Will these bare root plants survive?

[Purrfluff]

So I ordered some plants from Raintree Nursery in Washington. Two of the plants are black raspberry plants. They were shipped bare root. No problem there. But I finally unwrapped the paper today and discovered that these plants are really just twigs. The "root system" of these things is consists of one root rip that is about 2 millimeters long. The plant itself is honestly just a twig. Maybe about 5 inches tall and thin as a reed. Not one leaf on it.

I thought that bare root plants were supposed to have a fairly extensive root system but without any soil. At least some roots fanning out.

I put them into prepared holes and tied them to some teeny bamboo poles.

Are these things going to survive? And if they do won't they take years and years to grow to any size? Is this kind of twig the normal size for a bare root berry plant?

 

[headfullofbees]

Keep them wet for the first month.
It's possible they'll survive, but it doesn't sound like very good value.
If they make it, you'll get fruit next year, year after at latest.

 

[Silentrunning]

There are many plants you can cut a twig off and stick it in soil and it will root. That is basically what you are doing with these. I would put your odds of success at no better than 50%. I would let the supplier know that you are not happy with your purchase. I would also leave a poor rating where ever you can.

 

[Purrfluff]

There are many plants you can cut a twig off and stick it in soil and it will root. That is basically what you are doing with these. I would put your odds of success at no better than 50%. I would let the supplier know that you are not happy with your purchase. I would also leave a poor rating where ever you can.

Thanks for the info. I did e-mail Raintree Nursery and asked them what was up. I am less worried about the thinness of the stem than I am the total lack of a root system. It's possible I ordered them at a bad time and I got the leavings.

 

[Silentrunning]

Thanks for the info. I did e-mail Raintree Nursery and asked them what was up. I am less worried about the thinness of the stem than I am the total lack of a root system. It's possible I ordered them at a bad time and I got the leavings.

There is still no reason to send a customer defective merchandise. We bought several Hydrangea from WallyWorld that were little more than sticks packed in soil and wrapped in a plastic bag. Most of them I dipped in rooting hormone and planted in pots. They are living but won’t be ready for the ground this year. If it weren’t for the fact that I know a little about plants they would all be dead and gone.

 

[Purrfluff]

These are pretty much sticks. Their size was a little deceptive because the lower portion was wrapped in a bunch of newspaper to keep it moist. Then I unwrapped the paper and found no root system. In retrospect I should have put them into medium sized pots with potting soil and let them get larger before putting them in the ground. But I already dug the holes and hauled good soil to fill them.

I haven't heard back from them via e-mail. I may have to call, as much as I don't want to.

If they simply didn't have suitable specimens of the black raspberries I would have preferred they just tell me and I would have looked elsewhere.

 

[Purrfluff]

Raintree Nursery said they would send new plants. This is good. However, when I asked them if these plants would have properly developed root systems the answer was: "We hope so!"

That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. But at least they are making an effort.

 

[Silentrunning]

Raintree Nursery said they would send new plants. This is good. However, when I asked them if these plants would have properly developed root systems the answer was: "We hope so!"

That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. But at least they are making an effort.

What that statement says to me is they are only a broker. They pass the order on to someone else hope for the best. There probably isn’t a person at Raintree Nursery that has dirt under their finger nails.

 

[Purrfluff]

That wouldn't surprise me. I ordered the Marshal strawberries and Wild Treasure blackberries from them because they were the closest nursery that had those items. If could have gotten them in Portland or Corvallis or Eugene I would have.

 

[Purrfluff]

Raintree Nursery sent new plants. These are still quite short but they have developed root systems. I dug new holes and put them in. Now we will see what happens. I'm trying to give them plenty of water but not overwhelm them. I used imported soil with good drainage (a combination of some imported topsoil, Miracle Gro garden soil, and a little potting soil.

 

[Purrfluff]

I am starting to get some signs of life on the bare root plants. One of them simply has the tiniest leaf on it but it's something. Another one appears to be growing significantly... but its making a brand new shoot with leaves coming from (I assume) the root system instead of the cane/branch/stick that was already attached to the roots.

As long as I'm seeing life and growth on them I don't really care what they do. But I think my hopes of getting some berries in the second year were foolish. On the upside: I won't have to build a trellis or train the berries for at least a year.