Planting Bare Root Trees: A TN Nursery Guide From Box to Ground

Planting bare root trees works best while they are dormant. Keep the roots moist from the moment the box opens. Plant within two days, hold them cool and damp for about a week, or heel them in for longer. Then soak the roots, dig a wide hole, set the root flare at ground level, backfill, water and mulch.

Planting bare root trees: what to do the day the box arrives

Most of our trees ship bare-root and dormant: no pot and no soil, just a bundle of roots kept damp in packing. This is the TN Nursery Potting Shed, run by TN Nursery, the third-generation family nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, growing native trees and plants since 1959.

Bare roots dry out fast in sun and wind. So the first hour matters more than any step that comes later. Open the box the day it lands, even if you can't plant yet.

  • Open the box indoors or in the shade, out of the wind.
  • Check the roots. They should feel damp and flexible, not dry and brittle.
  • If the packing feels dry, mist it until it is damp like a wrung-out sponge.
  • Look at the stems. A healthy dormant stem is firm, with no leaves yet. That is normal.
  • Close the bundle back up and keep it somewhere cool and dark until you plant.

Tip: A bare-root tree with no leaves is not dead. It is asleep. Dormant stock is the easiest kind to move and plant.

How to store bare root trees before planting

Can you wait to plant bare-root trees? Yes, for a while, as long as the roots stay cool, moist and out of the sun. How long depends on how you hold them. Use this timeline from the day the box arrives.

How long you need to wait What to do Where to keep them
Day 0 to 2 Plant them. This is the best window. Roots wrapped and shaded until they go in the ground.
Up to about a week Keep them in their packing. Check the roots every day or two and mist if dry. A cool, dark spot that does not freeze, like an unheated garage or cellar.
More than a week Heel them in (see the steps below). A shady trench in the garden, roots covered with moist soil.
  • Don't leave the roots sitting in a bucket of water for days. Roots need air as well as water.
  • Don't store them in a warm room. Warmth can wake the tree before it is in the ground.
  • Don't let the roots freeze in the box.

How to heel in bare-root trees, step by step

Heeling in means planting the trees for a short time in a shallow trench. It keeps the roots in moist soil until the real planting spot is ready. Use it when the ground is too wet, your hole isn't dug, or the weather turns.

  1. Pick a shady, sheltered spot

    Choose the north side of a building or under a tree, out of wind and afternoon sun.

  2. Dig a shallow trench

    Make one side straight and the other side sloped. It only needs to be deep enough to cover all the roots.

  3. Lay the trees at an angle

    Rest the stems against the sloped side, roots in the bottom. Seedlings in a bundle can be untied and spread out a little.

  4. Cover the roots

    Fill over the roots with loose soil, compost or damp sawdust. Leave the stems above the ground.

  5. Water it in

    Soak the trench so the soil settles around every root. Check it each week and water if it dries.

  6. Lift and plant

    Dig the trees out gently when you are ready, keep the roots covered, and plant them the same day.

How to plant bare root trees in 6 steps

Once the ground can be worked, planting a bare-root tree takes a few minutes. The Iowa State University Extension guide follows the same order.

1. 1. Soak the roots

Set the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting, and no longer than a day. Carry the bucket to the hole so the roots never sit in the sun.

Tip: Roots that look dry on arrival can take the longer soak, up to a day, before planting or heeling in.

2. 2. Dig a wide, shallow hole

Make the hole two to three times wider than the roots spread, but no deeper than the roots are long. Roots grow out more than down.

Tip: Rough up the sides of the hole with your spade so roots can push into the soil.

3. 3. Build a small mound

Pile loose soil into a low cone in the middle of the hole. Spread the roots over it like a skirt.

4. 4. Set the root flare at ground level

The root flare is the spot where the stem widens into the roots. It should sit level with the ground, not buried. On small seedlings, line up the old soil mark on the stem with the ground.

5. 5. Backfill with the soil you dug out

Fill the hole with your own native soil. Firm it gently with your hands to close air pockets. Don't stomp it hard.

6. 6. Water deeply, then mulch

Soak the hole slowly so the soil settles. Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch in a wide ring. Keep the mulch a few inches off the stem.

Fall or spring: when to plant bare-root native trees

Plant bare-root trees any time they are dormant and the ground is not frozen or soggy. In most places that means late fall through early spring.

  • Fall planting: the soil is still warm under the surface. Roots can settle in over winter, before the tree has leaves to feed.
  • Spring planting: plant as soon as the soil can be dug, before buds open. Water more often once the weather warms.
  • Frozen or waterlogged ground: wait, and heel the trees in until the soil crumbles in your hand.

First-year care for bare-root seedlings

  • Water once a week when it doesn't rain, soaking the root zone. Water more in hot, dry spells.
  • Keep the mulch ring weed-free. Grass close to a seedling steals water.
  • Skip fertilizer in the first season. Let the roots grow into the soil first.
  • Be patient. Bare-root trees can leaf out later than trees nearby. Scratch a stem with your thumbnail. Green under the bark means it is alive.
  • Protect small seedlings from mowers and string trimmers with a stake or tube.

Common mistakes when planting bare root trees

The most common mistake is planting too deep. A buried root flare stays wet and can rot. Close behind it is letting the roots dry out before they reach the hole. Here are the others to avoid.

  • Letting the roots dry out between the box and the hole.
  • Digging a narrow, deep hole instead of a wide, shallow one.
  • Bending or coiling long roots to fit a small hole. Dig wider instead.
  • Filling the hole with rich compost or fertilizer. Roots may stay in the soft soil and never spread out.
  • Piling mulch against the stem.
  • Watering once and forgetting. The first summer is when new trees need the most help.

Native tree seedlings that ship bare-root from TN Nursery

Every step above works for the native seedlings in our Tree Seedlings collection. Each one is offered in more than one height. Here are good ones to start with.

Bare-root tree planting questions

Is it better to plant bare root or potted plants?

For dormant trees, bare-root is often the easier choice. The trees are light, cost less to ship, and the roots go straight into your own soil. Potted trees can be planted over a longer season, but they need the same care with depth and watering.

Can I wait to plant bare root trees?

Yes, for a while. Plant within a day or two if you can. If not, keep them cool and moist in their packing for up to about a week, checking the roots every day or two. For a longer wait, heel them in a shady trench until the ground is ready.

What should I put in the hole before planting a tree?

Nothing but the soil you dug out. Skip fertilizer and heavy compost in the hole, because roots may stay in the soft mix and never spread out. Firm the native soil gently around the roots, water it in, and put mulch on top of the soil instead.

Which is the most common mistake made in tree planting?

Planting too deep. The root flare, where the stem widens into the roots, should sit level with the ground. Buried, it stays wet and can rot. Letting bare roots dry out in sun or wind before planting comes a close second, so keep them covered until they go in.

Keep reading

All articles