Why You Should Plant Your Bareroot Trees in the Snow

When it comes to planting, what season comes to mind for you?

We tend to think of gardening and growing as spring & summer season activities. This is especially true of newer growers and folks who are unfamiliar with purchasing bareroot plants.  Before I began working here at Silver Creek Nursery, I couldn’t imagine snowy planting - to me, that would be way too early!

By mid-to-late March many of us are antsy; keeping an eye out for the first crocuses and other signs of spring, while finalizing our plans for our gardening seasons. For the most part, we’re still inclined to stay cozy inside. And yet, so long as your shovel can penetrate the soil, it’s actually the perfect time to plant dormant bareroot trees and bushes!

This is dependent on your growing zone, the cold-hardiness of your dormant plant, and the weather forecast. The soil does need to be thawed enough underneath the snow that you’re able to properly dig the hole. Since snow has an insulating effect, usually it’s possible to plant in late March around our area of southern Ontario. Sometimes it can be just as well to wait until early or mid-April, or even early May if you are located more northerly and deep winter hangs on longer in your area.

Why is it best to plant out your dormant tree or bush while there’s still some snow and cool temperatures?

Less stress for the plant:

• The roots can settle into the soil while the plant is still completely dormant.
• The snowmelt can help set the plant up for success by providing early spring watering at no extra effort on your end.
• The tree will get to wake up at the same pace as the rest of mother nature.

Consider an early blooming plant such as a Haskap berry bush, cherry tree, or peach tree. These varieties often begin to show tiny green buds of new growth in April despite our best efforts to control them while they are still in our cold-storage facility. They simply know what time it is and slowly start to come out of dormancy around the same time that they would outdoors!

Plant Science: Photoperiodism

All plants have varying requirements for how long they lie dormant. They have their own methods of tracking light and time, collectively called photoperiodism. By integrating signals from their circadian clocks and photoreceptors, they determine what time of year it is. They track what we call "degree days", which is a horticultural term referring to for the number of days the temperature around a plant is above a certain level.

After a certain number of degree days, a plant can combine cues of light (lengthening days, our increasing time spent in cold storage packing up orders means our plants there are also getting lengthening days) along with the passage of time to override some of the temperature cues it is receiving (in our cold storage or out in an orchard). If the plant has reached it's needed number of degree days, that tells the plant that it should be safe to break dormancy and it begins to do so. 

Isn’t that cool!? Plants are so much more complex than we (your average non-scientist humans) give them credit for.

What impact does that have on why you should plant as early as possible, even in snow?

Once a plant begins to become active and push out its new season’s growth, the top is actively asking for more sustenance from the roots. This means there are more things for the roots to care for while they undergo the move to a new location. Think of it in terms of moving between homes as a human; it is generally a stressful process to move our lives and then settle back in, finding all the new spots for the best local foods, comforts and necessities in our new space. 

All of the above is not to say that a bareroot plant won’t do well when planted in early May or a little later in the season. However, the later you wait, the higher the transplant stress is on the plant, so why not plant earlier? As tree-lovers here at Silver Creek Nursery, we will always try to help you choose the option that is best for the plants!

Sometimes folks do need to delay their plantings due to various schedule constraints or unavoidable life-happenings. While most of our bareroot plant orders are out the door by early May, we do continue shipping bareroot plants until around the May long weekend each season. After that it really is too late to go the bareroot route, but potted plants begin to be available starting in April and throughout the summer. 

So, knowing all of that, don’t let a little snow intimidate you. We encourage you to get outside and plant a dormant bareroot tree or bush this spring!

Don't forget to add spiral tree guards or some other form of protection from rabbits, deer, and other small critters for your trees - when planting early, there may still be food scarcity for these creatures. Your new tree might look like a treat to them! 

If you’d like to learn more about our recommendations for planting bareroot or potted plants, check out our Planting Guidelines blog post!