Open the order the same day and check every bundle for insects, breaks and dead spots: that comes first in what to do when bare root plants arrive. Then sort by plant group. Plant dormant trees and shrubs before buds break, hold ferns and perennials at 38 to 42°F under potting soil, and stand live stakes in water.
Tennessee Wholesale Nursery is a family-owned wholesale nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, near McMinnville. Since 1959 we have grown trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, wetland and native plants, and we ship every plant bare root, with no pot or soil. This guide covers how we pack a large order and how it travels. It also lays out a plan for the day the boxes reach you, sorted by the kind of plant inside.
How Tennessee Wholesale Nursery packs a bare-root order
Every box leaves the farm packed to keep the roots wet and the plants dormant. Our packaging page shows the full process, which follows American Nurseryman standards.
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Dug fresh or pulled from the cooler
In the dormant season we dig plants fresh. At other times they come out of our commercial coolers, where large refrigerated rooms hold them dormant.
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Roots soaked for 2 to 4 hours
The roots sit in cattle feeder troughs filled with water and Terra-Sorb gel, so they leave the farm fully wet.
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Wrapped in wet paper and plastic
After the soak, the roots are packed in wet paper filler and closed in with plastic to hold that moisture in transit.
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Boxed and shipped
The wrapped plants go into corrugated boxes and ship straight out.
When each kind of plant ships
| Plant group | When we ship it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trees, shrubs and seedlings | End of October through May | They ship dormant, with no leaves or blooms |
| Perennials, ferns, vines, live stakes and mosses | Year round | Our preparation lets them travel well in any season |
How large orders travel and what arrives
According to our About Us page, large wholesale orders travel by semi truck, while homeowner orders go by US Mail and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Orders of $750 and up ship free.
A big order also arrives in bulk counts. Christmas Fern and Ostrich Fern are sold in bundles of 25, 50, 100 or 500. Silky Willow Live Stakes come in lots of 100, 500 or 1,000, at 1 to 2, 2 to 3 or 3 to 4 feet. Plan your space and crew around those numbers before the delivery date.
Tip: Running a job site? When you place a large order, tell us how you want the boxes split and marked for your crew.
What to do when bare root plants arrive
The roots left our farm wet, so the job on delivery day is to keep them that way and get each group where it belongs.
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Open every box the same day
Do not leave a pallet of boxes sealed overnight. Open them and get them into the shade.
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Inspect each bundle
Our planting instructions say to check for insects, dead spots, breaks, dead limbs and other signs of a failing plant.
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Sort by plant group
Split the order into trees and shrubs, ferns and perennials, and live stakes and wetland plants. Each group gets different care until it goes in the ground.
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Plant what you can right away
Planting on arrival gives roots the most time to settle before spring growth.
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Store the rest by group
Use the table below for how to hold each group that you cannot plant today.
Arrival-day plan by plant group
| Plant group | From our catalog | What to do the day it arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Trees and shrubs | Button Bush Shrubs | Plant these first, while they are dormant and before buds swell, and only when temperatures stay above 31°F. Our pages give no holding method for them, so do not plan to store them. |
| Ferns and perennials | Christmas Fern, Ostrich Fern, Marsh Hibiscus Plant | If you cannot plant, unwrap, cover with potting soil and keep at 38 to 42°F in a basement, cellar or garage. Mist lightly every other day. |
| Live stakes and wetland plants | Silky Willow and Black Willow Live Stakes | Stand the roots in a pond, trough, lake or containers of water. Change the water every couple of days and clear out algae. |
For shrubs such as Button Bush Shrubs, dormancy is the clock to watch. Our bare-root guide explains that plants stay dormant until temperatures reach about 58°F, when budding begins, and they do best planted before that.
Perennials such as Marsh Hibiscus Plant go with the ferns. The same bare-root guide notes that a smaller order can be kept in a refrigerator crisper drawer instead.
Live stakes like Black Willow Live Stakes can also sit in buckets or wet burlap sacks, kept moist and in the shade on hot days. Plant shipped stakes as soon as you can; if you cut your own, plant them within 24 hours of cutting.
How long can you keep bare root plants before planting?
As short a time as you can. Our pages give no fixed number of days. They call for planting right away, and for holding plants cool and moist only until you can. Trees and shrubs face a real deadline: once warm weather starts their buds, the best planting window has passed.
Planting a large order
- Check the site's sunlight, water and soil pH, and match each species to it.
- Dig a hole twice the size of the root mass.
- Set the plant in with fertilizer and fill the hole.
- Water right away, then keep to a regular watering schedule.
- Space bare-root perennials 12 inches to 4 feet apart.
Frequently asked questions
Should you soak bare root plants before planting?
Ours have already had a long soak. Before packing, the roots sit for 2 to 4 hours in water and Terra-Sorb gel, then travel in wet paper and plastic. On arrival, the job is to keep them moist. Live stakes can also be dipped in rooting hormone before planting to speed growth.
Can I ship live plants with USPS?
Yes. We send homeowner orders by US Mail, and they arrive in 3 to 5 days, with roots wrapped in wet paper and plastic inside a corrugated box. Large wholesale orders go by semi truck instead. Either way, open the boxes the day they arrive.
