General Plant Directions

How to Plant Bare Root Plants:

1. Unpack your trees, remove all packing materials, carefully untangle the roots and soak the roots in water 3 to 6 hours. Do not allow the roots to dry out.

2. Dig a hole, wider than seems necessary, so the roots can grow outward without crowding. Remove any grass within a 3-foot circular area. To aid root growth, turn the soil in an area up to 3 feet in diameter.

3. Plant the tree at the same depth it stood in the nursery, with plenty of room for the roots. Partially fill the hole, firming the soil around the lower roots. Do not add soil amendments such as peat or bark. Do not use fertilizer, potting soil, or chemicals on your new trees.

4. Shovel in the remaining soil. It should be firm but not tightly packed. Construct a water-holding basin around the tree. Give the tree plenty of water.

5. After the water has soaked in, spread protective mulch two inches deep in a 3-foot diameter area around the base of the tree, but not touching the trunk.

6. The soil and mulch around your trees should be kept moist but not soggy. During dry weather, generously water the tree every 7 to 10 days during the first year. Water slowly at the dripline.

Planting Location: To give your trees the best start, we recommend planting in a protected area with worked-up soil such as a garden. After 1 to 2 years, simply transplant to the permanent location when the trees are dormant.

Signs of Dormancy: Plant or transplant your trees when they are dormant. In fall: after the leaves have dropped or, on evergreen trees, when light-brown clusters form on the top. In early spring: before leaves or new growth appear.

Carefully Separate Your Trees: There will be more than one tree in your package. Remove the plastic bag around the roots and the twist tie holding your trees together. Separate your trees, carefully untangling the roots. Please note that the roots have been covered with a hydrating gel which keeps them moist during shipment.

Depth and Distance of Holes: Measure the roots of each tree. Dig one hole for each tree 1 foot wide and 1 inch deeper than the roots. Holes should be 2-1/2 feet apart.

Fertilizer? Do not use fertilizer, potting soil, or chemicals on your baby trees. Such products will kill your young trees.

Watering: Keeping your baby trees watered is important during their first year. Keep the soil and mulch moist but not soggy. In dry weather, you should water generously every 7 to 10 days. The water should soak into the soil and mulch. Avoid watering so much that you see standing water.

Protection: We recommend putting a fence (such as chicken wire) around your trees if your site is a feeding ground for rabbits, deer, or other wildlife.

How to Plant Containerized Trees:

Instructions

1. Dig a hole 3 to 4 times wider than the container. The hole should have sloping sides like a saucer to allow for proper root growth.

2. Carefully remove the tree from the container keeping the soil around the roots intact. It helps to tap the outside of the container to loosen the edge. Carefully slide the tree from the container. Don't yank the tree out of the container as this can separate the roots from the tree.

3. Sometimes containerized trees become root-bound or the roots look like they're about to circle the root ball. If your tree is like this, cut an X across the bottom of the root ball and four vertical slices along the sides of the root ball with a sharp knife.

4. Set the tree in the middle of the hole. Avoid planting the tree too deep. If the root collar sits below the top of the hole, compact some soil under the tree so that the root flare at the base of the trunk is slightly above ground level. Using some soil, secure the tree in a straight position, then fill and firmly pack the hole with the original soil, making sure there aren't any air pockets. Keep backfilling until the soil is just below the root collar.

5. Create a water-holding basin around the hole and give the tree a good watering. After the water has soaked in, spread protective mulch 2–4 inches deep in a 3-foot diameter area around the base of the tree, but not touching the trunk.

6. The soil and mulch around your trees should be kept moist but not soggy. During dry weather, generously water the tree every 7 to 10 days during the first year. Water slowly at the dripline.

7. Remove any tags and labels from the tree as these will affect the tree as it grows. You may need to prune any broken or dead branches. (Please refer to the arborday.org pruning guide.)

Fertilizer? Do not use fertilizer, potting soil, or chemicals on your newly planted trees. Such products will kill your young trees.

Watering: Keeping your trees watered is important during their first year. Keep the soil and mulch moist but not soggy. In dry weather, you should water generously every 7–10 days. The water should soak into the soil and mulch. Avoid watering so much that you see standing water.

How To Store Bare Root Plants Until Planting Time

Trees & Shrubs (Including Fruit Trees, Berry Plants, Native Plants also)

When you receive your trees or shrubs you will need to open them right away and remove the plastic from the entire plant (except the root area).

It is best to plant Bare Root Trees & Shrubs within 1-2 days after receiving them, but there are other methods in case you do not have time for immediate planting. If you have a cool moist area such as a basement or garage, leave the plants standing upright and leave plastic around the root system, and water thoroughly a couple of times a day (roots only). When you plant, it's always best to soak the roots, put water in the hole before planting (to add moisture in the deeper part of the soil before planting), and water again after planting. It's also advised to water each plant the first 4-5 days after it's planted and they should do well on their own after this. We also recommend using a good fertilizer in the Fall so when the spring comes again, your trees & shrubs will be beautiful and ready to thrive.

Perennials, Ferns & Ground Covers

When we must store perennials, ferns & groundcovers, we maintain a temperature of 38-42 degrees. Some nurseries use this year-round and the plants will be fine for long periods of time without planting. This keeps them dormant. Also if your order is a small one and you have a crisper drawer in the bottom section of your refrigerator, place them in their bags in the crisper drawer. This provides an adequate temperature for these types of plants. If you do not have room for cold storage, put it in your basement, garage, or cellar and remove it from the bags. Cover with potting soil and mist lightly with water every couple of days until you can plant them.

Wetland Plants & Live Stakes

If you have a pond, lake, or large trough, place the roots of the plants in water and they will be fine for several days until planted. Ensure that if using your own container you keep freshwater, do not allow algae to grow or for the water to become stagnant. Change water every few days. When submerged in a pond or lake, nothing is needed to be changed, simply put roots in and they will actually grow while being stored until planted.

Seeds

Seeds must be put in a dry area or placed in a refrigerator until planted. It is also advisable to check with your local USDA to check ideal storage requirements for a particular seed. Different zones and climates will dictate the best ways to store.

All our bare root stock is dug fresh to order

We dig our perennials then take them to our shipping warehouse and spray with wilt proof and then dip in terra sorb gel. Both are transparent and you can not see it but when you feel your bulbs, you will know the inside is in superior health is soft, full of moisture, and pliable. We wrap the roots (or place in plastic zip lock bags), for a short shipping period of 3-4 days the plastic seals in the moisture which is further needed for transit and we utilize peat most to aid in moisture retention.

Buying plants "bare root" is the most affordable way to order.

Planting bare-root plants, perennials, ferns & trees not only is less expensive to ship, but it also enables the customer to buy at a fraction of the expense as containerized plants. We can ship our bare root plants FedEx, ups, or US mail for much cheaper than if you purchased container trees. You receive the same plants, for a fraction of the price.

We Pack To Protect Your Plants

Every plant we ship is dug fresh a day before shipment. We dig your order, take to the shipping warehouse and dip all roots in a moisture gel called Tera-sorb, and line the roots with paper. (In warmer months we use straw to keep the plants cool during transit, then wrap in heavy paper and containerize in corrugated pressure protectant cardboard boxes.) We band every box as well as tape to prevent damage during transportation.

What is Tera Sorb?

Terra Sorb is a super absorbent, potassium-based co-polymer gel that drastically increases the water holding capacity of the soil. It absorbs up to 200 times its weight in water and slowly releases it to nearby plants, perfect for transporting plants.

We take large tubs of Terra-sorb to the fields, dig your plants fresh, dip in terra sorb and take directly to the shipping warehouse and ship out the following day. We do not leave bare root plants in the cooler like a lot of other nurseries, we dig our stock fresh and ship it. This ensures that your plants will arrive in the best possible condition and will be much more likely to thrive than plants purchased at other nurseries that do not follow these steps.

We pack all plants in terra sorb gel (roots dipped) and lined with moisture-rich peat moss. You can purchase bare rootstock in the dormant season and have the exact same results? Why pay 90% more for containerized plants?