One Hundred Dollar a Month Reader, Terri, sent in a question about dealing with inclement weather when bare root plants need to be dealt with, and since I have totally been in her boat, I thought I’d share the question and answer {and hoped you all could chime in as well}.
She wrote,
I have several tubs of chipped up leaves that I just finished and it is raining buckets here and of course my bareroot orders (260 shrubs and perennials) have arrived and I can not get into the garden to plant-mostly mud right now. Can I use the leaves with peat moss and sand to make a mix to put in pots? The only other option might be to buy topsoil (expensive) and mix. What is your best idea? Thanks. Terri
First, that’s A LOT of shrubs, holy buckets. Second, here’s what I would do: I would take that leaf mixture, add a little peat moss, put it into a plastic bag {grocery, garbage, whatever}, moisten the leaf/peat mixture, and place the bare roots into the bag {leaving the top of the plant out of the bag–you are just essentially planting the roots into a plastic bag to keep the roots moist, but not soggy}. Then, you can set the bagged plants in a pot, bucket, etc. {to keep them upright} in a cool dark place. You can set more than one plant in a bucket/container this way, and you won’t need so many pots. That will buy you a week to 10 days.
If the weather still isn’t cooperating, you really want to heel them in, which basically means planting them in a temporary spot, until you can plant them in their permanent location. This is what they do with plants when they are developing new neighborhoods. It might mean getting a little muddy, or investing in potting soil–whichever floats your boat. I would make a long trench along the side of the yard {or some other inconspicuous place, if you have one}, and plant them all in a row, then you can dig them up and transfer them to their permanent location when the weather permits.
How about any of YOU, have you had to deal with something like this? What did you do?
~Mavis
Madam Chow says
We planted over 50 trees and bushes, some of which arrived while there was still snow on the ground. We heeled them into our enormous compost pile, and they seem to have come through it okay.
Madam Chow says
I should be more clear – this was FINISHED compost, ready to use, not stuff that was still breaking down.
Mavis Butterfield says
What kind of fruit trees did you plant Madam Chow? I am thinking about getting a pear and an apple espalier tree for the garden {behind the fence of course}.
Janet says
Why would you plant fruit trees in a house you plan on leaving in 1-1/2 years? Would you put them in pots to take with you?
Best in Bluffton says
‘A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.’ —Greek Proverb