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BAREROOT PLANTS AND PLANTING by Marianne Kistler The time has come to make use of the winter season at hand, to purchase and plant bare root plants. Bare root plants are grown in soil in fields just like containerized ones, but when they are dug, the soil is washed off. Those to be packaged get damp peat moss or some other moisture-retaining product packed around the roots and then they are wrapped in heavy paper. Nursery bound plants are tied together in bundles and following delivery, are heeled into prepared beds. What are some of the pluses of buying bareroot plants for the garden? Plants that are bare rooted usually establish themselves more quickly than containerized ones, since they have to acclimate only to the soil they're planted in, and not cope with different soils that they came with vis-a-vis the soil that now surrounds them. Typically a bare root plant only costs around half as much as one that is sold in a container. For us elderly sorts, they are certainly lighter in weight, which beats lugging those big soil-filled cans around. What kinds of plants are we talking about here? One can sometimes get the impression that ``bare root" is just about synonymous with ``roses" but there are many other plants as well, including shade trees, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, grapes, and strawberries. It seems to me that I have seen horseradish and I'm sure I've seen asparagus plants as bareroots. If you are buying from a local nursery, select bare root plants with strong stems and fresh-looking, well-formed root systems. Avoid those with slimy roots or dry, withered ones; also reject plants that have already leafed out. Submerge the plants in large containers of water for at least overnight prior to planting. It is suggested that you plant them as soon as possible. If bad weather prevents this, heel them in, in a trench in a shaded area and cover the roots with moist soil. In planting trees and shrubs, the hole should be at least two feet wide and two feet deep, for the ``typical" size that a bare root tree or shrub is likely to be when you buy it. What's really meant by that is that the hole needs to be big enough so that the roots can spread out normally. You'll be able to tell by observation whether the hole needs to be bigger to accommodate the plant. For roses, which are shrubs too, 18 inches wide and deep is suggested, again for the ``typical" size that you are likely to buy. This again depends on the breadth of the root systems of the actual plants. Also, you'll probably have to dig deeper and wider holes if your soil is heavy clay or if you have problems with caliche (hardpan). The experts say to roughen the sides of the holes to make it easier for the plant's roots to penetrate the soil; I find that automatically happens in the process of roughly digging out a hole in our difficult ground. You're also advised to taper the sides of the holes outward as you dig down (making the holes wider at the bottom). Once you've got the hole dug, you should check the drainage, especially for trees and shrubs which aren't going to be able to survive with healthy roots only occupying the top few inches of soil. Fill the hole with water and check to see how fast the water drains away. If it takes several hours to a day for the water to soak in, it's advisable to drill at least 3 narrow (2 inch dia.) drainage holes at the bottom of the hole, going down 2 to 3 feet more, and fill them in with gravel. A good way to do this is to use a water-ram. You can make one out of a three or four foot length of threaded galvanized pipe. Attach one end to a garden hose, turn on the water, and shove the ram into the bottom of the hole. The water pressure will bore the hole quite readily, unless you hit hardpan. If you have major hardpan problems, as many of us do in the interior of California, you may ultimately have to resort to raised planting beds and forget about trying to plant trees and shrubs -- bare root or otherwise -- at ground level. But that's another issue and we'll assume here that you are able to resolve the drainage problems. Once you're satisfied that drainage is OK, make a firm mound of soil in the planting hole. Spread out the plant's roots over the mound. You want the plant to be positioned at the same depth as it was in the growing field, so use a stick placed across the hole as a guide. Hold the plant upright as you add the soil, firming it as you go. There's no need to ``stomp" on it, though - just a gentle firming of the backfill soil will suffice. When the hole is nearly filled in, add water. If the plant settles too low in the hole, gently move it up and down to adjust to the proper level. Finish filling the hole and create a 2 to 3 foot basin to aid in watering. Add mulch over the top of the soil to a depth of 2 inches. You probably noticed that ``staking the tree" was not mentioned. This is because staking a tree is not a good idea unless it's absolutely necessary; staking a tree tends to weaken its trunk development and it isn't good for the tree in the long run. Staking should only be done in very windy areas, and then you should use 2 or 3 stakes (instead of one) placed 18 to 24 inches away from the trunk. Fasten the trunk loosely to the stakes - the tree needs to be able to sway to gain stability. If you must use wire, use electrician's wire or mechanic's wire (wire encased in heavy plastic) inside a length of hose. Fabric or plastic ties are better, because they have more ``give". Do you belong to a garden club that has spring plant sales? Each year for the last 10 to 15 years, I have purchased bareroot strawberry plants, via mail order, for the spring plant sale. The plants come in groups of 25 for about $8 per group. I ask the nursery to send them to arrive about a month before the sale so they will have a few weeks of growing time to leaf out. Each one is planted in a one-gallon can and they usually sell at $1 each. By the time of our plant sale they are acclimated to our area, and our soil, and are growing well. Shoppers are glad to get them for the asking price and we make a reasonable profit on them. Note: There is a lot of information on bare root planting on the Internet and an especially valuable source is the Sunset Publishing Company's web site. If you have a computer I strongly recommend this source. |
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