Not familiar with bare root fruit? Here’s what you need to know. While most trees and vines are grown and sold in pots, bare root trees are sold without any soil at all! How is this possible, you might ask? For starters, timing is absolutely crucial. Bare root fruit trees and vines begin their journey growing in rows in a field, and they can only be dug up, transported, and planted while the plants are in a state of dormancy. In Florida this dormancy period usually lasts from January through the end of February. It’s finally time to plant bare root fruit!

Container Grown: More Expensive, Plant Any Time, Complete Root System, Sensitive to Drought After Planting

Bare Root Fruit: Very Affordable, Plant During Dormancy, Partial Root System (much lower risk of Girdling Roots), Less Sensitive to Drought After Planting

With dozens of varieties of bare root fruit trees and vines perfectly suited to our  local climate, we can help you grow a forest of food right in your own backyard! Continue scrolling to see all of the different types of bare root fruit available in store. Please keep in mind, many of these are in limited supply, so you should shop early for the best selection!

• Bruce Plum
  A fast-growing plum variety known for its medium to large, reddish-purple fruits with sweet, juicy yellow flesh. Excellent for fresh eating, canning, and making preserves.
• Burbank Plum
  A hardy Japanese plum with large, deep-red to purplish skin and yellow, sweet, and tangy flesh. Great for fresh eating and baking, it is also a reliable and productive choice for home orchards.
• Gold Plum
  A beautiful yellow-skinned plum with sweet, mild, and juicy flesh. Ideal for fresh consumption and adds a vibrant touch to jams and desserts.
• Methley Plum
  An early-ripening Japanese plum with small to medium, reddish-purple fruit and juicy, sweet, red flesh. It is a self-fertile variety, perfect for fresh eating, preserves, and juices.
• Santa Rosa Plum
  A popular plum variety featuring large, purplish-red fruit with amber flesh and a sweet, tart flavor. Known for its versatility, it is excellent for fresh eating, baking, and canning.
  

  PEACHES:

  

• Florida Gold Peach
  A mid-season peach variety known for its large, golden-yellow fruit with a sweet and tangy flavor. Great for fresh eating and preserves.
• Florida King Peach
  An early-ripening peach variety producing large, firm, and sweet peaches with a bright yellow skin and red blush. Perfect for fresh consumption and canning.
• June Gold Peach
  A reliable early-season peach with medium-sized yellow fruit that has a smooth, sweet flavor. Ideal for fresh eating and cooking.
• May Gold Peach
  An early-maturing peach variety that produces medium to large, golden-yellow fruit with a rich, sweet taste. A great choice for home orchards and fresh eating.
• Florida Won Peach
  A vigorous peach variety producing flavorful, medium-sized fruit with bright yellow flesh and a sweet, aromatic taste. Ideal for fresh consumption.
• Florida Home Peach
  A hardy peach variety bred for Florida’s climate, offering medium to large, juicy peaches with a sweet flavor. Perfect for fresh eating and baking.
• Florida Prince Peach
  An extremely early peach variety known for its large, firm, and sweet fruit with a red-blushed yellow skin. Excellent for fresh consumption and desserts.
• Florida Queen Peach
  A mid-season variety producing large, juicy peaches with a balanced sweet-tart flavor. Great for fresh eating, baking, and canning.
  

  PEARS:

• Florida Home Pear
  A heat-tolerant pear variety producing medium-sized, greenish-yellow fruit with a sweet and juicy flavor. Great for fresh eating and home gardens in warm climates.
• Hood Pear
  An early-ripening pear with large, smooth, yellow-green fruit and a mild, sweet flavor. It thrives in warm climates and is excellent for fresh consumption and cooking.
• Keiffer Pear
  A hardy and reliable pear variety known for its large, golden-yellow fruit with a crisp texture and mild flavor. Perfect for canning, cooking, and fresh eating.
• Orient Pear
  A disease-resistant pear variety producing large, round, golden-yellow fruit with a sweet and juicy taste. Excellent for fresh eating, baking, and preserves.

  APPLES:

• Anna Apples
  A popular early-season apple variety, known for its crisp texture, sweet-tart flavor, and greenish-yellow skin with a red blush. It thrives in warm climates and is excellent for fresh eating, cooking, and baking.
• Dorsett Golden Apples
  A golden-yellow apple with a hint of red blush, prized for its sweet and mild flavor. This early-ripening variety is perfect for fresh consumption, sauces, and desserts, and it grows well in warmer regions.
• Ein Shemer Apples
  A yellow-green apple with a mild, sweet flavor and crisp texture. This heat-tolerant variety is ideal for fresh eating, cooking, and making applesauce.
• Callaway Crabapple
• An ornamental crabapple tree that produces small, bright red fruit. The fruit is tart and commonly used for jellies, sauces, or wildlife attraction. Its beautiful white blossoms make it a favorite for landscaping.

 FIGS:

• Brown Turkey Figs
  A popular fig variety known for its medium to large fruit with purplish-brown skin and sweet, amber flesh. Great for fresh eating, drying, and preserves.
• Celeste Figs
  Often called the “sugar fig,” this variety produces small to medium, light violet-brown fruit with a rich, sweet flavor and smooth texture. Excellent for fresh eating and jams.
• Texas Everbearing Figs
  A hardy and productive variety that bears medium-sized, sweet, bronze-skinned fruit with a light pink interior. It is ideal for warm climates and suitable for fresh eating and preserves.
• LSU Purple Figs
  A high-yielding variety developed by Louisiana State University, producing small to medium, dark purple fruit with sweet, reddish pulp. Great for fresh eating and processing.

NECTARINES:

• Sun Gold Nectarines
  A freestone variety known for its bright yellow-orange skin and juicy, sweet, and slightly tangy flesh. The fruit has a smooth texture, making it ideal for fresh eating, desserts, and preserves.
• Sun Red Nectarines
• A beautiful nectarine variety with red skin and firm, yellow flesh that has a sweet-tart flavor. Perfect for fresh eating, baking, and making nectarine jams or sauces.

GRAPES:

Scuppernong:

• Carlos Scuppernong Grapes
  A popular variety of muscadine grapes known for its sweet, fruity flavor and bronze-colored skin. Carlos grapes are great for making wines, juices, and preserves.
• Male Fruiting Scuppernong Grapes
  These male varieties do not produce fruit on their own but are essential for pollinating female muscadine vines, including the scuppernong varieties, to ensure a successful harvest.
• Bronze Scuppernong Grapes
  A sweet, bronze-skinned muscadine grape variety that produces large, flavorful grapes. Ideal for fresh eating, making wine, and jellies.
• Summit Scuppernong Grapes
  A high-yielding muscadine grape variety with large, bronze fruit. Known for its exceptional flavor and vigorous growth, it is often used for fresh eating, wine production, and preserve
  

Muscadine:

• Coward Muscadine Grapes
  A productive variety of muscadine grape known for its large, deep purple fruit and sweet, bold flavor. Excellent for fresh eating, jellies, and wine-making. It is also known for its resistance to disease.
• Southland Muscadine Grapes
  A versatile and hardy muscadine grape variety with large, dark purple to black fruit. Known for its rich, sweet flavor, Southland grapes are perfect for fresh eating, preserves, and making wine.

BLACKBERRIES:

• Black Satin Thornless Blackberries
  A popular thornless blackberry variety known for its large, sweet, and juicy fruit. It produces high yields and is great for fresh eating, jams, and baking.
• Hull Thornless Blackberries
  This variety of thornless blackberry features large, firm berries with a sweet and tangy flavor. It is well-suited for fresh consumption, pies, and preserves, with a robust growth habit.
• Navaho Thornless Blackberries
  A highly productive thornless variety known for its sweet, firm, and flavorful berries. Navaho blackberries are ideal for fresh eating and making preserves, and they thrive in a variety of climates.
• Arapaho Thornless Blackberries
• An early-season thornless blackberry that produces medium to large berries with a sweet, mild flavor. Perfect for fresh eating, jams, and freezing, and it grows well in most conditions.

RASPBERRIES:

• Latham Red Raspberries
  A classic red raspberry variety known for its large, firm, and sweet berries. Latham raspberries are excellent for fresh eating, baking, and preserving, and they have a reliable, early harvest.
• Cumberland Black Raspberries
  A distinctive black raspberry variety with sweet, rich, and slightly tart berries. Known for their high-quality fruit, Cumberland raspberries are perfect for making jams, pies, and fresh consumption.

Picking the Right Bare Root Fruit Trees

Why are chill hours important? Many deciduous fruit trees, including apples, peaches, pears and plums, require a period of dormancy and “chilling” before they begin producing flowers or fruit in spring. Each cultivar requires a specific number of “chill hours” or hours in which the temps fall below 45 degrees F, to signal a break in dormancy and beginning of the fruiting cycle. Peaches developed for use in Atlanta, GA, for example, require roughly 1,000 hours of chilling, while those adapted to the panhandle of FL only require around 400 hours. The number of chill hours a region receives will vary from year to year depending on the number and intensity of cold fronts. If it’s a particularly warm year, Tallahassee might see 400 chill hours, while an unusually frigid year might yield up to 800.

While all of the varieties we stock have been selected specifically for our region, some might produce more fruit during a cold winter while others will produce more during a warm winter! To prepare for variable weather, farmers will usually plant a variety of cultivars so there’s plenty to harvest no matter the weather.

Tips for Planting Bare Root Fruit

Plant your bare root fruit as soon as possible so the roots don’t dry out. If you cannot plant your tree right away, it may be stored for no more than 2 days packed with wet newspaper, saw-dust or mulch around the roots and wrapped in a plastic bag. Soak the roots in .85 oz of Fertilome Root Stimulator per gallon of water for 2 hours prior to planting. This hormone-based product will send a signal to the plant to let it know it’s time to initiate root development, speeding up the growth process.

Choose a Location for Your Bare Root Fruit Tree

The first thing you’ll want to do is select the appropriate location. Most fruit trees grow to about 20-30 ft when mature and require full sun. A tree this size should be planted a minimum of 3 ft from pavement or fencing, at least 15 ft from home or buildings, and away from underground utilities. Call 811 before you dig if you’re not sure where your underground utilities are. Blackberries can be planted alongside a fence or trellis to be used for support as they grow. Unlike grapes, blackberries do not
produce tendrils which are able to grasp wire, so you will need to use a loose piece of string or wire to attach them to the trellis, or weave the vine around the  structure to hold it in place. Grapes should be grown upwards along a single stake, then along a horizontal wire in each direction.

Prepare Your Bare Root Fruit Tree for Planting

Before you plant, prune your tree.  Remove any broken or dead branches, or those that are rubbing. If there is more than one central leader, select the healthiest one and remove the others. Now is the time to do any pruning for shape, a young tree is much more receptive to pruning than a mature tree; once the branches grow wider than your pinky, poor pruning is far more likely to do serious damage.

For Bare Root Grapes, cut the stem back so only 2 buds remain above the graft line. These buds will sprout to form 2 canes; you can let both grow or select the strongest to serve as the primary trunk later on.

Bare Root Blackberries should be cut back to about 4 inches above the soil after planting to encourage branching (and more fruit!).

Plant the  Bare Root Fruit Tree

After you have pruned your tree, dig a hole roughly twice the width, and as deep as the root mass. Loosen the soil along the bottom and sides of the hole to encourage outward and downward growth. Position a small mound of soil in the center of the hole to support the roots. Then sprinkle Bio-Tone Starter fertilizer along the bottom of the hole. Position the tree or vine in the center of the hole such that the roots are gently cradling the loose mound of soil in the center of the hole, and the base of the trunk (look for a dark line from the soil) is about half an inch above the surrounding ground. In the case of  extremely long roots, it is better to dig a deeper hole or trim them rather than  have them circled around the planting hole (remember those girdling roots from earlier?)

Next, while holding the tree in place (it helps if you have an extra set of hands), gently fill the hole with soil, making sure the roots remain untangled and well-spaced as you go. Once the hole has been filled completely, check that all of the roots are well-covered and make sure the tree is standing straight. Lightly pat the soil into place to promote good contact with the roots and hold everything in place. To prevent water from running off rather than soaking in, add a ring of soil around the perimeter of the tree to help direct water directly towards the roots.

Finally, apply 2 inches of hardwood mulch around the perimeter of the plant, leaving at least 6 inches of bare soil directly around the trunk. This will help suppress weeds and preserve water.

Watering Your Bare Root Fruit Tree

Water deeply and make sure there are no cavities in your soil after it settles. The soil and mulch around your trees should be kept moist but not soggy. For the first 2 weeks, water every 3-4 days.  After that, water the tree every 7 days throughout the first year, as long as there is not significant rain in the forecast. Water slowly at the dripline, and minimize splashing of the branches and leaves.

Fertilize Your Fruit

You’ll need to fertilize your fruit in March, May, and July. Fertilize your blackberries with Berry-Tone, your fruit trees with Tree-Tone, and your grapes with 10-10-10. Use Bio-Tone Starter Plus at time of planting.

What About Pollination?

Some fruit trees or vines are what we refer to as self-fertile, meaning they are able to pollinate themselves, while other varieties must be planted near a similar tree of the same species, but not the same exact variety, because they require cross-pollination.

While most of our fruit trees are technically self-fertile, they are still likely to produce MORE fruit if they have a pollinating partner nearby. For trees which are NOT self-fertile, this pollinating partner must be from the same species, but of a different variety. For trees which are self-fertile, the pollinating partner can be of the same variety.

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BARE ROOT FRUIT TREES OUR STAFF WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. CALL OR CONTACT US HERE