As the dormant season approaches, it’s the perfect time to start planning your garden or hedgerow. One of the most efficient, affordable, and successful methods of planting during this time is with bare root plants. Whether you’re establishing a native hedge or planting trees, bare root offers many benefits. This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

What Are Bare Root Plants?

Bare root plants are grown in fields and lifted when dormant, usually in late autumn through early spring. Unlike container-grown or potted plants, they’re shipped without soil around their roots. This makes them lightweight, easy to handle, and much cheaper to transport. Their affordability and ease of use means that they’re ideal for mass planting too.

Bare root plants are only available during their dormant season, and once they arrive, they must be planted quickly. Since bare root plants are only lifted and shipped while dormant, timing is critical. Pre-ordering ensures you’re ready to plant as soon as the season begins. This gives you the best chance to establish a healthy, thriving hedge or tree line before spring growth kicks in.

Why Choose Bare Root?

Bare root planting isn’t just cost-effective. It’s also proven to be a highly successful method for establishing hedgerows and native plantings. Here’s why many gardeners and landscapers choose bare root:

• Lower purchase and delivery costs
• Easier to plant and handle
• Ideal for large-scale projects
• Faster establishment with the right care

How Many Should You Plant?

If you’re planting 40-60 cm or 60-90 cm tall plants in a clear run, aim for five plants per metre in a double staggered row. This spacing helps create a dense native hedge quickly and effectively. A small failure rate of around 5% is normal. So, when planning, always order a few extra plants to account for possible losses.

Do you Need Accessories?

Using accessories to support your bare root plants helps to give them the best start while significantly boosting survival and establishment rates.

Guards and canes protect young plants from rabbits and deer while encouraging straight growth.

Irrigation solutions, like leaky pipes, help keep soil consistently moist without overwatering.

How to Plant a Smaller Bare Root Plants

When planting smaller bare root plants we recommend that you follow the ‘notch planting’ technique as it is a quick process that avoids digging huge planting pits that require laborious backfilling. When ‘notch planting’ you should…

1. Make sure that the roots are moist.

2. Open up a slit in the soil, push a spade few inches deep and move back and forward.

3. Slide the root of your bareroot plant into the slit, up to the nursery soil mark.

4. ‘Heel in’ tight to ensure good soil/root contact, you should have to tug the plant quite hard to remove it.

Don’t remove the hedging plants from the box or bag before you plant. Exposure to sun or drying winds may lead to root desiccation and eventual failure.

How to Plant a Bare Root Tree

Dig the tree pit. Make sure it’s wide and deep enough to accommodate the roots without bending them.

Prepare the soil. Mix soil from the pit with a soil improver or compost. A 50:50 mix boosts drainage and nutrients.

Insert the stake. Drive a sturdy stake into the ground where the tree will be planted, offering support from day one.

Plant the tree and backfill. Place the roots in the hole and fill it back in with your soil mix.

Firm the soil. Press the soil gently but firmly around the roots to eliminate air pockets and stabilize the tree.

Attach the tie. Use a buckle tie to secure the tree to the stake. This prevents wind damage and encourages straight growth.

Mulch around the base. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds from stealing nutrients.

Water well. Give your newly planted tree a thorough soak to settle the soil and kick-start root growth.