Bare root trees (as opposed to container trees) offer several benefits:

• Because bare root trees are harvested and transplanted only when dormant, they experience less transplant shock and have an easier time adjusting to their final location.
• If grown in air prune beds, taproots are terminated, which stimulates a more fibrous root system that is easily transplanted.
• It allows the roots to grow in a natural form rather than circling the smooth wall of a container which can create girdling roots in the future and results in a less stable root system.
• Bare roots trees are lighter, which means they can be easily shipped at a lower cost to our customers.

Our trees are harvested when they are fully dormant, typically in mid to late October. Fall shipping will begin immediately after and continue through November as long as weather permits.

Spring shipping will begin as soon as the ground thaws, typically around mid-March.

Please note: Our inventory is an estimate until we harvest, and orders will be fulfilled on a first come first serve basis. If we run out of a particular species before we can fulfill your order, you will receive a full refund.

Yes! We're working hard to grow our nursery and we plan to add new species for sale every year.

If we don't have what you're looking for right now, try checking out some of these other permaculture nurseries offering high quality bare root plants and trees:

• Edible Acres in Trumansburg, NY
• Forest Agriculture Nursery in Viola, WI
• Humble Abode Nursery in Ashfield, MA
• Twisted Tree Farm in Spencer, NY

Tree Planting:

Bare root trees should be planted as soon as possible upon receiving them. If you keep them in the original packaging they can sit in a dark, cool place for several days without issue. Storing them in a refrigerator until planting is also a good option if you have the space. 

When planting we recommend soaking your trees in water for 12 hours prior to planting to ensure they are well hydrated. Keep the trees in this bucket of water as you go around planting to prevent the roots from drying out while you are digging. Dig a hole that will accommodate the root system and do your best to spread the roots out as you back fill the hole. It can be helpful to create a cone of soil that the root system can sit on and spread out around. Be sure to tamp the soil down well around the roots to prevent the tree from dropping down in the hole as the soil settles. Plant so that the root crown is just at the soil level. Cover with a thick (6-8”) layer of mulch, this is critical to the tree’s health and will lessen the effects of frost heave, which can be a problem in heavy soils. Be sure to keep mulch off of the stem (this can easily be accomplished by creating a tube of hardware cloth around the stem). Give your trees a deep initial watering. Add protection against any wildlife in your area that will be a problem (this could be as simple as the hardware cloth tube mentioned above if small critters are your only concern or with tree tubes or welded wire cages if deer are a threat).

Heeling in: If you are receiving a fall order and will not have time to plant in the final location you can heel the trees in. The process of heeling in mimics being planted directly in the ground and protects the roots from extreme cold while retaining ease of access for later planting. To heel a tree in dig a v-shaped trench in well drained ground (or in the absence of well drained ground create a mound of soil above ground and dig a small trench in the mound) and place the trees in the trench at a 45 degree angle leaning against one side of the trench. Cover the roots up to the root crown with loose, friable soil or a fine mulch. Mulch the whole trench to insulate the area. The trees can sit safely like this through the winter. Be sure to take measures to keep deer or other wildlife from browsing the stems.

Seed Sowing:

Stratified seed should be planted as soon as it is warm enough to safely do so. This doesn’t necessarily mean waiting to plant until after that last frost date, but late enough so that when the tender new shoots appear above ground they won’t immediately be damaged by frost. Every species and season is a little different, but most seeds can take several weeks to push out above ground growth. This means you can safely plant several weeks prior to the average last frost in your area. We are in upstate NY zone 6a and I aim to have most species planted by mid April. I wait until just before the last average frost to sow species that are especially frost tender.

As a general rule seeds should be planted as deep as they are wide across. I mulch beds with wood chips as I have found they are excellent at retaining moisture while also readily accepting water. Some mulches that I have tried (such as sawdust or grass clippings) can become hydrophobic when they dry out and adequately watering your beds can become much more challenging. For large seeds I use up to a couple inches of woodchips. For small seeds I use screened woodchips or other fine mulch that will be easier for the small sprouts to push aside

Keep the soil moist and protected from predation by rodents.