Planting a bare root tree can be intimidating, but it is the best method of planting when considering the tree’s health. Trees acclimate to the soil seamlessly, establish quicker, and have a root mass that is not circling or tangled when planted bare root. I’d recommend planting bare root trees over containerized trees whenever possible.
Common Mistakes
- Digging the hole too deep.
- This can cause the tree and/or soil to sink as time goes on which can lead to lack of stability, problems with the roots drying out, or being planted too deep.
- Planting the tree too deep
- This leads to roots that circle around each other that can choke each other out and rotting near the trunk which can cause long term problems
- Letting the roots dry out
- Not keeping the roots moist until planting results in a quick death. This doesn’t mean you need to mist the roots every minute, but that you don’t leave them out for hours on end. Ideally you’d plant bare root trees when it is not very warm or windy, as both of those things can cause desiccation (drying out) of the roots.
- Not Mulching
- Mulching masks many small mistakes that can lead to death of your tree. If you water a bit too late, mulch can be the difference between being alive or dead. This aids transplanting and establishment in a way no other single action could. I cannot recommend mulching enough, it is probably the best thing you can do for your tree’s health, especially when planting trees.
Step By Step
- Unpack the tree and remove all packing materials. Soak the roots in water for 2 to 5 hours
- Dig a hole as deep as the root system and two times the width of the root system
- Loosen the surrounding soil to aid the roots in extending the first year
- Plant the tree so that the root flare (where the first major roots occur on the trunk or where the trunk widens) is visible at ground level.
- Fill the hole and gently firm the soil with your hands to loosely pack the soil around the root system.
- Water the tree by building a basin around it and letting the water soak in
- Mulch the area 2 to 4 inches deep in a 3′ diameter around the tree while keeping the mulch at least 4″ away from the trunk
Below is a video from the Arbor Day Foundation where a certified arborist demonstrates these steps with a small evergreen tree.
