What to Do with Those Bare-Root Perennials You Bought

If you've ever ordered bare-root perennials before, then you already know how it feels the first time you open the shipment of plants. You think you've bought a big box of disappointment. But buying bare-root perennials is an inexpensive way to get new plants and they're not difficult to plant or grow.

Bare-root perennials might look like a jumbled mess of dead plant material, but they're really only a dormant plant with the soil removed from the roots and the plant's leaves cut back to the crown. Whether you order them on-line or buy them at a garden center, they're much cheaper than buying potted perennials. If you're a daylily or Hosta collector, you're probably already aware of how common it is to buy these in the bare-root form. It's an economical way to add unusual or hard to find varieties of perennials without spending a small fortune.

The first thing to do with your new bare-root perennials is open and inspect them. The perennials with their tangle of bare-roots are usually packed in dry peat moss or other dry material. Carefully shake the roots lose and inspect them for signs of mold or rot. If the roots feel mushy and soft with a foul smell, chances are good the roots have rotted. But small amounts of white or grayish mold on the surface of the bare-roots or the packing material is usually not fatal for the perennial at all. This is natural since the perennial has been closed in a bag for shipment.

The exact opposite is also a problem when buying bare-root perennials. If the plants have been sitting for too long in hot conditions, the roots will dry out too much. This can be just as fatal as root-rot for the plant. If the perennial's roots and crown feel much too lightweight for the size and has a somewhat papery feel, then it's probably dried out completely. The roots will look light colored with a dry, flaky feel. The crown will feel the same way without any plumpness to it.

A healthy bare-root perennial will have roots that feel solid and plump without any mushiness. There may already be green leaves starting to grow at the crown of the plant. You also might find that pieces of the roots are broken. This is okay and naturally happens during shipment either to your house or the store where you purchased them. These can just be trimmed off the plant.

If your bare-root perennials didn't arrive in tip top shape, be sure to keep the receipt or packing slip. Return the plants to the store where you purchased them as soon as possible with receipt in hand. If your bare-root perennials came from mail-order, call the company as soon as you've inspected them and found problems. I've never seen a reputable gardening source that wasn't glad to help and will give you instructions for replacements.

The bare-root perennials have now been inspected, so you have to decide to plant them now or later. If you can't get to it right away, put the plants back in the original packing material and keep it sealed. For small orders, you can put them in your refrigerator's crisper compartment. If you bought a large quantity of plants, a cool unheated garage or covered porch will work as well. Plan on getting them planted in a week. Remember that the longer they're stored, it lessens the plant's chance of survival.

When you know you're ready to plant your bare-root perennials, trim any dead or broken roots and put them in a bucket or large bowl of lukewarm water to soak for about an hour. In the meantime, you can get any necessary supplies together, put on your gardening duds or just have a cup of tea.

Now it's time to plant them so these ugly little ducklings can become beautiful swans. I try to always plant my "baby" perennials in pots first. (I always save a few of those ugly black or green nursery pots when I buy plants for just this purpose.) It's easier to monitor the soil, water and sunlight in pots. I do the same thing with small starter perennial plants that are already in soil. I think it gives their roots time to adjust and begin new growth which gives them a stronger chance of surviving in the ground and gives the gardener more control over their environment.

Use a good quality potting mix made mostly of peat moss, sphagnum and drainage material for the bare-root perennials. Good drainage is crucial for bare-root perennials and it also has the necessary nutrients to give the plants a healthy start. Since rotting will be the main concern at first, don't use a heavy potting soil or garden soil. Also, don't use a pot so small that you have to bend and cram the roots into the pot in order for them to fit. Take the bare-root perennial and hold it where the roots lightly touch and spread outward on the ground. Now choose a pot that is slightly larger in circumference than the plant's bare-roots.

Fill the pot about one third full of soil and tap the pot to settle the soil. Add additional soil to form a slight mound in the center and hold the plant's bare-roots over this mound. Fill in with potting medium and continue tapping the pot periodically to settle the soil around the roots and to fill in air pockets. Fill the soil to just below the perennial's crown which is where the leaves meet the roots. This part is important to keep the crown from rotting.

Water the plant with a container or hose attachment that will give the soil a very gentle spray or flow of water. If the water flow is too harsh, it will just wash all the soil out of pot and away from the roots. Gently water the plant until soil runs from the bottom. Wait about 15 to 20 minutes and do the same thing. At this point, you just want to get the soil evenly moist. If the temperatures are still freezing outdoors at night, you'll have to bring the plant inside. Just watch the soil and keep it out of hot sunlight outside or heating vents inside. The soil will dry too quickly. The plant should be kept where it won't be in any extreme temperatures at all and should barely need watering again until it shows signs of growth in a couple of weeks. Once your bare-root perennial has started growing leaves vigorously, then it will be time to find a more permanent home for it in the ground or in a larger decorative pot.

If you are going to plant bare-root perennials straight into the ground, be sure all danger of frost has passed in your area. Some hardy perennials don't mind at all being plunked down in their more permanent home right from the beginning. While the bare-root perennials are having a soak, get the planting hole ready.

Dig a hole wider than the bare roots when they're spread out. The depth of the hole should be about equal to the length of the longest roots, but it's always a good idea to dig deeper than needed just to loosen and amend the soil with peat or compost, etc. Mound the soil in the middle of the shallow hole and set the perennial on the mound. Let the roots spread out over the mound of soil and fill in all around the plant. Make sure the perennial's crown is level with or slightly above the top of the ground. Again, this is to help prevent crown rot on the new perennial. Follow the same watering technique as above for a freshly potted bare-root perennial.