How to Plant a Bare Root Tree or Shrub

Many kinds of shrubs and trees are sold while leafless and dormant, with roots bare of soil. A bare-root plant may look pathetic, but if you start it out properly and care for it well, it will thrive.

Garden Hoses

Mulch

Potting Soil

Shovels

Stakes

Trees Or Shrub

Buckets

Plant bare-root trees and shrubs in winter and very early spring (from mid-November to mid-March in most parts of the country) when the plants are dormant and the ground isn't frozen solid. They'll have a chance to put out new roots before they have to cope with hot sun, drying winds and the added stress of producing leaves.

Remove any packing material carefully, and rinse off or gently pull off any clumps of earth clinging to the roots; clip off any dead or damaged roots.

Immerse the roots in a bucket of water to soak for at least one to four hours, but no longer than overnight. Supplying enough moisture is key to the success of bare-root planting.

Dig a hole that's at least two feet wider than the root system and about as deep as the point where the roots flare from the trunk (or stems in the case of a shrub). Using your shovel, loosen the soil on the sides of the hole so it doesn't solidify around the plant's roots.

Mound soil in the bottom of the hole so that the peak reaches just about ground level.

Place stakes in the hole if you're planting a tree that will need support (see "eHow to Stake and Tie a Tree).

Set the tree or shrub on top of the mound so the roots cascade down over the sides. Spread them gently with your hands if you need to, and add or remove soil so that top of the root system is just at ground level.

Fill the hole about halfway with soil and tamp it lightly with your foot to remove large air pockets.

Make sure the tree or shrub is standing straight up, then water slowly to saturate the soil and remove any remaining air pockets.

Finish filling the hole with soil. Use any extra to build a temporary berm above the perimiter of the roots and water again.

Keep the soil moist for the first year after planting. Mulch to retain moisture, but keep at least six inches bare around the trunk. Check frequently; if you see yellow leaves or the soil feels dry, water immediately.

Unless you're planting a small shrub or a street or patio tree in a small, confined space, avoid amending (improving) the soil in the planting hole. The "good" soil will encourage the roots to confine themselves within that small area rather than spread out as they need to, and the result will be a weak plant. Instead, choose trees and shrubs that thrive naturally in your soil conditions.

Deep, thorough watering is the key to healthy shrubs and trees. Give new trees at least an inch of water a week all around the root zone. (The roots of a woody plant extend about the same distance as its branches).

Use the bare-root method only for deciduous trees and shrubs of the standard size sold in nurseries. Larger deciduous plants and all evergreens will suffer too much stress without an extra cushion of soil around their roots. (See "eHow to Plant a Container Tree or Shrub" and "eHow to Plant a Balled-and-Burlapped Tree or Shrub.")