‘Joan J’ Raspberry

Bare-root Cane Planting Guide

By definition, bare-root stock is not grown in a pot and will not have any soil around their roots – hence the name “bare root”. Our bare-root stock are dormant, which makes them easier to transplant since they experience less transpiration (water loss) immediately after planting because they do not have growing leaf tissue. The best thing you can do for new bare-root stock is to avoid shock as much as possible, so don’t wait until it’s too late in the season to plant. The best time to plant a bare-root tree, or any other bare-root plant, is in the fall or early spring. If you cannot plant right away, it is important that the root do not dry out completely as it will severely effect the viability after planting.

Steps to planting bare-root stock;

• Prepare the planting site
  • A planting hole that is large enough to accommodate the current root system with some extra room to grow.
    • For cane fruits, we recommend a hole at least 18″W x 18″L x 18″ D larger than the cane to allow the new roots to grow into freshly worked soil.
    • Most cane’s do well in a raised bed or berm to improve soil drainage away from their sensitive roots.
    • It probably makes little sense to dig any hole deeper than 2’. Most edible perennials have a somewhat fibrous root system in which their effective feeding roots are typically in the top 1–2’ of the soil. While they may have “anchor” roots that go deeper, these roots are adept at growing downward themselves.
  • Add compost and/or fertilizer to the hole and soil removed during digging.
  • (Optional) Setting up a trellis structure before planting makes it easier before the plants get in the way!

• Allow the roots to soak in water an hour or two before planting. Do not soak the roots for more than 24 hours.
• Spread out the dormant roots to encourage outward growth and the development of a robust root system. We have not experienced the need to trim roots before planting.
• Keep the cane vertical in the planting hole (perpendicular to the ground) so that it grows straight.
• Do not plant the cane’s too deep! For most bare-root stock, plant level where you can see the natural line it developed when growing in the ground before. It is recommended that the developing shoot buds are planted below the soil line.

• Refill the hole with native soil (what was removed at digging time), and any other soil amendments.
• Gently tamp out any air large pockets from the soil once the planting hole is filled, but not hard enough to damage the roots or cause compaction.
• Thoroughly water your newly bare-root.
• Prune back your cane to 6-12″ above the soil line as new shoots will develop and take its place.
• (Optional) Mulch around the cane’s or down the entire row of plants to balance and retain soil moisture as well as suppress weeds. We recommend woodchips or sawdust for canes as grass clippings and straw can create over-wintering homes for rodents who can cause damage.

If planting must be delayed after purchase, keep canes in a shaded/cool location or in a refrigerator (as long as buds have not started opening) with roots buried in moist peat moss or sawdust. Make sure the media (peat or sawdust) moist/damp and is not soaked/saturated with water for long periods of time because the roots do need to breathe. If the media becomes saturated allow it to dry out over time and avoid overwatering again. The correct moisture should allow you to make a ball of media in your hand that when squeezed lets out some moisture into your hand.  Using this method, you may see new roots begin to develop into the media. Be careful when transplanting to avoid breaking too many of the newly developing roots.

If planting must be delayed into the summer, it would be recommended to plant into a pot or container to allow the roots to develop. Use a high draining soil media and not native soil in your pot. Native soils tend to compact in containers and are heavy. Cane-fruits enjoy high drainage for proper development of their fibrous roots and to avoid root diseases caused by compaction. Once potted, they can be set out into their final location from spring to mid-summer and in fall once dormancy starts. Planting too late in the summer or early in the fall may cause the plant to grow excessively and not acclimatize for winter leading to overwinter damage.