Together, brothers and owners of Riverside Gardens, Larry, Murray and Rodney Smith, have over 100 years of experience in the nursery industry.
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Their parents Bob and Moira Smith purchased Riverside Gardens back in 1982. Originally located near the Broken River bridge in Kialla, the name Riverside Gardens remained when they relocated to their current location at Emerald Bank, Kialla, following the 1993 floods.
Bob was an avid gardener so as well as their 100-plus years in the industry, the boys have been part of a gardening family since before they can remember.
I don’t want to sound like I am banging on over and over about the same thing but it is that time of year.
Yes, it is bare-rooted season and it is an extremely busy season for the nursery industry.
It is the time of year that the majority of deciduous trees and shrubs are sold.
These are the plants that drop their leaves and go dormant over winter.
It is a time of the year that gardeners can take advantage of purchasing this stock bare-rooted and get them cheaper with a wider range of variety than they will get later in the year, but first there are a few things you really need to be aware of.
Bare-rooted plants are plants that have been growing in rows in the field over the past few years.
In winter they are dug up, the soil washed from their roots and sold as bare-rooted stock, not potted but they simply have bare roots.
This is a successful, much quicker, less labour-intensive way of growing deciduous plants.
However, they need to be dormant before they are lifted from the ground.
There should not be new shoots sprouting on them or sap oozing from any pruning cuts.
This is why the bare root season starts from around late May to early June each year.
Bare-rooted plants sold before this time run a great risk of not transplanting successfully.
Here are a few things that you need to be aware of when purchasing this type of stock.
● Are the plants being stored in the nursery in a way that their roots cannot dry out? You will usually find bare-rooted stock planted into sand beds with the roots covered completely to keep them damp but not too wet.
● Are there any signs of stress on the branches? Check the timber of the finer branches as these are usually the first to show the tell-tale signs of stress.
● Are the roots healthy and is there enough of them left on the plant from when it was dug out of the ground? Bare rooted plants are usually dug out of the ground by machine and their roots can sometimes be split or badly damaged in other ways in the process.
● Choose plants carefully for their branch structure and potential shape. A poorly shaped young tree can cost you one or two years of growth as you prune them back into shape. It can also cause trees to fail to reach their full potential or strength in their branch structure.
● On grafted or budded plants, check out the graft union to make sure it is a strong and well formed. Poorly formed grafts can peel off as the weight of the new season's growth develops, and puts stress on the union.
● When purchasing bare-rooted stock consider the age of the plants. They are often available as regular and advanced sizes. The advanced size is not only taller but the calliper (thickness) of the trunk is often substantially greater, giving you a much more vigorous plant with a stronger bud union. These plants can be over a year older, giving you bonus growth for very little extra cost.
● Assess what needs to be pruned off the plant — damaged roots, crossing branches and establishment pruning. Since the plants have been dug up out of the ground, consider what should be removed from the branches to compensate for the reduced root system.If you are unsure about any of this, ask your local nursery staff to advise you, as these points are critical to the success of planting bare-rooted plants.
Once you have purchased your bare-rooted plant be sure to keep the roots damp at all times and when you get them home plant them out straight away or at least cover the roots temporarily with soil.
Planting your bare-rooted plant is very easy, but once again there are a few simple steps that are critical to ensuring that you get the most from your purchase.
Assess the site you have chosen for your tree. Does it have room to grow to maturity? Does the area need building up to assist with drainage? Has the root system got room to develop?
Dig the hole for your plant wider than the root system so that the roots can splay out with room to spare around them.
Just because the ground is hard, it is no excuse for you being soft.
So, over-dig the hole in both depth and width then incorporate compost or soil conditioner into the soil before backfilling it to planting height.
Position the plant in the hole choosing the best side of the plant to face the main vantage point.
Spread the roots out evenly and backfill around them, making sure that the old soil level mark on the stem of the plant matches the new soil level.
The finished ground level should be slightly raised above the surrounding area to allow the soil to compact down as it settles in.
If you are planting a standard or a tree, it will require staking, not only to support the trunk but more importantly to keep the root system still in the ground.
Water your plant in as soon as you finish planting it, with a good soaking.
This will help settle the soil around the roots and remove air pockets from the soil. The addition of a root stimulant, like plant starter, at this point can be a great advantage to your plant, helping it quickly establish a new root system and recover from any transplant setback.
Your local garden centres have all been receiving their supplies of bare rooted plants and will continue to do so.
Be sure to shop local and check out the extensive range that our independent garden centres can offer. We want your purchase to be the right one to grow in our climate that best suits your needs.
Winter! It's exciting, especially when it means bare-rooted trees and roses.
— Larry Smith, Riverside Gardens