the times Saturday December 4 202116
A
utumn was so late and
mild that I was wondering
whether bare-rooted and
rootballed trees, shrubs
and roses were ever going
to be lifted and delivered.
Now that temperatures
have plummeted the planting season is in
full swing. “Rootballed” plants are those
where a tree or shrub still has soil around
its roots, held together with hessian sack-
ing and tree wires. Leave the sacking on
when planting — it’s biodegradable and
will rot off as the roots grow through.
“Bare-rooted” is a field-grown plant that
has been lifted (between November and
March), with the soil and compost shaken
off and the roots exposed. Bare-rooted
plants are cheaper than container-grown
Many fruit trees can
be bought bare-rooted,
and some are preshaped
into fans or as espaliers
With hedging — including hawthorn,
beech, wild cherry, alder, hornbeam and
dog rose — go for bare-rooted “whips”
(literally sticks with some roots on),
which come in nicely priced bundles in
sizes from 40cm to 125cm.
If you want to plant a tree — one of
life’s most rewarding activities — and
only have a small garden, here are some
suggestions.because during development they require
less watering and maintenance in the
nursery, and are easy to transport, as
without soil they are lighter.
If you have tricky access, are a long
distance from a delivery spot or are
planting a hedge or a few trees, then go
for bare-rooted plants. They have a higher
success rate too. Many fruit trees such as
apples, pears and cherries can be bought
bare-rooted, and some are preshaped into
fans or as espaliers etc.
With bare-rooted trees most nurseries
will only go to a certain size (a girth of
about 10 to 12cm, which corresponds
roughly to a tree of 3m to 4m when
bought). The majority are deciduous, al-
though smaller evergreen hedging plants
(such as holly and yew) are also available.A ‘bare-rooted’ tree, grown in a field
not a container, is nice and hardy —
and suits small spaces, says Joe Swift
Outside
Pleached lime trees with beech hedge and oriental fountain grassThe perfect
tree to plant in
cold weather