how to Plant Bareroot
PRUNING: Don’t freak out when we start pruning away at your bareroot fruit or shade tree! We are doing your plant a favor! By pruning your tree now, we are encouraging more root development – an essential thing for your new tree.
1) Soak the roots of your bareroot plant in a bucket of lukewarm water overnight prior to planting. This will help rehydrate the roots.
2) If you have hard or clay soil, spray your soil with Ground Breaker ™ (Previously PenMax Plus). Not only will it make the hole easier to dig, it will loosen up the soil for your plant to grow better.
3) Dig a hole that is twice as wide and twice as deep as the roots.
4) Mix the soil you have dug out of the ground 1/2 and 1/2 with a planting mix. We carry Gardner & Bloome Rose Planting Mix works well for roses and Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme works great for everything!
5) In the center of the hole, firmly pat the earth into a cone shape. Spread out the roots of your bareroot plant over this cone so that the bud union (place where the roots and stem/trunk meet) is 1 – 1.5 inches above ground level.
6) Place UNOPENED Nutripak packets vertically next to and around the root system. For roses and smaller fruit trees, you will need 3 per plant. For larger fruit trees and shade trees, you will need 5 per plant. Backfill the hole with the remaining soil mixture remembering to gently tamp the soil around the roots. *DO NOT plant with the sawdust your plant comes with!
7) Place a 3/4” layer of GardenMax Soil Treatment around your plants. One bag will usually treat the soil around 3 plants.
FOR ROSES ONLY:
- This is the most important part! Use the rest of your fill dirt and planting mix, to cover up the rose you just planted. This allows the canes/stems to remain moist and will ensure that your plant will sprout in a timely manner.
- IMPORTANT: Once new growth begins to emerge on your rose, gently pull back all the soil from the canes and scatter around your plant.
8) Water well when you plant. It is really best to plant in the mud. After this initial heavy watering, it is not necessary to water again until the new growth has begun, unless we have a heavy drying wind.
9) As soon as your plant has put on 3” of new growth, it has developed enough roots for fertilizer feeding. Feed with Gardner & Bloome organic fertilizer for best results.
Planting using the directions above with the Success Pack will give you the absolute best results for your new plants. Using the Success Pack will give you twice the fruit on fruit trees and twice the blooms on roses!
Now take a break from your labors, and imagine what, in a few short weeks, this bundle of sticks you’ve just planted will look like. Beauteous blooms and fantastic new growth will abound – all because you cared enough to make your garden beautiful! Congratulations!
