November to March is the ideal time to plant bare-root plants. These are plants that have been been grown in open ground, then dug up for despatch and planting during the dormant season. They are called ‘bare-root’ plants as they are supplied with no soil around their roots. They are usually bought online, or by mail order.
Bare-root plants are generally cheaper than plants grown in containers, and you’ll often find a wider selection of varieties this way. Planting them in the dormant season means that they should establish well – while the top growth may be brown and twiggy, the roots are busy establishing beneath.
All kinds of plants can be supplied bare-root, from trees to perennials. Find out more below.
Trees
Winter is the ideal time to plant a bare-root tree, including fruit trees, ornamental cherries, birch, beech, hawthorn and many more – you’ll find a wide selection at tree nurseries or online. Buy bare-root trees from Crocus
Watch Alan Titchmarsh’s guide to planting a bare-root tree, to ensure your trees get the best possible start in life.
Hedges
Planting a hedge is much more economical if you buy bare-root plants and while not ‘instant’, they will knit together quickly. It’s a great way to plant beech, hornbeam or an ‘edible hedge’ made up of a mix of edible plants such as blackthorn, cherry plum and hazel. Read our guide to planting a bare-root hedge.
Buy bare-root hedging plants from Waitrose Garden
Roses
You can buy container-grown roses all year round, but for the best selection, it pays to plant them bare-root. They will establish quickly and you should enjoy flowers the following summer. Find out how to plant a bare-root rose.
Buy bare-root roses from Harkness Roses
Perennials
Many perennials can be planted bare-root. Peonies in particular are best planted this way, although you can also plant agapanthus, hardy geraniums and a host of other plants. Discover 10 perennials to plant bare-root.
Buy bare-root perennials from Amazon
Fruit bushes and canes
The dormant season is also the ideal time to plant fruit – especially if you are planting lots of plants – it’s much more economical and you’ll get the widest pick of varieties. Follow our advice on planting bare-root raspberries and bare-root blackcurrants.
Buy bare-root fruit bushes and canes from Primrose
Fruit trees
You’ll find the widest selection of fruit trees – if you buy them bare-root – apple, pear, plum, cherry, apricot can all be bought this way. You can also buy bare-root stepovers, espaliers and cordons. Discover how to plant a bare-root fruit tree.
Buy bare-root fruit trees from Dobies
Shrubs
Shrubs can also be planted bare-root. Willow, yew and viburnum are just some of the shrubs that can be planted this way. Watch our video guide to planting a bare-root shrub.
Buy bare-root shrubs from Suttons
Caring for a bare-root plant
It is essential that the roots of a bare-root plant don’t dry out. Be sure to soak the roots in winter as soon as you receive your plants. If you can’t plant immediately – if the soil is frozen, for example – heel them in until the weather improves.
Sprinkling miccorhizal fungi around the roots when planting will increase nutrient and water uptake and help bare-root plants establish well.
