How to Plant Bare-Root Trees and Shrubs

Bare-root plants are sold without soil -- the roots are dormant, cleaned of growing media, and either shipped or sold at garden centers in late winter to early spring. They are typically cheaper than potted plants and, when planted correctly, establish at least as well as container-grown material..

Bare-root plants are sold without soil — the roots are dormant, cleaned of growing media, and either shipped or sold at garden centers in late winter to early spring. They are typically cheaper than potted plants and, when planted correctly, establish at least as well as container-grown material. Per Penn State Extension, the establishment advantage of bare-root planting is that the roots have not been constrained by a container and are therefore less likely to develop circling or girdling root patterns.

The window for successful bare-root planting is narrow: dormant season only, ideally before buds swell. Once the plant has leafed out, bare-root planting success rates drop significantly. Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, the bare-root planting season for most of the northeastern US is mid-February through mid-April, depending on the species and local last frost.

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What You Can Receive Bare-Root

Per Penn State Extension, species commonly sold bare-root:

• Fruit trees: Apple, pear, peach, cherry, plum
• Berries: Blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, gooseberry
• Ornamental trees and shrubs: Roses, forsythia, lilac, viburnum, dogwood (some)
• Perennials: Peony (occasionally), hostas, daylilies

Not all species work as bare root. Oaks, beech, and conifers generally should not be sold or planted bare-root because their root system does not tolerate disturbance during dormancy.

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