January marks the arrival of bare-root plants in the nurseries. Many plants available are fruit and shade trees, roses, grapes and cane fruits. Why buy bare-root? One reason is that it is cost effective. Savings can be up to 70% buying bare-root over container plants. Also, there is a much wider variety of plants to select from in bare-root season. When buying bare-root, the nursery will have the plants "heeled" into some type of loose, moist material such as sand or sawdust. Check the roots, they should be fresh and plump. Try to time it so planting occurs within two days after purchase. It's a good idea to soak the roots, trimming any broken roots, for a few hours up to 48 hours in water before planting. A root stimulator product may be added to the water. If planting will not occur within two days, place the roots in moist sand, sawdust, or mulch until planting time. Do not let the roots dry out and protected them from frost. Dig the hole large enough to accommodate the roots. Place the plant into the hole ensuring that, if it is a grafted plant, the graft bud sits slightly above the soil level. Backfill with the native soil that was dug out, soil amendments are not necessary and no fertilizers should be added to the soil or hole. Make a ridge of soil around the hole to form a watering basin and water to remove any air pockets. Do not compact the soil by tamping down on it with the foot. Cover the area with at least three inches of mulch being careful not to place it up against the trunk. Studies have shown that it is not necessary to prune the branches back by one third to compensate for the small root mass. In fact, it could retard the growth as branch tips contains high levels of auxins which promote growth. Bare-root plants are in the dormant stage and do not require large amounts of water as this could promote root rot. Check the soil every few days with a soil probe and water when the top three to five inches of the soil is dry. A soil probe is simply a long metal rod, 24 to 30 inches long, that when pushed into the soil and pulled out, soil will stick to the rod where it is wet, very much like sticking a toothpick into a cake to see if it's done baking. Usually, when the rod hits dry soil it will not penetrate any further. So the depth of how far down a soil probe can be pushed into the ground is a good indicator of soil moisture depth. After watering, the probe can be used to check whether irrigation has reached the proper root depth. A soil probe is an effective tool to help assist the gardener to determine the watering needs of various landscape plants to include the vegetable garden and lawns.
Feature article for the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily
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