by Glenn Davis, El Dorado
County Master Gardener
Once you have purchased a bare root plant, and hopefully transported it home in good condition, it’s time to put it in the garden. This is best done as soon as possible; if you cannot plant it on arrival, then place it in a bucket of water. If it is going to take longer than a day or so to prepare a suitable location, then heel it in by covering the root system with compost or planting mix.
Bare
root plants may have a crown, the area where the rootstock roots originate, and
a “dog leg” graft where the plant has been grafted onto the rootstock. It is important to identify these two areas
before you start digging your planting hole.
It is also important to prune out any diseased or broken roots before
planting. At this time you should also
check to see if any of the roots are circling the root system, these should be
pruned out.
Select
your plants location and make sure it is clear of weeds that could compete with
your new plant. Consider the bare root
plants size at maturity; this may seem a great distance from any other plant
but in the long run will keep your garden in balance. It is also important at this time to consider the plants water,
sun and shade needs.
Bare
root plants usually have a soil level mark, a darker color than the trunk,
where they have grown previously. This
is the past planting level and a level that should insure continued
growth. Unfortunately, many bare root
plants are stored in a damp medium and this level could be high, low or right
on. The best level for the crown of the
rootstock is at ground level; the graft union should be about 4-6 inches above
the ground level. Many gardeners
consider the graft union to be a weak area and subject to injury; to combat
this they locate graft stub facing north and away from the prevailing winds.
Once you
have selected the location of the plant you can start digging. The general rule is to dig a hole about 2 –
3 times larger than the roots.
Horizontal width is more important than vertical depth since this is the
area where most of the feeder roots will be located. It may help to add some compost by mixing it with the original
soil, but no more than 25%. In our area
a handful of super phosphate can be added to the bottom of the hole and covered
with about 3 inches of soil to assist the roots initially. No other fertilizer is needed at this
time. Organic material in the planting
hole will deteriorate in a year or two and this can cause the tree to settle;
take this into consideration when calculating the depth of your planting hole. If your soil is extremely heavy and the
sides of your planting hole are slick, break down the sides to allow the roots
to penetrate outward.
To
insure that the roots start laterally build a small cone in the center of the
hole and spread the roots around it.
Place the plant on this cone and check to make sure the graft is above
the soil level and the crown is beneath the soil level. Placing a shovel handle across the hole to
insure that the plant is at the correct depth can do this. If you are going to stake the plant now is
the time to put the stakes in. Place
the plant on the cone and fill the dirt back until the hole is half
filled. Tamp the soil lightly to remove
most of the air pockets and water the soil in to settle it. Fill the remainder to the hole making sure
the tree is at the correct level.
Build a
small moat around the plant, but make sure the plant trunk itself is located on
an island in the center that is water free.
Fill the moat with water and let it soak in; you may have to repeat this
watering process a couple of times to settle the soil. If the soil settles too much, add more. If the plant settles too much, lightly move
it back and forth and lift it, then press the soil back down and add more if
necessary. Most young bare root plants
need to be watered once a week for the first year. To assist in water conservation consider mulching around the
plant; make sure the mulch does not touch the trunk.
Most
trees benefit by being allowed to adjust individually to the wind; however some
gardeners do stake their trees. If you
are one of the latter, make sure you stake your tree loosely to allow it to
build some trunk stability. Try to
insure that it does not injure itself on the supporting stake. Probably the
best way to do this is to use a double stake method, place a stake on either
side of the tree and tie the tree loosely to each stake. This allows the tree to move yet stops it
from falling over or rubbing against the stakes.
If the
nursery has not pruned off excess limbs you may do so at this time. This will dictate the form and growth
pattern of the tree in future years.
Young trees that have been grown in
protected areas frequently are subject to sunburn when transferred to the
garden. To prevent this the tree may be
wrapped or painted with tree paint that can be obtained from your local
nursery.
Finally, label your plant and map its location with
the date you planted it and any other appropriate notes.