Keep the dormant crowns cool and moist until planting day. Dig a hole twice the size of the roots, set the crown no more than two inches deep, fill in and water right away. For ferns, gently tear some roots loose so they spread. Plant before temperatures hold at 58 degrees and keep watering through the first season.
How Tennessee Wholesale Nursery grows and ships bare-root perennials and ferns
Knowing how to plant bare-root perennials starts with knowing what arrives in the box. Tennessee Wholesale Nursery is a family-owned wholesale nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, near McMinnville, growing trees, shrubs, perennials, wetland and native plants since 1959. This is our guide to how our perennials and ferns are prepared, and how to plant them.
We ship only bare-root plants, with no pot and no soil. Perennials and ferns go out as dormant crowns and roots. Our packaging page explains that bare-root perennials and ferns ship year-round. In the dormant season they are freshly dug. At other times they come out of large refrigerated coolers that keep them dormant until they ship.
Before a box is sealed, the roots soak for 2 to 4 hours in troughs of water and Terra-Sorb gel. Then they are packed in wet paper filler with plastic wrapped around them, and boxed. Ferns also get a wilt-proof spray. That changes your job when the box arrives. The roots come to you already hydrated, so the work is keeping them cool and moist until planting, a short top-up soak is optional, and fern roots get gently torn loose at planting.
What arrives in the box: a dormant crown and its roots
A dormant perennial has no leaves or blooms. You will see the crown, where the stems will rise in spring, and the roots below it. Ferns arrive the same way. That bare look is normal. As our bare-root information page explains, shipping plants without foliage reduces shock at transplant. It also keeps shipping costs down, since there is no container or soil to carry.
Open the box and look the plants over before you plant. Our planting instructions ask you to check perennials for insect damage, dead parts and yellowing, and ferns for insects, dead spots and decay.
Do bare root plants need to be planted immediately?
Plant as soon as you can, but a few days of waiting is fine if you store them well. For ferns, ground covers and perennials, our bare-root page says to:
- Keep them at 38 to 42 degrees, in a basement, garage or refrigerator crisper drawer that stays in that range.
- Leave the plants in their original packaging, and cover them with potting soil there.
- Mist them lightly every other day.
Tip: The roots left the farm moist and gelled. Your job until planting day is to keep them that way: cool, wrapped and never dried out.
Should you soak bare root plants before planting?
A soak helps, and it should be short. Your plants were already soaked for 2 to 4 hours in water and Terra-Sorb gel before they were packed. Iowa State University Extension advises soaking bare-root perennial roots for 30 to 60 minutes before planting. That is a good way to top them up while you dig. Keep the soak to that window, then plant.
How to plant bare-root perennials, step by step
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Choose the spot first
Note the sunlight, how wet the ground stays, the soil type and its pH. Then match the plant to those conditions. Leave 12 inches to 4 feet between perennials, as our planting instructions suggest, depending on the plant.
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Dig a hole twice the size of the roots
Give the roots room to spread without bending or crowding them. Add fertilizer to the hole if your soil needs it.
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Set the crown at the right depth
Rest the crown no more than one or two inches below the soil surface, as Iowa State University Extension recommends, so it is not planted too deep.
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Fill in and water right away
Fill the hole around the roots and firm the soil gently. Water the plant immediately so the soil settles against the roots.
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Keep watering
Stay on a regular watering schedule while the plant settles in. Check it weekly through the first growing season and water less often once it is established.
How to plant bare-root ferns
Ferns follow the same pattern with one difference in how you handle the roots. First, pick a fern suited to your light, soil pH and moisture. Dig a hole twice the size of the roots and add fertilizer if needed. Then gently tear some of the roots so they spread out, set the fern in the hole and fill in the sides. Water right away and keep watering on a regular schedule.
Spreading the roots out in the hole, rather than setting the bundle in as it came, is the step our planting instructions single out for ferns.
Perennials and ferns that ship bare-root
We ship only bare-root plants, so each of these arrives as a crown and roots and plants with the steps above.
- Christmas Fern, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- New York Fern, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- Sensitive Fern, listed for zones 3 to 9.
- Maidenhair Fern, listed for zones 3 to 8.
- Purple Coneflower, a perennial listed for zones 3 to 8.
- Black-eyed Susan, a perennial listed for zones 3 to 9.
- Solomon's Seal, a perennial listed for zones 4 to 9.
See the full range in our fern plants and perennials collections.
Is it a good idea to plant bare root perennials in the fall?
Yes. Planting in the cooler months, before spring growth starts, gives the best results. Our bare-root page sets the line: plant before temperatures consistently reach 58 degrees, because that warmth triggers budding. A dormant crown planted in fall or late winter is in the ground and ready when spring arrives. Perennials and ferns that ship in warmer months come out of our coolers still dormant. Store them as above and plant them with the same steps.
How long does a bare root take to grow?
Expect new shoots in about 2 to 4 weeks once growing conditions arrive, according to Iowa State University Extension. A crown planted in fall stays quiet until spring warms the soil, so no growth over winter is normal. Keep the soil watered through that first season while the roots settle in.
