How to successfully plant bareroot native plants

The landscaper or homeowner who wants to take advantage of the low cost of bareroot plant material there are several things to consider.

 Planting bareroot plants is a quite different than planting pots. With pots the roots of the plant are already established in the pot soil. With bareroot plants they need to  reestablish a relationship with the soil that they are being planted into This takes a little time..

The soil moisture and weather condition at the time of planting are important. If the planting can be timed to take place before seasonal rains, that will greatly improve the chances for success.

The area to be planted should be loose and have have the weeds and other competitive plants removed. If the soil is lean it is a good idea to add some sort of organic material.. Composted leaves is ideal but anything will help.

The plants should be planted at a depth and orientation like they would be growing naturally. For trillium ,may apple, ginger, and similar  plants , they should be planted horizontally. Planting in a random arrangement will look more naturally for native plants but planting in rows is quicker if you have a lot of plants to process.

Plants such as bluebells and plants with a tap root should be planted vertically. Plants like big merry bells have a number of  rootlets and  should be spread out in all directions as the plant would grow naturally.

There may be an emergent tip visible depending on the time of the year. It should be orientated up and the soil should cover it by an inch or less. Do not plant too deep. In late winter and early spring , this tip will be slightly out of the ground as the season progresses.. Do not use any commercial fertilizer.

The basics of growing any garden apply, if it's dry, water , if weeds start to take over , remove them. These things are simple but any successful gardener knows that they must be done in order to have a successful planting.

 The first year is crucial and they may need watering during dry weather.  Native plants are by nature hardy and grow with little care once they have an established root system .They just need a little extra care at the time of planting.

If you have questions that I haven' covered here., you can send them to info@himountainnativeplant.com