materials that come with the plant. Most fruit trees should not be allowed to flower the first year and you’ll read that some strawberries should not be allowed to flower or bud for a certain amount of time. After planting, you want all the plant’s energies put into root growth — and great shoot and fruit growth will follow.

In most cases, you’ll be delightfully surprised at how quickly your bare rooted plants take off. Remember that it may be a year before you begin to pick those delicious strawberries and raspberries, but a healthy, bare rooted rose that arrives in late March or April will probably put on a respectable show this year and a magnificent one next year.

Bare rooted plants will begin to arrive in just a few weeks. Plant them carefully, label them, water them and, if necessary, stake them. And remember to be patient with fruit trees. They will take several years before they fruit, but as long as you have your pollinators right, they will.

Keep growing.