Planting Bare Root Trees

Trees shrubs and rose bushes come three ways: bare rooted and in the dormant stage , burlapped with soil arround the roots or in a container. In both of the last types, the plants are growing. Since bare root plants are so different from the other two, they need to be treated in a different way.

Be careful not to expose the tender roots to sun or wind. Keep the roots moist by soaking them in water for at least 20 minutes. Check with your garden center for a product that stimulates the roots and add it to the water. It is not necessary, but it helps. Plant the plant the day you get it .

Dig a saucer-shaped hole that is 2 to 3 times as wide as the spread of the roots. Make the hole wider at the top than it is at the bottom and slope the walls. Do not make the hole too deep. It will stress the plant, and the roots can become water logged, which leads to a serious disease called root rot, or they will not get enough air.
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When the dig the hole, dig it just deep enough so the part where the roots join the stem-the crown-- is just above the soil line. Many beginning gardeners will dig the hole so it is below the soil line because it looks better, but that is not the way to do it.

Take the soil you removed from the hole and use it to build a mound in the center of the hole. Place the roots over the mound being mindful of the positing of the crown.

Backfill with the rest of the soil, packing it gently around the root so there are no air pockets. Make sure the plant is perfectly straight. Add water as you backfill.

Dig a shallow trench around the diameter of the plant This will be a water trench. Fill it with water and it will see to it that the roots get the water they need to get started.

Apply 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch, but keep it several inches away from the trunk or you risk bark decay, rot, winter injury and/or rodent damage. Mulch will keep the soil at the right temperature, conserve water and keep the weeds at bay. A side benefit is it is decorative and gives the planting area a more natural look.

Source:

Washington State University