When To Plant Bare Root Trees

No matter where you live, it’s best to plant bare-root trees during dormancy – before buds break and leaves appear. Your planting window also may vary depending on when you can obtain bare-root trees. In warmer climates, plant from late fall (or as soon as trees become available) to early winter.

Should you soak bare root trees before planting?

Before planting, you’ll need to soak the roots for at least 2 hours and up to 8 to 12 hours, but no longer than 24 hours maximum. This is an important step because it will allow the roots to re-hydrate and absorb water. If roots are soaked longer than 24 hours they can become oxygen-starved and be permanently damaged.

What to do with bare root trees when they arrive?

If your bareroot plants arrive and planting will be delayed for less than a week, do not open the packaging and store them in a cold place out of the sun, ideally outside. It doesn’t matter at all if the weather is freezing, but you must not move the plants around when they are frozen.

Can you plant bare root trees in January?

When to plant bare root trees As with planting a tree – any tree – you will have best results if you plant bare root trees between November and March. You can plant at any time in this period of dormancy during the winter months, as long as there are not icy, snowy, very windy or waterlogged conditions.

How long do you soak bare root trees before planting?

Unpack your trees, remove all packing materials, carefully untangle the roots and soak the roots in water 3 to 6 hours. Do not allow the roots to dry out. 2. Dig a hole, wider than seems necessary, so the roots can grow outward without crowding.

How long can Bare root trees survive before planting?

It is ideal to store the tree at a temperature of 40ºF, but anything under 60ºF should work for a short period of time. This method will help keep your bare-root plants and trees dormant so you can safely delay planting for up to a week. If planting must be delayed for more than 10 days, “heel in” your trees outdoors.

How long does bare root last?

They can be stored for up to two weeks in a cool area, with a temperature of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit with the roots and canes covered in moist wood shavings or peat — moisten the material they were shipped in and add more if necessary.

How long can plant roots be exposed?

Houseplants can survive up to 24 hours out of a plant pot with their roots exposed. Having the roots wrapped in moist paper or a ball of soil can increase the time the plant survives before it can be repotted.

What temperature is too cold to plant trees?

If the soil consistently measures 50° F or higher, it’s safe to plant your deciduous tree or shrub. But, if the soil test proves the ground is too cold, plan to plant during the upcoming spring or fall seasons instead.

How cold is too cold to plant trees?

As a general rule of thumb, deciduous trees—or trees that lose their leaves in the fall—can be planted in soil that has hovered around 50°F for several days. Evergreens need to be planted in soil that’s been stable at 60°F.

Can you plant bare root trees in frost?

Most of the damage caused to bareroot plants in cold, freezing conditions is to the delicate roots themselves. Worse still, if root damage is serious, the plant may not grow at all. So if your plant’s roots, or the ground you intend to put them in, are frozen, please leave them be!Dec 13, 2012.

Can you soak bare root trees overnight?

Next, rehydrate the roots by soaking in a pail of water for several hours or overnight. Time your soaking so that you can leave the roots in water buckets until the minute you’re ready to plant, but no longer than 24 hours.

How do you prepare soil for planting trees?

Apply 3 to 5 inches of mulch to the soil surface to conserve moisture and to prevent weeds. Water as necessary during the establishment period. Keep the soil uniformly moist — not too wet or too dry. Allow trees and shrubs time to become established before applying fertilizer.

Can you plant bare root trees in summer?

In the summer you should only choose to plant trees that are potted in their own soil as opposed to bare root where the root ball is exposed and the soil has been washed off. Bare root trees often experience more stress due to lack of water and can show signs of this stress before you even put them into the ground.

How do you care for a bare root tree before planting?

Keep the roots moist and do not allow the plants to freeze. Remove the packing material from the roots, and then soak the roots in a bucket of tepid water for about 30 to 60 minutes, but not longer than two hours. Keep the roots moist at all times before and during planting.

How do you plant bare root trees in clay soil?

To prevent the tree from settling too low in the ground, dig the planting hole no deeper than the tree’s roots. To encourage root growth, the hole should be about twice as wide as the spread of the roots. If the soil contains a large amount of clay, the sides of the hole should be scored to aid outward root growth.

What do you do with bare root plants in the winter?

Even though dormant plants get more moisture than they need from rain through winter, freshly planted bare root plants should get soaked twice immediately after planting to settle the soil around their roots. Lastly, damaged or superfluous stems can be pruned off.

Are Bare root trees better than potted?

If we are thinking only about the health of the plant, then a branching, fibrous, bare root tree is far superior to a potted one with circling roots that has been nursed along on irrigation and fertilizer. If it is the health of our environment then the choice for bare root trees is even easier.