How to take care of your plants from the show

The most important thing to do with "bare root" plants is to get them out of the package and into soil.  Moisture buildup or drying can occur in the package or out of the package.  Too wet or too dry conditions are the enemies of plants.  Promptly getting plants into soil helps stabilize these variables.    

Plants left in the package too long will eventually rot and may even seem to disappear. 

When we get home from the store, we put perishables in the fridge.  When we get home from the garden show with living bare root plants, we need to keep the plants away from heat, and then get them into soil within a few days.  If we do that, they're fine.  

Unlike us, plants aren't warm blooded.  They don't care if it's cold outside.  It's fine to plant outdoors even if overnight temperatures might drop well below freezing.  Cover your plant's crown with a little compost, and it should acclimate and come up fine.  The only exception to the rule of immediate outdoor planting would be east of the mountains where the ground is frozen or temperatures of 20 degrees or less are common through winter.  Here, gardeners might transplant into the ground or into pots buried in protected foundation beds, beside compost bins, or in coldframes or cool greenhouses, and wait for spring to transplant into garden beds.  

Where planting depth is concerned,  a good rule of thumb is 1" deep for the top of the roots or "crown" from which the roots grow down.  Epimediums, ferns, and salvia should be a little shallower.  Tubers such as alstroemeria can be laid sideways if the top shoots aren't obvious.  If the "up" end is apparent, tubers can be set with more of an up and down end.  Any plant's shoots should be just below the surface unless they're elongating and greening or coloring up, in which case they can be left exposed a little.   I like light airy composty mulch in the cover layer because it provides coverage without smothering and a good "fudge factor" for different depths and soil types. 

Dormant bare root handling of plants is a transplanting method that's been used successfully for thousands of years.  The material in our packages is formulated to help buffer against extremes of moisture, drying, or cold while the plants make the journey from our farm to your garden.  Your plants need to be processed promptly when they arrive at their new home.  Keep them cool, and plant them within a few days after purchase.  Prompt planting is necessary to ensure success. 

Thank you!