UK gardening - Re: Help! Frost and planting bare-root fruit trees.

Author

Re: Help! Frost and planting bare-root fruit trees.

Des Higgins

2008-02-17, 9:25 am

On Feb 17, 9:32=A0am, "Cat(h)" <cathy...@nospamyahoo.com> wrote:
> Last week end, I bought a Beurre Hardy pear and a Victoria plum,
> bareroot trees, about 2m tall, from Lidl. =A0I was planning on planting
> them there and then, but other things got in the way, so I left them
> in their plastic wrappers huddled up to the front SW facing facade of
> the house, where a number of delicate things in pots thrive happily.
> Overnight, we've had a mother of all frost, and I am wondering: would
> it be better to plant the trees today, in the knowledge that another
> one of those hard frosts is forecast for tomorrow night, or should I
> leave them till we get past this cold snap? =A0The trouble is, if I have
> to wait, then I have to wait at least one week, possibly 2, as I will
> be away next week end.
> I'm concerned about leaving the trees in their wrappers.
> Help?
>
> TIA
>
> Cat(h)

This is a guess but I THINK the main problem with bare root plants is
that they dry out. I would plant them into something asap.
Traditionally, they were "heeled in" by levering a gap in the soil
with a spade and inserting the plants into the gap and closing it with
your heel, to stop them drying out until they have their final
destinations ready. It is very frosty so maybe stick them into
potting compost in pots, just for now? That is all a guess, as I
said. Last bare root plants we bought came in the post and almost all
died. This was (we think) due to a mixture of drying out in the post
and a delay in planting them once they got here.

Cat(h)

2008-02-17, 9:25 am

On Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:18:19 -0800 (PST), Des Higgins
<dazzhiggins@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On Feb 17, 9:32_am, "Cat(h)" <cathy...@nospamyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>This is a guess but I THINK the main problem with bare root plants is
>that they dry out. I would plant them into something asap.
>Traditionally, they were "heeled in" by levering a gap in the soil
>with a spade and inserting the plants into the gap and closing it with
>your heel, to stop them drying out until they have their final
>destinations ready. It is very frosty so maybe stick them into
>potting compost in pots, just for now? That is all a guess, as I
>said. Last bare root plants we bought came in the post and almost all
>died. This was (we think) due to a mixture of drying out in the post
>and a delay in planting them once they got here.

It sounds sensible. I think I will do that, because that's probably
all I will have time for today. I think I will leave the long plastic
sleeve on them - just not the strong plastic bag around their roots
(which does include some compost, but I can only imagine how dry).
They should be able to wait for a week or two there.

Thanks, Des.
Cat(h)

cliff_the_gardener

2008-02-17, 5:25 pm

Cat
The tree should be fine - but a word of caution, the trees do not say
what rootstock they are on. Also the plums have been cut to fit in
the bags which is a problem with Victoria as it is susseptible to
Silver leaf.
If its leaves do develop a silver return it. The is a plant passport
number on the sleeve, so it is traceable. The cure for silverleaf is
to dig up and burn....
The Beurre Hardy is self sterile so needs a pollinator.
Regards
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

Cat(h)

2008-02-17, 5:25 pm

On Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:26:29 -0800 (PST), cliff_the_gardener
<cliff_the_gardener@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

>Cat
>The tree should be fine - but a word of caution, the trees do not say
>what rootstock they are on. Also the plums have been cut to fit in
>the bags which is a problem with Victoria as it is susseptible to
>Silver leaf.
>If its leaves do develop a silver return it. The is a plant passport
>number on the sleeve, so it is traceable. The cure for silverleaf is
>to dig up and burn....
>The Beurre Hardy is self sterile so needs a pollinator.
>Regards
>Clifford
>Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

Thanks, Cliff, for all the good advice.
I'll bear this in mind.

Cat(h)

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