When to plan a bare root/container tree

19 years ago

This may have already been answered, I searched but couldnÂt find the answer, so if this has already been answered I apologize.

This spring, my wife, who is a teacher, inherited 2 bare root Red Oak trees. This was perfect because I actually had looked into the best tree to replace a Bradford Pear that had fallen in my yard 2 years go, and Red Oak came out as the winner of the best suited native tree for my yard.

I could tell the bare root Oaks had not been taken care of so well and I gave it a 50% chance at best that one of the two might actually live. So I took the best looking of the two and planted it in the yard. Just in case the one in the yard didnÂt make, it I filled up a 5 gallon bucket with potting soil and put second one in there. Two months later, much to my surprise, both are actually doing very well.

I have chosen a spot in my yard to plant the second tree, but am now unsure when to put it in the ground.

1) I think it is really too late in the season to try and put it in the ground now. Am I correct on that?

2) If I am correct on 1, would I be better off putting the tree into the ground in the fall once the leaves drop or in the spring before buds are formed?

3) If the answer to 2 is in the spring, what is the best way to winter a container tree that is to be put into the ground in the spring?

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Comments (8)

Dibbit
19 years ago
If tree no. 2 is growing well in the container, then it has grown a good set of roots. You can plant it almost any time, and with a little coddling - not much more than the normal attention you should pay to a newly planted tree at any time - it should continue to do well. If you have it in shade at the moment, and the new spot is full sun, then start gradually acclimating it to more sun, just as you would harden off plants in the spring, increasing the exposure daily, over 3-5 days. Water well as you give it more sun. Once you have done that, plant away. If you can't adjust the sun exposure slowly, then make provision to give it a little more care once planted - maybe some shade for the first few days.

Pay GOOD attention to watering - water the root ball for the first few weeks, and then spread the water over a wider area - water only when the top 2-3" of soil are dry, slowly and deeply, so it soaks to the bottom of the roots. The equivalent of an inch of rain per week is a good amount to strive for - adjust the amount/frequency of watering as the rainfall dictates. Mulch it well - as widely as possible, no deeper than 4", and no mulch in the 2" or so next to the trunk.

You could also wait to plant it, but, it's out of my expertise to say whether fall or spring would be better in your area. I'll let someone else say.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
19 years ago
presuming the pot has drainage ...

and presuming you will plant it in full sun where trees like to grow ...

why not wait ...

yes either is an option ... but i transplant oaks in October after they have lost all the leaves... why burn them all off and force it to regenerate leaves in the heat of summer... it will only be weakened ...

in fall it will have many months of cool weather to grow even more roots before next summer ...

if you keep it in the pot... treat it more like a cactus than a herbaceous perennial ... trees like to dry out between waterings.. and frankly .. potting soil has too much peat.. and you can root rot the thing if you keep it too wet ... don't kill it with too much love... ken
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lydon71
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for the advise.

It is in 90% sun right now, and I had been over watering it, I cut back on the water and it is doing even better now.

I think IÂll go with letting it stay in the bucket for the rest of the summer and then putting in the ground this fall when it has dropped itÂs leaves.

One more question though, on both trees the leaves are coming out deformed. Some with no lobes at all and others with non symmetric rounded lobes rather than the nice pointy lobes. Is this just what is to be expected from a tree that has lost the majority of itÂs root system?
atwork
19 years ago
Assuming your tree is not potbound, it would be much better off in the ground than in the pot. Unless you have to heavily manipulate the roots, due to the tree being already rootbound, the tree should not suffer any ill effects from transplanting it now. By leaving it in the pot you are denying the tree's ability to more fully develop its root system and giving it more opportunity to become potbound. There are also other benefits to having the tree in the ground like improved nutrient and moisture levels (assuming decent soil in the planting location). The only reason I would possibly consider keeping it in the pot until mid to late fall is if it is already badly potbound and planting now would require considerable root change.

It's hard to answer your question about the leaves, especially without seeing it. There are a number of possible scenario.
quercus_macrocarpa
19 years ago
As long as the potted tree continues to do well where it is, I wouldn't recommend transplanting it until after leaf drop in the Fall.
atwork
19 years ago
Quercus_macrocarpa, I am trying to think of any advantage(s) in waiting that would outweigh the advantages I listed for planting now. If you know of any, can you let us know?
quercus_macrocarpa
19 years ago
Less chance of transplant shock.
atwork
19 years ago
I've never had any problem with transplant shock when transplanting container grown plants unless, like in my post above, the roots had to be manipulated/cut because of the roots being potbound. I'm not sure what would cause the transplant shock without root disturbance or some other difference (like if the plant had been in the shade and then suddenly been brought outside and planted in full sun).

BUT, I've certainly seen good trees hurt badly by being left in their pots too long.