Using Bare Root Plants

Over the 5 years or so that I've been here in Pleasant Valley (Zone 6b) I've been augmenting our grounds with more native species.  In order to get some of the species I wanted I've been getting more bare root plants than in the past.  What I like about them is that you can find many species that are not available in containers and that they are much less expensive, averaging about 1/3 the cost of the same plant in a container.  This lower cost is due in part to the lower costs of shipping, only the plant without the soil, and to lower production costs at the supplier.  The down side is that these plants are only available when they are dormant and that they need to be planted while it is still pretty chilly out, either in late fall or very early spring. So right now (January) is a great time to get in an order, in time for early spring planting.

I've had mixed success with these bare root plants.  Reasons for failure include not planting them in the right place, competition from existing plantings, deer browsing and some poor technique.   I won't go into the steps of planting bare root plants, they often come with detailed care and planting instructions.  You can also find instructions on the web. 

Here are some things I've learned from my experiences:

Get plants in the ground quickly.  If possible get them in the ground within a day or two of when they arrive.  While you can keep them in cool storage for a time as long as the roots stay moist, or you can heel them in, by laying them in a shallow hole and covering the roots with moist soil.  I seem to be having better results with plants that I put in place quickly.  It is important to get plants in the ground while they are still dormant.  This way roots can get in good contact with the soil before the buds open and put a greater stress on the plant.  I have planted bare root stock in both late fall and early spring.

This Canaan fir has been in the ground for about 2.5 years. 
It started at about 6 inches.  The chicken wire and steel posts help
protect it from male deer who will rub off the branches
as they clean their antlers.

Get good soil contact with the roots.  When planting in the garden make sure that soil is well packed around the roots and spread the roots out in the hole as you layer in the soil.  What I have been doing lately is carefully spreading out the roots as I have been adding in the soil.  After about half of the hole is filled I fill the hole with water and let it settle.  This removes air pockets and improves soil contact with the roots.  I continue to fill in around the plant with soil, continuing to spread out the roots, followed by another through watering. 

Plants in pots need time to develop a good root system.  For bare root plants that I haven't had time to plant, I've potted up with container mix, watered them well and left them in a cool protected location.  Only about half of the plants survive until the weather warms up.  Not a particularly good record.  The survival rate of these potted up plants after transplanting has not been great either.  What I believe to be happening is that the roots have not had a chance to develop while in the pot and there is too much damage done to these weak roots when they are transplanted into the garden.  I've had better success with plants that I've allowed to grow in the pot for a full season before going out in the yard.

Protect plants from critters and competition.  I've lost a number of young plants to deer browse, so now I put a little chicken wire cage around most of my new plants.  I've also lost a number that have been shaded out by surrounding vegetation.  When planting in mid-fall or early spring it is not obvious how much crowding there will be come June and July.  I need to remember that these are still little plants and they are easily over-shadowed by larger established vegetation.  Like any new plant, bare root plants need extra water while they are getting established.  I also tie a fluorescent pink ribbon around each new plant so that I can locate them more easily when clearing out the competition.

Close examination of this Juneberry shows that the leaf buds
are still plump and healthy looking.  A good sign
that it will survive the winter.  The pink ribbon helps me keep
track of these new additions in the landscape.

Here are some of the species I've worked with:

Here is the Twinleaf in bloom.  This is one of the first bare root plants
I put in.  It's now 4 years old.

Perennials:  Celendine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), Merrybells (Uvularia sessilifolia), Twin leaf (Jeffersonia diphylla),and Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) have performed quite well.   Mayapple (Podophylum peltatum) and  Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandifolium) are in dryish soils and have been struggling.  The wild ginger (Asarum canadense) was planted in a very challenging location, under an English walnut and surrounded by vinca, and has faded away. Alleghany pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens) was planted in November in a dry shady location, so we'll see how that works.

Shrubs:  Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa),  Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa),  American hazelnut (Corylus americana), Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Spicebush (Lindera benzoin),  Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana),  Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), Red elderberry (Sambucus pubens),  and Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba v. latifolia).  The meadowsweet and hazelnuts have been the most successful at getting established.  Smooth sumac has suffered from both deer browse and being over shadowed by other aggressive plants.  The red elderberries and witchhazel which did not make it were in very shady spots.  The chokecherries were potted up when they got here and only 2 of the 6 survived.  Those 2 were planted out 3 months later.  Soon we'll see how they made it through their first winter.   

This American hazelnut has been in the ground
for about a year now.  In the inset you can see the swollen leaf bud
that indicates that this branch is still alive.

Trees:   Canaan fir (Abies balsamea v. phanerolepis),  Concolor fir (Abies concolor),  Juneberry (Amelanchier canadensis),  Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica),  Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), American plum (Prunus americana), and  Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) .   The best performers of this group are the tupelo and the Douglas and Canaan firs.  Ones that have not worked out here are the Virginia pine (wrong soil type here), Redbud (location had too much shade from competition), Red cedar  and  the Concolor fir (uncertain).  The American plum was just planted this fall, so the jury is out, but they look OK so far.