Randy Nelson Clay County Extension
Now is the time to plant bare-root plants, or it might be in a few days once the soil dries enough to put a shovel in the ground. The best time for bare-root planting is after the ground thaws to about early June (depending on the year). What is a bare-root plant? Bare-root nursery stock are trees and shrubs that are field grown for one to three years, undercut and dug in fall and spring, handled with no soil left around roots, and stored with moist roots and dormant tops at a temperature a few degrees above freezing until they are planted. Bare-root stock offer several advantages:
- Bare-root plants are usually cheaper than containerized or balled and burlapped plants because they are easier to handle, store, and ship.
- Longer root lengths are possible on bare-root plants since weight of the soilless root ball is minimal.
- The entire root system of a bare-root plant can be inspected so deformed, circling, and broken roots can be detected and corrected or removed.
- Appropriate planting depth is easy to gauge because the root system is visible.
Disadvantages of planting bare-root trees and shrubs include:
- The range of plant sizes and plant types in bare-root plants is limited.
- Bare-root plants should be dormant when planted so there are seasonal restraints to planting.
- Careful handling of bare-root stock is important. The exposed root system cannot be allowed to dry out during handling, transporting, or planting.
How to plant bare-root woody plants
Keep the roots moist and protected from wind and sun. If you can not plant immediately, place the plant in a cool, shaded, sheltered location, and cover the roots with moist straw, hay, damp burlap, or loose moist soil. Bare-root plants lose up to 95% of their roots when they are undercut and removed from a nursery. Until the root system grows and reestablishes to its normal size, a newly planted tree or shrub often experiences transplant shock. Here are some tips to promote root growth:
- Dig the planting hole only as deep as the height of the root system for trees. This prevents settling and all the stresses caused by deep planting. NOTE: When planting roses, dig the hole deep enough so at least three-four inches of soil cover the crown.
- The planting hole should be two to three times as wide as the root system and backfilled with the original soil.
- Adequate watering until the plant replaces missing roots. After planting, monitor the soil around your bare root plant and provide water when the top few inches of soil are dry. Continue to monitor soil moisture throughout the growing season.
Source: Kathy Zuzek, former University of Minnesota Extension Educator.
If you have questions regarding this article please call me at the University of Minnesota Extension office, Clay County at 218-299-7338 or by email nels1657@umn.edu.
Comments