July is the time of year that new-season trees and other plants begin to arrive in garden centres. For gardeners who’ve never planted a bare-rooted plant, they can be a little worrying especially with issues around planting, care and maintenance - but there's no need to fret! With the right care and expert advice, these plants will flourish in your garden.

A bare-rooted plant – which may be an ornamental or fruiting tree, shrub or vine – is a plant that’s grown in the ground, dug out during its winter dormancy and sold through garden centres without the normal pot and potting mix. The plant shouldn’t just be a trunk with bare roots exposed. To protect the roots while the plant is out of the ground it will have its root system wrapped in coir peat and a plastic sleeve or even loosely potted up for the trip from the garden centre to your garden.

Note: If a bare-rooted plant is in a pot it will not be firm in the pot, so don’t lift it by its stem. At planting, shake the roots free of the protective potting mix.

 

 

How to plant a bare-rooted tree in six easy steps

Keep the roots protected before the plant goes in the ground, but do plant it as soon as possible. Always refer to the label for detailed planting advice and information.

Step 1: Preparing the soil and planting hole

Prepare the planting area by removing weeds, stones and clods and digging a planting hole that’s wider than the root system but about the same depth as the root ball. Add compost, well-rotted manure or other soil improver to the soil, combining it well. Flower Power recommends Supersoil Garden Compost and Supersoil Enriched Soil Improver and Planting Mix. Make a mound of soil in the centre of the hole to sit the root system on. If the soil is hard to dig or poorly drained, plant into a raised bed or mound rather than dig into the ground.

 

Step 2: Root ball care

While you prepare for planting, take the root ball out of its temporary protective cover and shake the roots free of potting mix or coir. Soak the root ball in a bucket of water enriched with a seaweed solution - Flower Power recommends Seasol. Be sure to keep this bucket of water once your tree has finished soaking - you'll need it later on!

 

Step 3: Prepare the plant

Take the plant out of the water and check for any root damage. Prune away damaged roots or growth (if you prefer, you can leave other pruning until directly after planting - see step 6 below). Place the root ball into the planting hole so its roots straddle the mound in the base of the hole.

 

When planting, you can use your shovel over the hole as a level to ensure you don't plant the root ball any deeper than it was covered previously. Once you've firmed the soil around it, don't forget to create a depression (like a little moat!) around the tree to retain water.

 

Step 4: Correct planting depth and staking

Place a stake or spade across the top of the planting hole as a guide and sit the plant at the same level in its new site as it was before it was dug up from the ground. Look for the telltale signs of earth above the root system and below the graft or growing point to assess the correct planting depth. Adjust planting depth by adding or removing soil in the hole. If using stakes to give the new plant added support, insert the stakes now.

 

Step 5: Back fill and water in

Use the soil you dug out to create the planting hole to fill in around the roots. To eliminate air pockets, water and gently firm the soil with your hands or feet so the new plant is stable and upright. Create a depression in the soil around the stem to direct water to the root area. Use the bucket of water the root ball was soaking in, plus additional water from the hose, to thoroughly saturate the soil. If staking, tie the trunk to the stake or stakes positioned beside the trunk using soft plant ties.

 

Step 6: Mulch, prune and care

Scatter a complete slow-release fertiliser around the base of the plant (Flower Power recommends Supergrow Organic Fertiliser Pellets) and cover the area with a layer of mulch around 5mm thick. Don’t pile mulch around the trunk - this can cause rotting. If necessary, prune the newly planted tree after planting cutting back by up to a third. Many deciduous fruit trees are grafted (either single graft or multi-grafted - Flower Power sells multi-grafted trees as 2-Way and 3-Way plants, but you should always refer to the plant label to check), so it's vital that when pruning you are careful not to cut them off below the graft. Plants that are grafted with a pollinator variety will have the pollinator grafted low on the stem. Remove the plant label as the tie can damage the trunk as it grows, but keep the label for future reference.

 

 

Ongoing care for bare-rooted plants

These plants need frequent water while establishing, so water at least twice weekly - especially once new leaves appear. Reduce watering as the plant gets established, but provide additional water if summer is hot or dry. If the plant is staked, regularly check and adjust the ties as the plant grows to avoid damage. Fertilise according to recommendations for the particular plant. For ongoing fruit tree care advice for every season, click here.

 

A note on pollination

In order for many fruit trees to be productive, they require cross-pollination from a compatible variety. For all the info you need, check out Flower Power's pollination charts here.