Why bare-root trees are worth the wait

Bare-root fruit trees are lifted from the nursery field during dormancy and sold with their roots free of soil. Because they arrive without the weight of compost around them, they are cheaper to buy, easier to carry and often available in far more varieties than their pot-grown cousins. They also establish remarkably well, provided you plant them at the right moment and treat the roots with a bit of care.

The window runs roughly from late November to early March, whenever the ground is workable and not frozen or waterlogged. Planting in November gives roots the longest possible time to settle in before spring growth begins. A tree planted in a cold, wet January still has a good chance, but one that sits in its packaging until April is already losing the battle.

Checking your tree on arrival

Open the packaging as soon as it arrives. The roots should be moist and pliable, not dry and brittle, and the bark on the trunk should be firm and unmarked. If you cannot plant straight away, heel the tree in: dig a shallow trench in a spare corner of the garden, lay the roots along it, cover them with soil and firm gently. A tree heeled in properly will wait quite happily for several weeks.

Before planting, trim any damaged or broken roots with clean secateurs, cutting back to healthy wood. Shorten any roots that are excessively long so they can be spread out rather than coiled in the hole. If the roots look dry, stand the tree in a bucket of water for a couple of hours — no longer, as soaking for days can drown the fine root hairs.

Choosing the spot and preparing the ground

Most top fruit wants full sun and shelter from strong winds. Avoid frost pockets at the bottom of a slope, where blossom can be caught in late spring. Check the rootstock before you dig: a vigorous tree on MM106 or a seedling root needs several metres of space, whereas a dwarf on M9 or M27 will be happy in a large pot or a small bed.

• Clear perennial weeds well before planting, especially couch grass and nettles.
• Dig a hole wide enough for the roots to lie naturally, but no deeper than the tree was growing before.
• Fork the base of the hole to break up any compacted layer, which helps drainage.
• On heavy clay or a wet site, plant on a slight mound so the crown of the roots never sits in standing water.

Look for the soil mark on the trunk — a subtle change in bark colour where the tree stood in the nursery. That mark should end up at, or just below, the final soil surface. The graft union, the knobbly join between rootstock and variety, must sit clear of the ground. If it is buried, the variety may root and the tree will lose its size-controlling benefits.

Planting, step by step

Position the tree so the graft union faces away from the prevailing wind if you can, then spread the roots evenly around the hole. On no account should they be bunched into a tight ball — a root that curls round will thicken over the years and may eventually strangle the tree.

Backfill in stages, working soil in among the roots with your fingers as you go. Shake the trunk gently to help soil trickle into the gaps, then firm with your heel in a ring around the trunk, not directly against it. Firm enough that the tree resists a gentle tug, but not so hard that the soil becomes a brick. Air pockets are the enemy here: they dry out the roots and can kill a tree within weeks without any obvious warning.

Finish by checking the planting depth once more. The soil will settle over the winter, so aim for the graft union to end about 10cm above the surface, leaving a little room for that settling.

Staking, watering and the first year

Stake dwarf and semi-dwarf trees for the first three to five years, driving the stake in at a 45-degree angle or vertically on the windward side, and tie with a soft, adjustable tree tie that allows the trunk to move a little. Movement builds a stronger trunk; a rigid tie does not.

• Water thoroughly after planting, using around 15 litres and letting it soak away slowly.
• Water weekly through the first summer in dry spells, doubling the amount on sandy soils.
• Mulch in spring with well-rotted manure or bark, 5–8cm deep, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Prune at planting to balance the top with the reduced root system, then follow the usual winter routine for the tree's form.

Get these early weeks right and a bare-root tree will reward you for decades. Feed it, water it, keep the grass and weeds away from its trunk, and you will be picking your own fruit before you know it.