Do you celebrate Bare Root Season?

Have you noticed how there’s always a ‘season’ of something trying to grab our attention? 

One minute it might be fashion week in Paris. Where, if you’re like me, you'll wonder where you'd ever wear the new trends.

And then its  ‘new series season’ on Netflix .  Closer to my own world  but still…should I really spend my time watching Claire Underwood rule the Washington elite? (OK, maybe just a little bit of my time…)

Well, in my backyard, its coming up on my favorite time of year. Gardening season.  And that always means an early spring hustle to order bare root plants. 

What kind of plants?

Bare root plants are just that. They’re living plants that have been lifted from their soil during their dormant winter’s sleep. With roots gently wrapped in a moist holding medium and their buds patiently waiting to open, they can easily be shipped to you. They simply require that you plant them immediately.

And here’s why bare root season is not to be missed…

There’s a couple of advantages to be had by acting early and ordering up some bare root plants. 

First, think about all those yummy foods you could add to your growing spaces. The list is endless. But what's not so endless are the choices you'll find at your local plant nursery. It’s usually the same old varieties supplied by the same old companies. Often times unsuited to your growing climate & conditions.

You can change all of that by ordering your favorites in their bare root form.  Delve into the world of bare roots and the sky is the limit!  A quick search on Google will show you what I mean.

You’ll have access to food plants you dreamed about but could never find. Or discover varieties you didn’t know existed. Just be wise and choose the ones that thrive in your growing conditions.

The second advantage of bare root plants is cost.

The price of potted, leafed out nursery plants can sometimes add up to a bundle.  Especially if you want to buy multiples of your favorite variety. Plant a row of blueberry bushes, for example, and the price tag for your new berry patch might take your breath away. 

But here’s the good news.

Those same plants purchased in their bare root state can be had at a substantial savings.

And all you have to do to take advantage of this brief season is to act early.  Get them while they’re available and plant them immediately.

Suddenly, the reality of growing your own groceries is looking pretty smart, right? 

Research supports that homegrown food is far superior in nutritional quality & taste.  And the human/plant relationship (as simple as tending a flower pot) has been shown to reduce stress and increase our sense of happiness and well being. 

Wow.

So now you know about my favorite season. And the early bonus of bare root plants. I hope it helps and open your world to a whole new palate of possibilities. 

And here’s one last bit of bare root good news. 

Each time you and I choose to plant heirloom, open pollinated varieties of food crops and grow our groceries, we take part in what I like to call “ living the answer”. 

Ecosystems around the planet call for our immediate change of course.  And experts agree that global modern agricultural practices are unsustainable.

But now that we know about bare root plants, we can do something about it. We can order up some backyard edibles, and grow our groceries.

Imagine the impact we could have if 7 billion of us decided to grow a garden.

That's it for this episode of YardFood. It's my sincere hope that this tip of the week will help you grow your groceries. 

As you work in your garden spaces I'd be interested in hearing about your insights and issues. Please feel free to leave a comment below. Perhaps you'll discover the answer in an upcoming episode of YardFood.

Until next time…

this has been Tess Hoke from tesshoke.com with YardFoods tip of the week.