How to Care for a Bare-Root Cherry Tree
- 1). Keep it moist. Bare-root cherry trees are dug out of their site at the nursery and packaged in a moist, soilless mixture. They have most likely lost part of their root system and are in a state of shock. Unpack the packaging and water the tree thoroughly.
- 2). Plant the tree immediately if possible. Soak it for 12 to 24 hours before planting in a bucket of water. Select a sunny, level location for the cherry tree. If you experience late spring frosts, place the tree on a northern site to prevent early blooming which may be nipped by late freezes. Avoid low-lying areas where frost pockets will linger.
- 3). Dig a hole for the tree twice as wide as the root system. Add a shovelful of bone meal or kelp meal, but avoid compost or manure. When the soil in the hole is heavily amended, the roots may not venture outside of that fertile area, causing root girdling. Keep the topsoil and subsoil in two separate piles. Cherry trees require well-drained soil of average fertility.
- 4). Place a 2-inch mound of topsoil in the bottom of the hole. Prune off any dead or diseased roots and place the tree gently in the hole, spreading out its roots. The tree should sit at the same level it sat in the nursery. Look for a soil line on the trunk to verify the proper planting depth. Fill the hole with the subsoil, followed by the topsoil. Firm it gently with your heel.
- 5). Water the soil thoroughly to remove any air pockets. Prune the tree back to 3 feet high. When a young tree is dug up, it loses a portion of its root system. Pruning the tree to remove some of its top growth balances the tree, resulting in healthy new growth more quickly.
- 6). Place cherry trees in a potting medium, such as sand, potting mix, peat moss or aged sawdust, if you can't plant them immediately. Water the mixture to moisten it and keep it moist. Trees may be stored this way for several weeks, but plant them before new growth and buds emerge.
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