Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their weekly gardening column.
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How nice has it been to be get some decent rain?
The added bonus for gardeners is that most of it has fallen overnight, meaning that we can still get out and play in the garden.
It was surprising though the other day when we were doing a plant-up just how shallow the moisture had soaked in.
Some good follow-up rain over the next few weeks is going to be critical to getting good spring growth in the months to come.
We have still been receiving our bare-rooted stock in dribs and drabs, as growers have continued to battle with stock not going dormant.
Although we have been told that they are now in full swing after the cold change in weather two weeks ago.
Only deciduous plants that go dormant over winter can be sold as bare-rooted stock.
If handled correctly throughout the whole process, it can be a very reliable and economical way to grow trees.
Part of this process includes looking after them once you have purchased them.
It is critical that their roots are not allowed to dry out and they are planted as soon as possible.
If for some reason you are unable to plant them straight away, you need to temporarily cover the roots with soil to keep them moist.
Bare-rooted plants are field-grown plants that have been happily growing in the ground until they are up to size.
This allows for them to be grown a lot quicker and with less work than if they were grown in pots.
However, no matter how carefully they are dug out of the ground, there is always going to be some setback to the plants.
Root systems are cut and reduced in size or split and damaged as they are lifted out.
Branches can be damaged as they are bundled together, transported and handled through the bare root season.
The overall process of bare-rooting plants does cause stress to them, and for this reason, some plants do not handle this type of treatment as well as others.
Fruit trees such as persimmons really struggle with the process, and for that reason, we pot them up on arrival to minimise the setback.
Even then, it is not unusual for them to still not recover until late spring.
Other trees such as Albizia julibrissin (the Persian silk tree), a lot of the deciduous magnolias and almonds can also struggle, so they are kept in their bare root state for only a short period.
Then there are trees such as Liriodendron tulipifera (the tulip tree) and Pistacia chinensis (the Chinese pistachio tree) that we have given up altogether on even trying to handle this way.
We only ever carry them as potted stock.
So, when purchasing bare-rooted plants, just check with the garden centre staff if there are any precautions you need to be aware of and how to get the best results from your purchase.
When planting bare-rooted plants, there are a few simple but critical steps you need to follow in order to achieve the best success rate and strong growth from your new plants.
Dig a good-sized hole big enough to accommodate the roots without bunching them up.
Over-dig the hole so that it is deeper than required, then backfill it with a mixture of compost or planting mix, mixed with the soil that came out of the hole.
This gives the roots something to move down into as they grow.
Inspect the roots for any damage and trim if needed, then spread them out evenly in the hole before covering them over with more of the soil mixture.
Be sure to get the soil between the roots and break up any large clods as you go.
The finished planting height should be a bit above the surrounding ground level.
This allows for everything to sink down a little over the next few weeks as the loosened soil compacts.
If you look carefully at the trunk or main stem of the plant before you plant it, you will notice a change of colour that indicates where the soil came up to before it was dug out of the ground.
This should be the finished height of the soil once replanted in your garden because it is the same depth the roots were happily growing at.
You are not encouraging collar rot on the stem by being too deep.
As soon as the plants are planted, they will need to be watered in.
This will also settle the soil in around the roots and help remove large air pockets in the soil.
It is also beneficial to do a follow-up water the next day to wash the soil in even further.
Using a plant starter that has Indole acetic acid and Naphthalene acetic acid in it will help the plants recover from transplanting and really kick-start root development.
This can be used as a weekly treatment for the next month or so to give your plants a good head start.
Once planted, the branches should be trimmed back to compensate for the reduction of the amount of roots and for the shape of the plant.
Trees over a metre should be staked for the first 12 months using a double stake system to keep the roots firmly in the ground to encourage further strong root development.
Remember, if you are unsure about any of this, don’t be hesitant about asking the garden centre staff.
It is what we are here for.
Growing For Success