Bare rooted or pot grown.

I am asking this question in the general discussion thread as opposed to the tree section as some new to gardening might benefit from what I learnt some years back.
Garden centres have been very clever in making us think we need to buy a shrub. tree, roses, many herbaceous etc in a pot and charge a good deal more just because it's in some sort of growing medium and a plastic container!
In reality many things can be bought either bare rooted or root balled (roots covered in soil and often sold with hessin round the root ball if this makes sense). More often than not the selection of plants available bare rooted is much greater and you will not pay nearly so much. Indeed for many many years before garden centres became common place the vast majority of roses were sold bare rooted.
I was given advice to always, if practical, to turn a plant upside down if being sold in a pot and gently have a pull at the plant. It and the growing medium should stay IN the pot not come tumbling out. I have seen many "pot grown"...my aunt fanny...., plants which have been field grown and potted up probably about a day before I saw them for sale. Try not to let the owners/staff see this manoeuvre as they can be a bit cheesed off especially if they are at it.
I have found that many trees and shrubs actually settle into their new homes better if bare rooted but you have to buy them in their dormant period so not a summer exercise.
I hope the forgoing is useful and my actual question is regarding buying a Laburnum tree which I have never done before. Is it better to buy bare rooted or pot grown? My preference is for bare rooted but not sure if Laburnum is suitable for buying this way.

 

If I dig a planting hole when bare root plants become available, it'll almost certainly fill to the brim with water within 30 minutes, and if I planted in them the roots would be drowned in slurry.

So apart from raspberries (grown in raised beds so they don't get waterlogged), I pot up all bare rooted plants/trees, and then plant the following autumn. Then I feel smug when I work out how much I've saved by not paying a nursery to put them in pots.

 

Pot grown or field grown ? Palms for example are field grown, mechanically lifted and put into small pots so its easier/ cheaper to transport them.
Not ideal but understandable. Some will romp away when planted into the ground while others may sulk for years before they get going.

 

I dont think in general monocots are that good planted bare root, but for most trees and shrubs that have a dormant season it is often a good way to go.

 

Had to google that "monocot" and my heads now pulsing having read the wikipedia entry on monocots :laptop:*:bigthumb:

 

Being the novice that I am, I have always bought potted plants because I was under the impression that they would have a better start in life than something bare rooted. However, I bought three David Austin roses from my local garden centre (Didn't think to check the compactness of the soil) and when attempting to remove them from the pots, the soil fell apart leaving me with bare rooted plants after all.

I assume that garden centres must buy them bare rooted, stick them in some compost, then charge three times more for them.

All was well in the end, they looked great this year and are still flowering.

 

I was probably too busy drooling over their jams and cakes to notice.

 

For sure, bare rooted shrubs and trees are better value, are usually much bigger and "take" much better than pot grown ones. Just compare an average bare root tree with one potted....the size difference is usually amazing.

Fruit trees, for example, I think are best bought as bare rooted specimens. Only impatience drives us to buy fruit trees in containers I think.....better to wait a few weeks or months for the dormant season. I planted a large orchard once and all were bare rooted trees....all excellent value, of good size and would have cost substantially more if bought potted. Those trees, apples, pears, plums, cherries,medlars, apricots, peaches, figs, etc. have all made impressive and productive plants

Bare rooted plants can only be purchased in the dormant season......best time to plant shrubs and trees anyway.

Many pot grown plants are rootbound and congested....esp in the "bargain" section of the GC.....and often these are then planted as they are; they then grow poorly or eventually fail to support the shrub or tree when it has made any decent size.

When we buy bare rooted plants we plant them so their roots are spread as wide as possible; so congested roots are not a problem.

It does depend on the plant. Some do not transplant well so some research is advisable before buying. If possible, buy shrubs and trees as bare root to plant at the proper time.

 

Most of my fruit trees were pot grown. I only had a problem with one which is fine this year and most produced fruit in the first year. I suspect ilI' have to wait a few years before my bare root trees produce fruit.