Success with bareroot roses, vines, and trees!

Success with bareroot depends on proper storage and proper watering! Plant right away, water thoroughly and often.

Store the plant in moist shavings or soil … soak it for a few hours in water before you plant it; overnight is fine.

• Dig a hole at least twice as wide and the same depth as the root system.
• Loosen the soil around and below the roots, add some starter fertilizer, and mix that with the loose soil. Blend in bagged compost for roses; not necessary for other trees.
• Point the budded part of the tree (look for the scar) towards the southwest. The graft of trees and roses should be about two inches above the soil grade.
• Backfill the soil and step on the dirt gently all around to firm the soil.
• Water thoroughly to settle air pockets. If the whole thing sinks, tug gently to make sure the graft is at least two inches above grade.

Staking is usually not necessary-- a small anchor stake can keep it upright until it is fully rooted.

Paint the tree trunk all the way up to the lowest branches (or just paint the whole tree!) with interior white latex paint.

• Water every day unless it's raining. This is especially crucial in March!
• Cut back to a deep soaking 2 - 3 times per week in April.
• Water every 5 - 7 days in May -- about twice as often as your established trees.

What about Citrus trees?

Citrus are subtropical trees--they are not sold bareroot.

They are planted after frost danger (March thru October) and when the soil is not too wet or cold. There is no advantage to early planting--they will establish best in warm soil.

Citrus roots are fine and fragile, and grow best in loose soil that drains well.

Failure to thrive results from planting too deeply or in compacted soil, or watering too often. Mixing in bagged compost can help loosen the soil, and mounding the area gently will reduce drainage problems.

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Some other food plants we sell in the dormant season:

Strawberries should be planted about 1' apart in a sunny location. The crown of the plant should not be buried!

Asparagus should be planted 1 - 2' apart in soil which has been mixed with compost and which drains well in winter. They should be 6" or more below ground so you won't damage the crown when you harvest the asparagus shoots.

Rhubarb should be planted 2 - 3' apart in soil which has been amended thoroughly and which drains well. They live longest where they are watered relatively infrequently once established.

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