From Bare Roots to Blooms: How to Plant Bare Root Trees

They say, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

The good news is that you’re not too late. The bad news is that trees are expensive. Don’t let sticker shock stand in your way though. With a little know-how and persistent patience, there’s a cheaper solution.

Bare root trees just might be the answer you’ve hoped for (even if you do have an endless supply of money).

What’s a bare root tree?

Unboxing a Bare Fruit Pear Tree

It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a tree that’s not balled and burlapped. If you’re a bare root newbie, you may think they’ve been scammed when the unboxing commences and a glorified stick with a tangle of roots is unveiled, but for $30 what did you really expect?

Bareroot Pear Tree

Like anything worthwhile, you’re going to have to put a little time and effort into it.

Depending on your perspective, the time and effort could be seen as a disadvantage or an advantage. But the one thing that became clear after my conversations with two esteemed, professional green thumbs, is that the pros outweigh the cons.

Mike Thompson, Field Manager and Arborist at the Garden Continuum pointed out that in addition to time and effort, damaging the root system is of concern. With that said, he quickly rattled off 4 advantages to outweigh the negatives, “The hole you dig is so much smaller. They’re a lot cheaper. They’re easy to handle. No heavy equipment necessary. And, you limit the chances of transporting snake worms onto your property.”

Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens, told me he’s a huge advocate of bare root trees. He says, “Most of the trees we plant at Tower Hill are bare root. Even if the tree is balled and burlapped, we usually bare root it anyway.” That way, his team can do some root pruning and investigate the root system before planting.

“Plant death is often caused by planting too deep. Planting a bare root tree allows us to plant it right,” says Richardson.

Bare root trees have a high success rate, too. In 2020, Tower Hill planted 100 European Hornbeams as bare root trees. Out of the 100 planted, only 5 or 6 didn’t make it. Richardson says that it wasn’t a surprise that those particular Hornbeams didn’t survive, “The nice thing is that if a tree isn’t going to make it, you can tell almost right away. The leaves will be small, shrivel and drop.”

Balled and burlapped trees tend to come packaged in heavy clay or sandy soils that may not be compatible with your soil at home. If you’re planting bare root, you’re planting the tree into native soil right off the bat. The tree will have time to adjust and grow into the native soil that surrounds its roots.

Some trees do better than others. Richardson tends to think most conifers don’t do very well, but he cautioned not every conifer responds negatively. Just ask Mike Thompson. He ordered a bare root redwood from the Jonsteen Company two years ago.

Redwood Tree

“It came in a little envelope. Now it’s 7 feet tall! It’s in a pot. I bring it inside before the first frost.” I asked him if there was a secret to his success, he shook his head and said, “Nope. I’ve just kept it well watered.”

It’s all about Timing

Timing makes a big difference. At Tower Hill, bare root trees are planted in the spring and in the fall, but tend not to be planted in the summer. “It’s a matter of when root production is happening,” Richardson says. He explained that when you bare root something, you are breaking root hairs, and you need time for the roots to recover. “You don’t have the same sort of rebound in the summer because the temperatures are too high.”

What if you can’t plant it right away?

It’s important to store the tree at a certain temperature before you get it in the ground. Ideally, temps should be below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help your trees stay dormant so you can delay planting for up to a week.

The day I spoke with Mark, it was very windy and sunny, he mentioned that a day like that is a killer for bare roots that haven’t been planted. “They would dry out so quickly today,” he remarked. To prevent them from drying out, he suggests to keep them covered with wet burlap, wood chips or under a tarp.

Pro Tips

I asked Mike and Mark what advice they would give to gardeners considering bare root trees. Here’s what they said.

Mike: “After planting, water it every other day until the first frost. Don’t compact the soil around the tree. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start the tree in a pot first. If anything it becomes a really cool back deck tree. And, remember to have fun. If you miss a step, don’t worry. I have a friend that missed more than a few steps and his tree was fruiting the next year. This is the same guy that left the tree in his barn for two weeks. I think he’s so stubborn, even nature was afraid of him!”

Mark: “Spend some time researching. Particularly insects and diseases in your area to make sure you’re selecting a tree that’s not susceptible to fire blight for instance. We’ve seen a lot more fire blight since the climate has warmed up in the last 25 years. Remember, you can’t base the decision on flavor, you need to base it on how successful it will be.”

Step by step planting instructions

1. Soak your tree’s roots in water for an hour or two before planting

2. Dig a hole that is large enough to accommodate your tree’s current root system with extra room to grow

3. Spread out the tree’s roots to encourage root expansion

4. Keep the tree vertical in the planting hole so that it grows straight

5. Make sure to keep the graft union a few inches above the dirt

6. Refill the hole with the same dirt that was removed and add a little compost to the mix. The use of fertilizer, potting soil or chemicals is not recommended