We want to plant a new tree in the front yard. Whats the difference between bare root, potted and ball-and-burlap trees?
Bare root trees are usually the least expensive. They are available only in the spring, as dormant stock. Large caliper (truck diameter) trees are not available as bare root. Too much of their root system is lost during digging to have a reasonable chance of surviving. (Transplant survival rates are usually lowest for bare root stock). Potted trees are bare toot trees that have been containerized. If they have been growing in the pot only a short while, new roots will not be well-established. Therefore the root ball may fall apart when the tree is removed from the pot, giving you a “bare root” plant. If the tree has been potted for a long time, its roots may have started circling around the pot, growing in on themselves. The roots should then be sliced with a vertical cut halfway up through the center of the root mass then pulled apart (butterflied) to encourage the growth of new roots. With a B&B tree, care must be taken not to break apart the root ball while planting. Burlap and twin
