I often hear people are going to wait for spring to buy plants and buy them. I’m here to offer a little bit of a gem in saving you money when buying plants…. Buy bare roots in the winter!
Ok so what are bare root plants/ trees and shrubs? They are the same plants and trees but in the nursery they have been grown in the ground, rather than in pots. They are dug up in their dormant season (Nov – Mar) and have the soil removed from their roots ready to send. The huge advantage with this method is the cost of shipping. Rather than transporting a really heavy pot of soil, bare roots are very light. So not only are they supplied cheaper its a more sustainable method. When you recieve the plants they need to planted fairly quickly (within a couple of weeks), following the suppliers guidelines. Often they need a good soak beforehand. As well as the cost advantage the plants will establish quicker during their growing time into the soil of your garden, avoiding the root bound affect of pot grown plants.
What can you get bare rooted?
Roses
My favourite to buy bare rooted! I love David Austin Roses but they can be a bit pricey. I buy bare roots for my clients. In the right conditions they have been budding within weeks of planting. Glorious! https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/pages/autumn-2022?gclid=Cj0KCQiAtICdBhCLARIsALUBFcFY3xKPpvL7SETV9yn99GGMElDrKQoBe_dRc4pydfF-tz2zSdgumnoaAuTDEALw_wcB
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck7zZ9Lj1zX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Perennials
This one is for you if you are looking for masses of plants but have the patience to wait for them to establish. I have planted bare root perennials, there is a little more work as you need to pot them up and then on. In year 2 though you have really strong established plants at a fraction of the cost of going to a garden centre. Farmer Gracy offer a huge range https://www.farmergracy.co.uk/collections/buy-perennial-plants-online-uk
Trees/ Shrubs and Hedging
Buying bare root trees is a really economical way of getting trees and shrubs into your garden. A large container grown tree or shrub can cost hundreds of pounds. So if you are happy to be patient it can be a great way of getting in structure. It is also less of a risk of disease and blowing over as it goes through it’s growing period in the its final position. Often local council offer free bare root trees as an incentive to get green.
Enjoy planning your garden and see what impact you can make with bare roots!