Potting Up Bare Root Plants 

Thanks. Glad it helped.

Glad my timing was so good. :)

Thanks so much.

That's the way to do it, Lisa. It's hard to synchronize the nursery shipment with real life in our gardens. You have to do what you have to do.

You're welcome. 🙂

You have the right idea. The key is when you receive the plants and if they have growing buds or not. If the plants are dormant they should be okay to put directly outside, but if it's still too cold outside and the plant is growing buds and leaves it should be potted and allowed to grow under lights. They do best if allowed to grow some roots, so they may be in the pots for a month or two. Hardening off by putting them out a little more each day is exactly the right thing to do.

Leonard, I do not have a video on grapes yet, but hope to in the future. I would suggest you do a little local research about what does best in your area. Talk to local gardeners, visit your master gardener office, check with your state Extension service. Here in Colorado, the state university, through Extension, publishes a guide on growing grapes in Colorado and it's filled with everything a gardener needs to know. I would not assume that just because grape plants are sold locally that they are best for your area. Many regional growers sell to garden centers and nurseries; that could mean a plant is grown hundreds of miles away and sold in your area whether it's best to grow or not. If you have a trusted nursery, you can ask them about the best varieties to grow. When you pick the ones you want, then consider online bare root plants. I started growing grapes last year and I couldn't find the plants recommended by the university at any local store or nursery, so I had to order online. I had good experiences with Stark Bros. nursery. Good luck and enjoy the process.

Welcome to the channel. January might work out okay for Zone 7. I was potting in March for Zone 5. With proper amounts of light, heat, and water, they'll be ready to transplant when you're ready.

@@GardenerScott Thanks for your great content! I'm receiving some bare root fig trees in early December in zone 6a. Would you recommend that I plant them in pots and keep them dormant in my garage until spring?

I do straighten out the roots. Before I do that I inspect them again and if there's any damage they can be pruned.

With more severe cold in our days ahead, I would suggest putting the trees in a sheltered area to minimize potential damage. I've had difficulty with citrus because humidity is so dry for much of the year. Be ready to mist the citrus regularly and try to boost humidity around them.

I've done that before and planting in fall can give them a better start.

I use a basic mix of 2 parts peat, 2 parts compost, and 1 part perlite.

@@GardenerScott Awesome! Thank you very much!! I have several trees that I need to pot right now, so this helps me tremendously!

It's probably better to get them in the ground when you can rather than grow in a pot for a year. If you pot them and grow them outside, they should be ready whenever the holes are ready.

@@GardenerScott Thank you very much for the helpful response.

I'm still in the process of setting up my new greenhouse and will release videos about that in the future. Here's my most recent one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bkePlNS1CGI.html

Franco, dormant trees can be put outside, but you have to be careful. Yes, the roots need to stay moist, but if exposed to freezing conditions the tender roots can freeze and be damaged. So potting them is a good option as long as the pot doesn't dry out and won't freeze. If you have a garage or shed that stays above freezing you can put them there. Or put them outside near a south wall and cover the pots with a tarp or plastic sheeting to help keep them a little warmer.

@@GardenerScott Thanks, chief. One tree got in the ground, the other two into pots sunk into a raised bed temporarily.

I put put them in soil directly. There is no need for grow bags first and you could disturb the roots if you transplant later.

I use a blend of peat, vermiculite, and compost. Most potting mixes in stores have similar blends.

@@GardenerScott Thank you!!

If it is a fruit tree, I have heard that you should use native soil.

@@karengrice2303 When the tree goes outside it is planted in native soil, but as an interim step of planting when they arrive and waiting for better outdoor conditions, a soilless mix is okay.

@@GardenerScott Thanks for clarifying. I thought fruit trees were different from other bushes and trees.

Tractor Supply is a good source here.

Hi, Joe. That's a good question. I think a lot depends on the age and size of the plant and where you live. For young/new plants, like I did on the video, when put in plastic pots first, the roots won't have grown very much and can easily go from a pot into the ground for more growth. For plants that will be potted for a long period of time, fiber pots are often better because the roots will grow into the fiber and when planted will continue to grow through it; transplanting isn't as stressful for the plant. However, for very dry regions, like where I live, some university studies have shown that the fiber pots don't break down (decompose) in the soil much at all and might hinder root growth when the fiber pot is dry; in that case planting a tree from a plastic pot gives the roots more opportunity to expand into the new soil. Plastic pots should be just fine for Japanese Maples. If the nursery was to grow them until large specimens, I suspect they would put them in burlap at some point.

@@GardenerScott Thank you. I messed up a couple of my first ones and am getting the hang of it. Your video helps out. I have to get them looking perfect.

Glad I could help.

Assuming they're dormant, you can pot them up and store them in a cold area to stay dormant. If they're sprouting or budding, pot them up and keep them in a sheltered area as long as possible before freezing. Young buds are susceptible to damage when exposed to freezing temps too early.

@@GardenerScott Thank you!

Maybe. Raspberries and blueberries will send up new shoots from the roots. New bare root plants are usually longer with buds that will grow new leaves and those leaves help the roots develop for future plants. If you cut off the buds and leaves the roots will be stressed and may limit potential growth.

@@GardenerScott Thank you for the reply! Oh gees~ Lots of trials and errors here. I guess I can go get another root..😆

It's probably not too long because the alternative of not potting up may result in dried and dead roots. You can either pot them up and encourage new growth in a warm, well-lighted area or keep them in a cool, dark location and just keeping the soil moist enough to prevent drying out.

@@GardenerScott Thanks for the prompt response.

They can be "heeled in" in native soil, but for temporary potting until they can be transplanted outside, native soil isn't needed.

It should. I've potted many bushes and shrubs this way.

It might be the age of the plant. Most bareroots are grown in large plots or pots and the roots have space to grow that they might not have when layering.

@@GardenerScott Well what i was getting at is say somebody had there own berry orchard. How would they harvest these so called bare roots to sell at big box stores that a consumer like me would plant in his home gardens. Is it possible once my garden is establish with berries to start giving bare root to others ???

I guess i am still wondering on where these bare roots come from because right now the only ways i know how to propagate is thru layering ( apart from growing from seed ). So are they just doing layering and leaving them in there plot / pot for a longer time before digging/wrapping up / selling. To establish bigger root systems or something. hummm anyway thanks for the reply but there are a few loose ends to this bare root question.

It is possible. A lot of the propagation from large nurseries is from layering and cuttings.

That's a good question. Yes, I do straighten out the roots. Because this is a temporary process, the roots won't have grown much, so I tease away the outer roots and spread them out in the hole. I try to keep the soil around the inner roots and minimize disrupting the main plant. As I mention in the video, if I'm keeping the plant in a pot, I'll prune the roots much shorter so I don't have a problem with circling roots.

I use a lot of one gallon pots.

Temps should be closer to 50 at night for best results.

Don’t buy anything from Tennessee nursery.

Scrape away a small section of bark with your thumbnail. If it is green under the bark it is still alive in that section.

I use many different online sources. Fedco is one of my favorites.

You can plant bare root plants before the last frost. They do best when planted while dormant. You can keep them in the bag to avoid drying out. Check often to see that there is no mold or rot.

I'm in Colorado.

Gardener Scott thank you but actually what I was wondering about is the room that you filmed this video in, it looks like a class room.

Yes. That was my classroom when I taught gardening a few years back. I retired from there.