With their promise of lush foliage, vibrant blooms, and delicious fruit, planting bare-root trees is an easy way to make certain your garden is a success whether you are just starting out or your thumb is as green as lush grass. These plants, whether stately trees, adapt quickly to new environments allowing them to produce an abundance of growth.

Our comprehensive guide will walk you through the necessary steps and tips to successfully plant bare-root trees and, guaranteeing you a thriving garden.

What are Bare-Root Trees

Bare-root plants are dormant and soil free making them easy to handle and a quick way to start or expand your garden. They are available during late autumn to early spring. They should be planted after the dangers of the last frost are gone when the soil is not too cold, waterlogged or too dry.

Bare-root plants are a great way to add to gardens as they have many benefits. They are cheaper than potted plants as there is no soil or pot involved. Grown in the ground for a couple of years, they are more developed with an advanced root system which enables them to adapt to their new home quickly.

While there are many advantages of planting bare-root trees, there are a few disadvantages that you must be wary of when deciding what to plant. Bare-root trees will always be on the smaller side with the tallest tree standing at just below two metres due to the inability to move larger trees this way successfully.

Another disadvantage is that there are seasonal restraints meaning bare-root trees can only be harvested when they are dormant. While not a major disadvantage, many bare-root trees need staking for up to a year due to their mortal enemy, the wind. If aesthetics is important to you, staking can be an unavoidable eyesore.

Types of Bare-Root Trees

Not every tree can be a bare-root tree, but do not fret, there are still plenty of species to choose from. Check your local hardware or garden centres for varieties to suit your location. Here are a few options to get you thinking.

• Fruit trees: Apples, pears, plums, apricots, nectarines, lemon, fig-trees, cherry trees and even mulberries.
• Nut trees: Almonds, macadamias, hazelnuts and walnuts.
• Shade and Ornamental trees: Oak (Quercus), maple (Acer), Maidenhair (Ginkgo), claret ash (Fraxinus), gleditsia (Honey Locust), birch (Betula), and Japanese maples (Acer palmatum).
• Flowering trees: Cherry blossom (Prunus), crab apple (Malus), lilacs (Syringa), crepe myrtle (Lagerstoemia), and magnolias.

When choosing your trees it is vital that you pay close attention to their needs and what your local climate and soil have to offer.

Before you Plant

Before you start looking for the species you want to plant, the first step is to make sure you have the proper location for your tree. Check that there is plenty of room for the tree to grow, plenty of sun and that your soil is adequate and well-draining. Once you know where your tree will be planted and you are ready to order, the next big step is timing your order and planting appropriately.

In a perfect world, you will want to plant your tree within 24 hours of receiving it, but if that is not possible there are steps you can take to ensure your tree survives while you wait. Bare-root trees are shipped with their roots packed in damp shavings, peat moss or hay and then wrapped in plastic.

Once in your care, unwrap your roots and check if they are still moist. Tree roots that seem to be even slightly dry will need to be soaked in a bucket of Seasol (mix 40mL of concentrate per 9 litres of water) and water immediately. After fully saturating your roots, repack the tree with the same materials it came with. If those materials are no longer usable anything from soaked wood chips to newspaper will suffice.

Make sure once you have either checked on and approved your root’s moisture level, or soaked them, that the tree stays in a cool place until you are ready to plant. Once you are prepared to plant, remove the roots from their protection, and inspect and prune back any roots that are broken, dead, or diseased.

It’s Time to Plant!

Follow these easy steps below to ensure your garden is set up for success.

Step 1 – Dig the Hole for your Plant

• Remove your bare-rooted tree from its packaging as described above and soak the plant’s root system in a bucket of Seasol while preparing the hole. This will help to reduce transplant shock.
• Remove any grass and weeds in a one metre radius.
• Dig a hole deep enough and wide enough so that you are able to easily spread out the roots of your tree without crowding or bending them.
• Rough up the sides of the hole loosening the dirt.
• Improve the soil by adding home-made compost and organic matter and/or Seasol Super Compost. Dig it in well to revitalise soil and plant health.

Step 2 – Placing the Tree

• Start by adding a small amount of topsoil mixed with Seasol Plant + Soil Booster to the bottom of the hole to allow your roots the greatest chance of survival.
• Mound the dirt in the middle of the hole and drape the roots over the mound and outward to promote outward growth.
• If your tree was grafted, or two varieties jointed together, you will see a bulge or crook at the bottom of the tree. Check to make sure your graft union faces north and is at least seven to eight centimetres above the soil.
• Remove your tree from the bucket of Seasol and place it into the hole just deep enough that the trunk flare is surface level.

Step 3 – Backfill the Hole

• Once your tree is in its proper position and standing straight, begin adding topsoil to the hole around the roots and work the soil around ensuring there are no air pockets.
• Continue adding soil with Seasol Plant + Soil Booster mixed in, until the hole is half full evenly around the roots and lightly tamp down. Water well with the Seasol in the bucket and allow ample soaking time.
• Fill the hole the rest of the way, and tamp down firmly.
• Use any extra soil to create a ridge around the tree to keep water from running off too quickly.

Step 4 – Stake the Tree

• Drive up to three stakes into the ground depending on how much support your tree needs.
• Tie a soft material or padded wire onto the stake and then the tree connecting the two.
• Leave some slack around the tree to allow for growth.

Step 5 – Early maintenance

• Add a three to five centimetre thick layer of mulch around the tree making sure it is not touching the trunk to avoid collar rot.
• Thoroughly water the ground surrounding your tree with Seasol and allow ample time for it to soak in.
• Water the tree weekly with Seasol over the next season.
• If your locale is full of hungry critters make sure you protect your younger trees with hardware cloth between 45 and 60 centimetres high and make sure to press the cloth a few centimetres into the ground keeping those critters from accessing your hard work.

Step 6 – Regularly maintenance

• Apply Seasol regularly every fortnight  throughout the year to boost plant health and a strong root system.
• Check for weeds growing underneath the tree canopy and remove them.
• As tree growth takes off your tree will need to be fed with a balanced nutrient fertiliser (food) such as PowerFeed All Purpose including Natives,  PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Fruit & Citrus or PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Roses & Flowers depending on your trees needs. These specific plant foods will give the tree all the nutrients they need for lush foliage, tasty fruit and citrus or beautiful blooms.
• Ensure the tree is receiving enough moisture and water as needed. A long watering, less often will force roots deep looking for water and nutrients.
• Top up mulch as needed each season to keep the soil warm in winter and cool in summer.

Step 7 – Look out for

• Check regularly for pests that can affect your tree and treat them with the appropriate organic or horticultural oil such as EarthCare White Oil Insect Spray. Check out our pest guide for more information.
• Prune your tree every year depending on it’s requirements, this could be for shape or to remove dead and diseased foliage or to get better fruit production.
• Inspect the soil at the base of the tree and each season improve soil health by apply Seasol Plant + Soil Booster or Seasol Super Compost.
• Check out our ornamental tree guide or fruit & citrus tree guide for more detailed information about a specific tree.