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Simply, I did not do the first step, and I was very curious why the tree came without soil. I planted the tree with packing material (looks like some types of long "grass" around the root) from the shipping box. Did not take a photo of that material, not sure if I need to dig it out and remove the material.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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First, I would consider this too early to plant bare root trees, and normally wait until about February so that it's closer to time for the buds to swell. I would take it back out, discard the packing material, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours, then replant. Hopefully you won't have too many hard freezes this winter (you should always include your city or better yet USDA climate zone).
First, I would consider this too early to plant bare root trees, and normally wait until about February so that it's closer to time for the buds to swell. I would take it back out, discard the packing material, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours, then replant. Hopefully you won't have too many hard freezes this winter (you should always include your city or better yet USDA climate zone).
Thanks, will do it this weekend. What is the purpose of soak the roots? Is it necessary if i water enough to keep soil very wet for a few hours?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,685 posts, read 81,455,155 times
Reputation: 57943
The bare root tree is packed for shipping in a material that retains some moisture, but depending on the length of time from packing to planting it can dry out. Then in your case planting without removing it means air pockets to dry out the roots further. You need to rehydrate them before planting, in fact I will trim the ends of the roots if they look shriveled to make sure there is white inside in case the tips have dried out too much and are unable to take up water.
In my part of the country (western part of NYS), October and November is considered prime planting time for bareroot deciduous trees, November better than October, because the trees are dormant or nearly so and the roots can still get into the soil because it's relatively warm. By January, the ground is usually frozen and/or covered with snow, often measured in feet.
If you're in an area with cold (temps get below freezing regularly) and snowy or wet winters, then you can dig it up, remove the packing material and replant your tree. Give it a nice drink, both before you refill the hole with dirt and then again after. Be sure to tamp it down hard because you want to remove all the air pockets that will dry out the roots. The watering and tamping does this. I always wear a pair of waterproof boots that I can wash with a hose and do a "dance" around my newly planted trees.
You probably should stake your tree between two posts to keep a wind storm from knocking it over. Until its roots dig into the soil to anchor it, it's always susceptible to that, especially in areas with lots of rain and clayey soil.
You should be able to plant the tree this time of year no problem. I do agree with above posters about digging it up and starting over at step 1. I have planted many bare root trees over the years and they generally do well, depending on your soil type of course.
Look at the leaves. Not sure it was in good shape when you planted it. But I would follow others' advice to attempt to re-hydrate it.
Tree looks in trouble before you planted it. Did you use a good quality soil around the roots? If you did, water it quite a bit and hope. Otherwise, dig it out and start over. Those leaves are pretty dry.....might not make it in any event given that it dried out enough to seriously wilt/dry the leaves.
Bare roots are normally planted dormant. I was wondering why you were planting bare roots this time of year. Someone dug up and shipped a plant still in leaf.
Pull it back up, remove the packing material. You spread the roots out in the hole and carefully fill dirt in all around them so there are no air pockets. Then you give it a good soak to settle the dirt in.
That plant looks like it was already in trouble when you received it. I am not sure you can save it, but if it were mine, I'd get it planted properly and then cut it back by at least a half.
Leaves are going to come off. If branches are still pliable, it is still alive. Cross your fingers and hope. You probably won't know if it made it until next spring.
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