Winter Planting

How you plant those trees and shrubs depends on how they're packaged--bagged and burlapped, bare-root or container-grown. Each requires a different planting technique during the dormant season.

Container-grown: Trees and shrubs in containers need to be planted in the ground soon after bringing them home. If left in the container, it's difficult to give them the kind of tender, loving care they receive in the nursery.

• Start by carefully removing the plant from the container, being sure to keep as much soil as possible intact around the root ball. Inspect the ball and trim back dead or damaged roots until you reach healthy tissue (figure A). If roots circle around the root ball, loosen them and trim them back a bit to encourage branching. You should also remove any roots that girdle the trunk of the tree or shrub or they could kill the plant.
• Dig your planting hole almost as deep as the root ball and at least twice as wide. Then loosen the soil around the edge of the hole with a digging fork (figure B). Also use the fork to loosen the soil for a few feet around the base of the trunk to encourage the spread of young roots. But never, never loosen the soil at the bottom of the planting hole--the plant could suffer if it sinks below the ideal planting level.

• Set the plant in the hole with as much as one-third of the root ball exposed above ground level, especially if you have a clay soil. Fill the hole with excavated soil, tamping it lightly as you go to remove air pockets. Finally, water well and add a thick layer of mulch, being careful not to smother the base of the trunk.

Bagged and Burlapped: Plants sold in this form have been grown in the field, dug up with ample soil intact and then wrapped in burlap to reduce space and weight for shipping. Often, they are then placed in a container that's filled with soil. It's sometimes hard to tell if container-grown plants were once balled and burlapped, but you may be able to find evidence of burlap by scratching away a few inches of soil. It's a good idea in any case to ask the nursery staff if they received the plant in burlap.

• Preparing the planting hole is the same as for container-grown plants, but special attention is needed once the plant is placed in the hole.
• You want to remove any wire, twine, rope, string or whatever is binding the burlap to the root ball. Also remove any nails or staples that may be holding the burlap together.
• You can leave the burlap on the ball, but be sure to fold it back from the top and completely bury it so that it will rot. If any burlap remains exposed to the air, it can actually wick moisture out of the root ball and completely dry it up. As before, water and mulch well after planting.

• Remove the packing material first and inspect the roots (figure C), removing any dead, dying or diseased tissue.
• Place the plant in a bucket of water for a few hours, or even overnight. If you like, you can also provide a nutrient boost by tossing a handful of compost into the water.
• While the plant is soaking, prune away any damaged, diseased or broken limbs.

• When you finish digging the planting hole, build up a cone of soil in the bottom (figure D). Next, spread the roots over the cone and begin backfilling with soil, shaking the plant often to fill any air pockets with soil. After watering and mulching, consider staking the plant: it could be months before the roots are firmly anchored in the soil. Just remember to remove the stakes within about a year.