Sleeping beauties

While winter is sometimes seen as a low point in the gardening year in cooler climates, there is one highlight that can’t be denied – the arrival of bare-rooted plants in garden centres and online nurseries!

What does bare-root mean?

Bare-rooted refers to plants that are sold with exposed roots (no potting mix or soil). Fruit trees and ornamental trees and shrubs that are deciduous in winter (without leaves and not actively growing) are often sold this way. These plants are grown in the ground at production nurseries. Being in the ground, the plants grow faster and have less maintenance than if they were grown in pots. When they’re ready for sale, they are dug up during their dormancy and all soil is removed. Grown this way, plants are more advanced – and cheaper. Plants ordered online are shipped with damp shredded newspaper around the roots, preventing them from drying out. Plants destined for retail nurseries are transported in large bundles and kept in a sand bed until they’re sold. They can also be individually bagged with sawdust or potting mix.

Which plants are available bare-rooted?

A broad range of plants are sold bare-rooted including roses, fruit trees and many ornamental trees. You won’t see natives sold this way, as this method is only suitable for deciduous plants and, apart from a few species, natives are evergreen.

When are they available?

Orders can be placed any time between autumn to early winter, but bare-rooted plants only become available in winter.

What to look for in your new plant?

Check the trunk and branches for signs of damage or dehydration. Branches should bend gently without snapping and shouldn’t appear shrivelled or dry. If they are dry and break easily, contact the supplier.

For more advice on bare-rooted plants, including a planting guide and Steve’s top 10 bare-rooted ornamentals, get the August issue of ABC Gardening Australia magazine.

Header image by iStock