Did My Bare Root Tree Die?
Question from Vickie:
I bought a bare root pom. tree from a major Home Imp. store. I planted it according to the directions. It looks like dead branches. I live in San Diego. In this city, they flourish, and folks can’t get rid of them. Is it dormant or dead? It is about 4 ft. tall. It gets sun, filtered and shade. It looks so sad.
Answer from Pat:
Your tree may be dead or perhaps not. To find out scratch the bark to see if there is green life inside. Nine times out of ten when folks plant bare root and the plant dies or looks as if it has died, whether it is a tree or a rose, the problem is that they didn’t soak the roots in a bucket of water before planting and/or did not water it enough after planting. Another possibility is they let the plant sit around too long before planting. If you don’t have time to plant bareroot when you purchase the item, then heel it in, which means dig a trench, stick the roots of the plant into it at an angle and cover them with damp earth.
The correct way to plant bare root is like this:Unwrap the plant and stick the roots into the bucket of water and leave them to soak overnight. Now go dig the planting hole. Fill the hole with water and refill it and let it drain out at least 3 times. (Check the drainage as described on page 40 of my book.) If drainage is inadequate, build a raised bed or choose a better spot in the garden. In clay soil, dig a coffee can full of gypsum into the bottom of the hole. By filling the hole with water several times the day before planting you make sure that dry soil surrounding your bare root plant does not wick moisture away from the hole. This is a common error and folks often do not notice that a gap can occur on the edge of the plant showing that the surrounding soil is getting all the water and not the plant in the hole.
Next day put the bucket of water with the plant in it next to the hole you have dug. Place some fertilizer in the bottom of the hole. (Slow release is best.) Get down on your knees and using the native soil you dug from the hole, build a cone of earth in the middle of the bottom of the hole and pat it down. Now take the plant out of the water and arrange the roots so they are spread out onto the cone with the bottom of the trunk on top of the cone and the roots going down all around it and make sure they are not bent on the bottom of the cone. Also make sure that when you fill the hole the earth will come to the same spot where it was when the plant was growing in the ground. If not correct, lift the plant out and adjust the height of the cone. Once the roots and trunk are arranged at the correct height, cover the roots with soil patting it down with your hands. Fill the hole with the rest of the native soil you took from it and press it down firmly with your hands, not your foot which might compact the soil. Build a watering basin on the edge of the hole. (Later as the tree grows enlarge the watering hole so the drip line of the tree will be watered.) Now lay the hose inside the watering basin and let it fill with water slowly so that roots on the bottom of the hole will be well irrigated.
The next day water again, filling the watering basin at least three times and letting it drain out. On the third day water deeply again. For the next two weeks water deeply 3 times a week. For the next month water deeply twice a week. After that water deeply once a month.