Winter Plantings

Bare-Root Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

By Virginia Hayes

Many plants spend weeks or months in a state of suspended
animation during the cold, winter months. Gardeners and farmers
have discovered it is an ideal time to dig up the plants and move
them around without adversely interfering with their growth during
this state of dormancy. Here are the basics to transplanting and
planting bare-root trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Whether you’ve ordered some fruit trees by mail, succumbed to
the gorgeous pictures on the display tags of roses at the nursery,
or been offered some of your neighbor’s asparagus or strawberry
plants, there are a few tips to making sure you give them the best
start in their new habitat. First, remove the wrapping, shake off
soil or packing material, and give the root system a good look. It
may be easiest to see what’s going on by giving them a brief soak
in a bucket of water to rinse off soil or peat moss that is
obscuring flaws. This can also help in re-hydrating them if they’ve
dried out during their journey. Trim off any broken or skinned
roots cleanly. Many people swear by vitamin B solutions or other
root treatments; just follow the directions on the package. If you
can’t plant immediately, keep the plants cool and heel them in by
covering them with moist soil, potting mix, or peat moss.