Receiving Your Plants
All throughout the year we grow our plants outdoors in nursery beds made from chicken compost, loam, and wood chips. This allows our plants to grow vigorous root systems and adapt to fluctuations in temperature, light, and moisture. When you place an order with us, you will receive your plants in their dormant, bare root state, in the early spring or late fall. "Bare root" refers to a plant that is sold and transported without soil around its roots, and is padded with moist material to keep it alive. This cuts down on shipping costs as well as prevents the spread of disease and pests in the soil. We also sell cuttings of certain plants and instructions on how to plant those can be found below. Once the plants are ready to be shipped/picked up, we will notify you and it’s crucial that they are planted as soon as possible so it has the best chance of success.
How to Plant Bare Root Trees/Shrubs:
Prepare the Planting Site: Select a suitable location for the plant. Consider the plant's sunlight, soil type, and water requirements as well as the the future size of the plant. Using a scythe or a weedwhacker, trim down any vegetation in a 4 ft radius as close to the ground as possible.
Soak the Roots: Before planting, soak the bare root plant in water or compost tea for an hour or two. This rehydrates the roots and helps them to recover from any dryness incurred during transportation. Make sure to do this in a shaded place.
Dig a Hole: Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the spread-out roots of the plant. The depth of the hole should be sufficient to allow the plant to sit at its original soil level with the root flare just emerging above the ground. Take care to avoid digging too deep, the roots should be resting on undisturbed soil. As we dig, we place our soil onto a sheet of cardboard so it is not lost to the ground.
Position the Plant: Place the bare root plant in the center of the hole, spreading out the roots evenly. Ensure that the plant's roots flare(the point where the roots meet the stem) is at soil level or slightly above it. Planting too deeply can lead to the plant rotting. Lastly, scratch the sides of your hole if they have been compacted by a shovel.
Backfill the Hole: Fill the hole with soil in the same order as it was dug to retain the same soil profile. Water the soil as you fill to prevent any air pockets and settling. Make sure that the soil comes up to, but not above the level of the root flare
Water: Water the soil thoroughly to settle it around the roots and remove any air pockets.
Mulch the Area: Apply a layer of mulch of wood chips around the base of the plant, leaving space around the root crown. Mulching helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and insulate the roots.
Feed the Plant: If planting in the spring, plants will benefit from a slight addition of fertilizer in the form of compost tea or a small layer of compost. In planting in the fall, compost can actually have a negative effect on a tree’s growth.
Water Regularly: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during the plant's establishment period. Water deeply and less frequently rather than shallowly and frequently.
Monitor, Maintain, and Protect: Check the plant regularly for signs of growth and adjust watering as needed. Remove any weeds that may compete with the plant for nutrients and water. We also protect our young saplings from deer using wire cages or thorny branches. Check out this video for more details. To protect against rodents which may burrow into the loose soil around trees and damage the roots, we add aromatic elements such as garlic cloves or mint species to the immediate area.
How to Plant Cuttings:
Follow many of the steps above, but digging a hole is not necessarily required. When you receive the cuttings, simply stick the angled end into a suitable location in the ground so at least one node (where a bud/root will form) is under the soil, then mulch around it. Perform many of the above post-planting steps and you should be good to go! How to Plant Tubers:
Simply identify a suitable place and plant as you would a potato or any other root fragment. Water in well, mulch, and let it grow!
*When receiving plants in the fall, it is extremely important that you add some mulch for insulation around your young plants. We like to use hay, but dead leaves are a great insulator as well. This ensures that your plants can weather any extreme changes in the environment and also enables soil life to remain active longer into the winter*
