Choosing the Right Bare-Root Plants

In the case of creating a successful garden, bare-root plants provide a perfect blend of low costs, energy, and convenience. If you have been a gardener or a beginner, you could be in a position where knowing how to choose and take care of the bare root plants would mean the difference between a landscape that prospered and a landscape that did not.

At Tennessee Wholesale Nursery, we have decades of experience growing and shipping quality bare root plants that can be planted in your garden to grow with great vigour to form a good root plant. This guide will take you through all the details you need to know with regard to planting bare-root plants and getting the maximum out of them.

What Are Bare-Root Plants, and How Do They Work?

Bare-root plants are plants that are sold without soil surrounding their roots. These are not grown in containers but are grown during their dormant period in late fall or early spring, when they are not actively growing, as are container-grown plants. Transplant shock is reduced as the roots are washed of soil, making them light and easier to ship.

This cultivating technique will enable you to check out the whole root system prior to planting and know that you are getting healthy plants that are free of disease. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service suggests bare-root stock in most native plantings, as it has better establishment.

Bare-root perennial plants like White Violet in Tennessee Wholesale Nursery would indicate how perennial plants will respond well to bare-root planting, after which they will grow and spread aggressively as they are established in the garden bed.

Bare root perennial plants and woody plants, such as our White Pine Seedlings, come prepared to grow a high degree of root systems even after they are planted. Since they are dormant, they also put all their energies into the development of roots and not sustaining the old foliage.

Why Are Bare-Root Plants a Smart Choice for Gardeners?

There are several benefits associated with selecting bare-root plants that both novices and expert gardeners enjoy:

• Cost-Effectiveness: Bare-root stock is normally 30-50% cheaper than potted counterparts, since you do not need any cost of containers, potting soil, or protracted greenhouse attention.
• Healthier root Systems : Bare-root plants form faster in the absence of circling roots and rootbound problems that are typical of containers and grow to form more natural, spreading root systems.
• Less labour to plant: The lightness of the mixture allows them to be handled with ease, and it is easy to observe and spread roots when planting, unlike with root balls that are covered with soil.
• Better Selection: With a greater variety of species to select from in your landscape, most of the bare-root native plants, as well as specialty varieties, are only available bare-root.

Pussy Willow Live Stakes are the perfect illustration of these advantages, as they are affordable, they grow fast around the water bodies, and their root systems are strong enough to stop erosion.

Best Uses for Bare-Root Plants in Home Landscapes

Knowing how to grow bare-root plants successfully requires getting to know how to match the type of plant with the right landscape application. Bare-root native plants are especially effective in naturalized landscapes, woodland gardens, and restoration projects where the authenticity of the region is important.

The deep rooting of bare-root specimens is most beneficial in controlling erosion on slopes by the use of plantings. The creation of wildlife habitats with berry-producing plants such as Dewberry is a source of food for the birds and pollinators, and stabilizes the soil.

Ideal applications of bare-root stock:

• Perennial mass groundcover installations.
  
• Planting of orchards and food forests that contain fruit-bearing species.
  
• Bank stabilization by using water-resistant varieties.
  
• Ecological improvement of native plants.

The species of bare-root perennial plants selected by Tennessee Wholesale Nursery are those that are selected to be used in low-maintenance landscapes. Select native species to match your USDA hardiness zone to achieve the highest performance in the long term. Water needs in moisture can be matched to the natural patterns of moisture drainage in your location to lower irrigation usage. Bare-root plants are excellent in a number of landscape applications.

Planting and Establishment Tips for Bare-Root Stock

How to grow bare-root plants successfully begins with the correct techniques of planting bare-root plants:

• Timing Is Everything: Plant when dormant: late in the fall or early spring when the buds are not open. This allows roots time to develop before they sustain new growth.
  
• After receiving the order: When you receive your order, check the roots for any damage or diseases. The roots must be healthy and not mushy, and have a large number of fibrous feeder roots.
  
• Soak the roots before planting: Put the roots in water and then plant after 2-4 hours to rehydrate after shipping.
  
• Digging: You need to make holes that are twice as wide as the root spread but not longer than the root. This will help the lateral roots grow.
  
• Spread Roots Naturally: You need to expand the roots in the hole and not make them round and round, and do native soil backfilling.
  
• Water Well: Water the soil after planting thoroughly to moisten the soil around roots and remove air gaps. Keep the first growing season constantly moist.
  
• Add Mulch: Add 2-3 inches of organic mulch surrounding plants (avoiding stems) to keep soil moist and maintain soil temperature.

Do not fertilize the plants when planting bare-root plants. First get roots, then feed sparingly in the second season.

Long-Term Growth Benefits of Bare-Root Plants

The returns on the investment in bare-root plants are paid off over the years:

• Better root growth: In the absence of container barriers, roots are naturally outgrown, forming stable anchor systems and effective systems of nutrient uptake.
• Quicker Growth: Research indicates that bare-root plants typically grow faster than their container-grown counterparts in 2-3 years since they do not have to surmount rootbound conditions.
• Drought Tolerance: Deep, deep-rooted systems reach moisture that the shallow-rooted plants are missing, which leads to less water requirement in the long term.
• Increased Vigour: How to grow bare-root plants into healthy plants is a matter of the initial crucial months. Plants that are well set grow better, are more resistant to disease, and bring out flowering or fruit.
• Economic Value: Bare-root perennial plants and natives are a value investment down the line, considering that they are cheaper to start and have high success rates.

The Tennessee Wholesale Nursery has a philosophy of quality, and all the plants it delivers have healthy root systems that take off fast in your landscape.

Conclusion

The choice of adequate bare-root plants preconditions the creation of a garden that will grow under minimum care and maximum beauty. The benefits of planting bare-root plants are hard to overstate: cost savings, better root development, and so on. It is worth noting that planting bare-root plants is an excellent choice for gardeners of any skill level. The process of how to grow bare-root plants successfully begins with the selection of quality stock from reputable sources.

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery deals with prime bare root native plants, bare root perennial plants, and specialty varieties such as Pussy Willow Live Stakes, White Pine Seedlings, White Violet, and Dewberry.

FAQs

What are bare-root plants?

Plants that are sold without soil on the roots are called bare-root plants and are usually harvested in late fall to early spring to ensure maximum transplanting.

Are the bare-root plants better than potted plants?

Plants grown bare-root can be planted with much faster growth, at reduced costs, and have more natural root systems, with none of the circling or rootbound problems of containers.

When is the best time to plant bare-root plants?

Plant in dormancy—late fall-early spring, when the plants are not in bud yet—as plants can concentrate energy on root formation instead of maintaining foliage.

How to plant bare-root plants?

Prepare roots by soaking them for 2-4 hrs. Before planting, prepare deep holes, lay roots in their natural form, re-amend with native soil, water, and apply 2-3 inches of mulch.

How to store bare-root plants before planting?

To maximize the success of the root, keep roots dry in their wrappings, store in a cool place (35-45°F), and plant within a few days of delivery to achieve maximum success.

Where can I buy bare-root plants online?

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery has quality bare-root plants that are delivered directly to your door with quality and free growing tips.