As soon as your bare root plants arrive, store them in a cooler if you’re not planting them
immediately. Ideally, they should be planted right away, but if a delay is unavoidable, keeping them cool helps maintain dormancy.

These plants have been carefully kept dormant during their journey from the Netherlands, and they’re ready to wake up and start growing. However, you don’t want them breaking dormancy before they’re in the ground - that leads to stressed plants and poor establishment. It is important to keep the roots enclosed in plastic to keep the humidity high and avoid desiccation.

Bare root shrubs can either be planted directly in the ground or potted up temporarily. If your planting site isn’t ready and it will be more than a few days, pot them up and transplant them into the field later in summer or fall.

Choose a pot between 2-4 quarts (0.5-1 gallon), depending on how long you intend to keep them in containers.

When planting, ensure the shrub is set at the same depth it was previously growing - this should be easy to identify by looking at the plant. Roots go down, shoots go up. Simple as that.

Avoid planting too deeply, as this can lead to stunted growth. The biggest risk at this stage is drying out, so minimize root exposure to air, plant into moist soil, and water heavily after transplanting.

Soaking the roots for 30-60 minutes before planting can help ensure they are well-hydrated. Maintain high soil moisture levels through mid-summer, and be prepared to irrigate during dry periods. This first growing season is critical for establishment. Refer to the individual product descriptions on our website for recommended planting distances.

If you are initially potting up your plants, use a high-quality potting mix with some native soil mixed in. Be sure to include nutrients through well-aged compost or pelleted fertilizer. While the plants won’t need immediate feeding, they’ll require nutrients to sustain growth throughout the season if left in containers for several months.

For best results, consider setting up automatic irrigation. Even with the best intentions, summer gets busy, and watering can easily be forgotten. A single line of drip irrigation over your row of pots ensures consistent moisture when your focus is elsewhere.

Winterberry holly is dioecious, meaning male and female plants are separate. We ship one
male plant for every ten females, and male plants are clearly marked. For best pollination and berry production, plant the male in the middle of the row or cluster of female plants.