Looking after bare root plants

browneyedbazzi

I've just had bare root laurels for the hedge I'm planning to put in delivered - sooner than expected. Excellent service from the nursery/courier but the downside is that I'm not quite ready to plant it out yet.

I read that if you can't plant them out properly immediately it's best to dig a hole, pop them in it in a big group, cover the roots with soil and water them well. I've done all of that but they've come tied in bundles and I wasn't sure if I should remove the ties or not. Any ideas/wisdom?

They'll probably have to stay in their temporary home until the weekend (or a bit longer if the weather is rubbish on the weekend).

DaftyDuck

Frankly, if it's less than a week, they'll be fine left in their despatch wrapping, so long as they are kept moist, out of sun and frost-free. Cool side passage, garage, anything. Heeling them in is what you'd be doing by planting them like that, and it'd be worth doing if it were a month before planting or longer.

Laurels is tough stuff. They'll survive at least a week or three as they are. If you have planted them in bundles, just leave them as they are (they might pine for their siblings if separated) and water lightly. If there's heavy frost, cover them with newspaper or straw.

Ectophile

The most important thing is that the roots aren't allowed to dry out. If they get dry, the small roots that feed the plant start to die off. On the other hand, don't drown them by leaving them in a bucket of water for days.

The plants will be dormant at this time of year, so they won't be trying to grow yet.

Heeling them in is just a good way of keeping the roots damp.