Bare root plants have no soil around their roots. They are dug by the nursery in late fall or early spring (plants dug in fall are over-wintered in coolers) and are often sold by mail-order retailers. They are an economical way to get unique or hard-to-find species and cultivars.
Bare root plants are shipped in the early spring and are usually delivered to your door at the appropriate time of the year based on your location and USDA Hardiness Zone. Bare root perennials are best planted in spring before growth begins.
Care Before Planting | Planting | Care After Planting | More Information
Care Before Planting
Open and inspect bare root plants as soon as they arrive. They should be in good condition with firm, heavy roots that are not dry or brittle. The packing material around the roots (usually coarse sphagnum moss) should be damp, not dripping wet or completely dry. Buds and growing points should be green and firm. There should be no obvious signs of mold or freezing damage. Plants should not have mushy roots, foul odors, or many broken stems or roots.
Plant bare root perennials as soon as possible after receiving them. If planting has to be delayed, store them in a cool, non-freezing location at around 40°F, such as a refrigerator, unheated garage, or root cellar. Keep the packing material around the roots and ensure it is damp but not wet. The packing material should feel like a wrung out sponge. While in storage, moisten packing materials as needed. Do not let any part of the bare root plant dry out, especially the root system.
Planting
Plant bare root perennials as soon as possible before spring growth begins.
- Prior to planting, soak the plant’s roots in a bucket of water for 30 to 60 minutes. Also, prune off damaged or broken roots.
- When ready to plant, dig a hole two to two-and-a-half times wider than the spread of the plant’s root system.
- Plants sometimes come with instructions on how deep to place the crown under the soil. If no instructions are present, plant at a depth that puts the crown no more than one or two inches below the soil surface. Do not plant too deeply.
- Inspect the bare root plant and identify the upper part of the plant. Typically, a mass of roots is connected to a few buds forming the crown of the perennial. Orient the bare root plant with the crown up.
- If needed, build a cone-shaped mound of soil in the center of the hole to help spread the roots outward.
- Place the perennial on the mound, distributing them evenly in the planting hole.
- The buds/crown should be no more than one or two inches below the surrounding soil surface.
- Begin carefully backfilling with the original soil.
- In most cases, for perennials, the soil that comes out of the planting hole should go back into the planting hole.
- As you backfill, firm the soil in the hole with your hands.
- Be careful not to press down so firmly that you break roots or snap off buds at the crown.
- Mark the location with a wooden maker or stake to remember where you planted it.
- Water the perennial thoroughly.
It will take 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the weather and soil conditions, for the perennial to emerge.
Care After Planting
Water plants as needed throughout the first growing season until fully established. Check plants once or twice a week and water when the soil around the roots is dry. Reduce watering frequency as plants become more established later in the growing season.
Mound the soil into a ring around the plant's root zone to make watering easier. The ring allows water to stay in place and soak in around the rooting zone rather than running off while watering.
Place mulch around the base of the plant to help conserve soil moisture and reduce competition from weeds.
Wait at least four weeks before fertilizing. The young roots are easily damaged by too much fertilizer.
More Information
- How to Plant Perennials
- How to Plant Bare Root Plants
- Perennials for Sun (PDF)
- Perennials for Shade (PDF)
- Groundcovers for Sun
- Groundcovers for Shade
- Growing Ferns in Iowa
- How to Divide and Transplant Perennials
- How to Determine Plant Quantity for Planting Beds
- How to Determine the Amount of Mulch Needed for a Garden Bed
Photo credits: 1: David Maddock/AdobeStock; 2: maryviolet/AdobeStock