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Depending on where you stand on the colour orange, you either love the look of a persimmon tree in June or loathe it. I am firmly in the devotee camp. Now that the tree’s leaves have dropped, its jaunty fruits shine out like lanterns. My persimmon is cutting such a dash I can hardly bare to harvest it.
But good news: this is also the best time to plant one, thanks to the bare root plant season moving into full swing this month.
Bare root plants have been dug up while dormant from the ground in which they were established, washed free of soil and sold with entirely naked roots.Credit: iStock
While nurseries started selling some bare root roses in April, the full array of bare root deciduous fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs, only appears in June. By mid-August, after which these plants resume active growth, they will be sold in soil in pots only, so its worth moving quickly to take advantage of what is a relatively brief window.
Thanks to how very economical a plant with neither soil nor pot can be, up to half the price of its potted counterpart, bare root plants are an especially affordable option for those establishing mass plantings.
They also offer environmental benefits due to being field grown (rather than relying on potting mix), lighter to transport and requiring less plastic. Plus you get more choice of cultivars, especially when it comes to fruit trees.
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As their name suggests, bare root plants have been dug up while dormant from the ground in which they were established, washed free of soil and sold with entirely naked roots. Unpromising as they might appear, like a branching stick with roots, if you plant them right, they will adapt quickly to their new situation.
While they are commonly sold by mail order, some nurseries nestle their bare root stock into display beds of damp compost, leaving customers to slip out their chosen plants. The roots are then protected in a wad of moistened sawdust and wrapped, like a present, in paper and string.
But once you have your bare root plant home, there is little time to dally. Bare root plants should be planted as soon as possible, with their roots never allowed to dry out, which is why some nurseries opt to pot up their bare root stock before selling it. Bare root plants might be dormant, but they are not bulletproof.