Bare root plants might look a little like a bunch of half-dead stems, but today I’m going to share with you how to get the most out of these plants that are truly a great bang for your buck.
You will usually see rhubarb, raspberries, grapes and asparagus plants in bare root.
The first step is to figure out where you want your small fruits to grow. You need a location that gets 6 or more hours of sunlight per day, because fruit-bearing crops require full sun in order to produce.
Then you need to amend your soil to make it a happy home for your bare root plants. You will need fertile, loamy soil. We recommend doing a half and half of Warner’s Supreme Planting mix with your existing soil.Â
After you prepare the soil, you need to prep your plants. Place the roots in a container of lukewarm water with Ferti-Lome’s root stimulator. You need about 3 tablespoons of root stimulator per each gallon of water. Arrange the plants so only the roots are in the water and leave them soaking overnight.
Now you are ready to plant. Dig a hole for each plant, just a little deeper than the roots extend. Build a small mound of soil inside the hole for each plant. Then place the plant’s crown on top of the mound and fan the roots around it. Pat your amended soil over the roots to just cover them and then fill in the rest of the hole around the mounds with your amended soil. There will be a little settling, and you want to make sure the crown of the plant is underground.Â
Water the plant well and continue to water as needed to keep the soil moist but well drained. Once a week, water with some root stimulator mixed in. Again you’ll be using 3 tablespoons of the stimulator per gallon of water. It will help the plants get established. Continue for about 4-6 weeks.
And there you have it! Your bare root plants will have what they need to grow strong and healthy and provide you with plenty of yummy fruit.Â
Happy Gardening!
Misti