Spring is coming, and that means gardeners everywhere are daydreaming about making their yards look amazing for their neighbors, their customers and themselves. But before you head to the garden center to stock up on container plants, there's a little-known secret to getting the most from your gardening dollar that only the pros know. Bare root plants are a huge money saver that gives you all the great quality of container plants at about 10% of the cost.
What Is A Bare Root Plant?
A bare root plant is a plant that is sold without dirt around the roots. Bare root plants are dug up at the nursery, have their roots rinsed and treated to remove the dirt, and then are carefully stored in a cooler until being shipped to their final destination.
Why You Haven't Heard Of Bare Root Plants Before
Most people don't know about bare root plants because they aren't sold in local garden centers, nurseries or hardware stores. That's because bare-root plants have a very short shelf life. They need to be planted within 10 days of receipt.
For retail plant providers, it makes much more sense to sell plants that can sit out on a shelf for weeks or even months, so they only sell container plants. Bare root plants are only sold at bare root nurseries, and if you don't have one in your area, you can find one online that can ship plants right to your door.
You may not have heard about bare root plants, but they're incredibly popular among businesses and landscaping companies. While you're probably not looking to make a profit off your landscaping, businesses need to keep expenses low to maximize their profits. Saving 90% on the plants they buy helps them do that.
It's All About The Shipping Costs
Bare root plants are typically sold for about 90% less than the same plant sold in a container. It all comes down to shipping costs. Dirt is heavy, and therefore it costs a lot to ship container plants to stores. That cost for shipping is passed on to the consumer: you.
With bare root plants, there's no heavy soil jacking up the cost of shipping, so consumers can pay pennies on the dollar for the same plant, minus the dirt.
How Do Bare Root Plants Stay Alive Without Dirt?
Bare root plants survive transport without dirt because they are packed and shipped while they're in the dormant stage. During the dormant stage, plants stop growing and conserve energy to make it through the winter. During this time, plants can be moved and transplanted with bare roots within a certain time frame.
The Best Time For Planting Bare Root Plants
The best time to plant bare root plants is in the spring. That way, they have plenty of time to become established before the heat of summer kicks in.
When is spring? It's whenever the weather starts warming up and after the last frost in your area. When it comes to planting, what's considered "spring" in your area may not correspond with the official start of spring on the calendar. If you're not sure when spring starts in your area, find out which hardiness zone you're in. There are 13 hardiness zones in the United States, each with its own specific weather.
Landscape Like The Pros With Bare Root Plants
Generations of landscapers have enjoyed the ease and affordability of bare root plants, and now you can, too. After all, when you're spending 90% less on your landscaping, that means you can do what every green thumb dreams about doing — buying even more plants.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
