How to plant bare-root trees and shrubs
Plant within a few days of delivery: soak the roots a few hours, dig a wide shallow hole, set the root flare at soil level, backfill with your own soil, water, and mulch. Six illustrated steps below.
How do you plant a bare-root tree?
Soak the roots for a few hours. Dig a hole two to three times wider than the roots but no deeper. Spread the roots over a cone of soil with the root flare at ground level. Backfill with the soil you dug out, water it in, and add a ring of mulch that does not touch the trunk.
What you need
- Spade or shovelFor a wide, shallow hole
- Bucket of waterCool tap or rain water
- Clean prunersFor broken roots or twigs
- Hose or watering canTo water in and all season
- Wood-chip mulchEnough for a 2–4 in deep ring
- Stakes and soft tiesOnly on windy, exposed sites
You don't need: fertilizer, root stimulator, potting soil or compost for the hole.
Planting bare root, step by step
Plan on 20–30 minutes per plant after the soak. Plant on a cool, cloudy day if you can, and keep waiting plants shaded and covered.
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Unpack and check
Open the box the day it arrives. Check every item against the packing list. Remove all twist ties, twine and plastic from the roots. Your roots arrive packed in a super absorbent polymer (a water-absorbing gel). Save it for the hole: it is non-toxic and holds water around the roots while they settle in.
Clip off broken roots or twigs with clean pruners. Do a quick scratch test: green under the bark means alive. Brown, dry wood all the way down means don't plant it. Send a claim instead.
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Soak the roots
Stand the roots in a bucket of cool water for a few hours (3–6 is typical) right before planting. Overnight is the most you need. Don't leave them soaking for days, because roots need air too.
Keep the bucket in the shade, and carry the plant to the hole in the bucket so the roots never dry out in sun or wind.
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Dig wide, not deep
Make the hole two to three times wider than the spread of the roots, and only as deep as the roots are long. Roughen the sides if they are smooth and glazed so new roots can push out.
Mound some loose soil into a cone in the center. The plant sits on top of it so the roots can drape downward.
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Set the depth at the root flare
Set the plant on the cone and spread the roots evenly down its sides without bending or circling them. The root flare, where the trunk widens into roots, should sit level with the surrounding ground or slightly above it. Never bury it.
Lay a shovel handle across the hole to check. Grafted fruit trees: the graft (a bump a few inches up the trunk) stays well above the soil. Don't confuse it with the flare.
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Backfill with your own soil and water it in
Hold the plant straight and refill the hole with the soil you dug out. Break up big clods, but don't mix in compost, potting soil or fertilizer. Add the saved gel around the roots.
When the hole is about half full, water slowly to settle the soil and remove air pockets. Finish filling, firm gently by hand (don't stomp), then water deeply again. A low ring of soil at the edge of the hole holds water where the roots are.
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Mulch, then let it wake up
Spread 2–4 inches of wood chips or shredded bark in a wide ring, at least 3 feet across if you have room. Pull it a few inches back from the trunk so the bark stays dry. Keep grass out of the ring.
Skip fertilizer the first season; it can burn new roots. Stake only if the site is windy or the plant won't stay upright, and remove stakes after one growing season. Leaves often appear in 4–6 weeks, longer in a cold spring.
What to do if you can't plant right away
The roots must stay cool and moist, and the plant must stay dormant until it goes in the ground. Answer two questions to see what to do.
- Never let bare roots dry out in sun or wind.
- Never let them freeze or sit in a warm house.
- Plant within 2 weeks of delivery to keep your warranty.
Leave the plants in their packing, closed up, in a cool, shaded spot such as a garage or basement. Check that the packing feels damp, like a wrung-out sponge, and mist it if not. Soak a few hours right before planting.
Keep the roots in their damp packing at about 35–40°F: a refrigerator (away from fruit), unheated garage or root cellar. Check the packing every couple of days and add a little water if it dries. Don't let it freeze.
Dig a V-shaped trench in a lightly shaded spot. Lay the plants in at an angle with the tops above ground, cover the roots with loose soil and water so it stays moist, not wet. Move them to their permanent spots as soon as you can, ideally within 2 weeks of delivery.
For up to a week, store the roots in damp packing at about 35–40°F, never freezing. If the wait will be longer, pot the plants together in a large container of soil, water it, and keep it in a cold, sheltered spot until the ground can be worked. Then plant right away.
Pick your answers to see what to do.
How often should you water a new bare-root tree?
Check the soil once or twice a week the first season and water deeply when it feels dry around the roots. Rain counts. Moist, not soggy, is the goal.
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Planting day
Soak it twice
Halfway through backfilling, then again when the hole is full.
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Weeks 1–6
Check 2× a week
Roots grow before leaves. Water when the soil is dry around the roots, even with no leaves yet.
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Summer
Deep drink in dry spells
Without rain, water slowly and deeply every 7–10 days, more often in heat or sandy soil.
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Early fall
Taper off
Water less as days cool so the plant hardens off for winter.
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Leaf drop to freeze-up
One last deep soak
Water deeply before the ground freezes, especially evergreens, when there's no snow cover and it's above 45°F.
Fall-planted (Zones 6–10): keep the soil evenly moist until the first hard freeze. Dry summers in years 2 and 3 may still call for an occasional deep watering.
Common bare-root planting mistakes
A buried root flare can lead to girdling roots and decline years later.
Do: flare at or just above gradeCompost or potting soil in the hole can keep roots from spreading into your soil and hold too much water.
Do: backfill with the soil you dug outFertilizer and root stimulators can burn new feeder roots.
Do: mulch now, feed later only if neededMulch against the trunk keeps bark wet and invites rot and pests.
Do: a flat 2–4 in ring with a gapA few minutes in sun and wind can damage fine roots.
Do: keep them in the bucket until they go inBent or circled roots keep growing that way.
Do: dig 2–3× wider than the rootsRoots need air. Soggy soil is as harmful as dry soil.
Do: soak a few hours, water when dryThese are outdoor trees and shrubs that need winter cold.
Do: plant outside in your zonePlanting questions
How long should I soak bare-root roots before planting?
A few hours is typical, about 3 to 6, right before planting. Overnight is the most you need. Don't leave them in water for days, because roots also need air.
How deep should I plant a bare-root tree?
Only as deep as the roots. The root flare, where the trunk widens into roots, should sit at or just above the surrounding soil. Lay a shovel handle across the hole to check. Never bury the flare.
How big should the hole be?
Two to three times wider than the spread of the roots and no deeper than the roots are long. Wide and shallow helps new roots spread into your soil.
Should I add compost or potting soil to the hole?
No. Backfill with the soil you dug out. Heavy amendments can keep roots from growing out into your native soil and can hold too much water.
Should I fertilize a new bare-root tree?
Not at planting or during the first season. Fertilizer and root stimulators can damage new feeder roots. Mulch instead.
How often should I water after planting?
Check the soil once or twice a week during the first growing season and water deeply when it feels dry around the roots. In dry summer spells, a slow deep soak every 7 to 10 days is typical. Keep it moist, not soggy.
My plant looks dead. Is it?
Dormant plants have no leaves and can look like sticks. Do the scratch test: green under the bark means it's alive. If it's brown all the way to the base, see our warranty claim page.
How long until it leafs out?
Often 4 to 6 weeks after spring planting, and longer in a cold spring. Roots grow first, so keep watering even before you see leaves.
What if my ground is frozen when the plants arrive?
Keep the roots in damp packing at about 35 to 40 degrees F for up to a week, never letting them freeze. For a longer wait, pot them together in a large container of soil and keep it in a cold, sheltered spot until the ground can be dug, then plant right away.
Do I need to stake my tree?
Usually not. Stake only on windy, exposed sites or if the plant won't stay upright, use soft ties that allow some movement, and remove stakes after one growing season.
Sources: Iowa State Extension: How to Plant Bare Root Trees · UW–Madison Extension: Planting Bareroot Trees · Arbor Day Foundation: Bare-Root Trees · Purdue: Temporary Shelter for Bare-Root Plants · Colorado State Extension: The Science of Planting Trees · Nebraska Extension: Growing Bare Root Plants