Think spring: Visit bareroot cellar during ideal time to plant trees

This paid piece is sponsored by Landscape Garden Centers.

Ready to add some trees to your home for the season ahead – and years to come? Now is the time to shop the bareroot cellar at Landscape Garden Centers.

“We opened the cellar the first weekend in April, and the weather has been perfect for bareroot,” Landscape Garden Centers’ Laura Kalfs said.

“We haven’t had extremely hot or cold weather. We’re missing some moisture, but homeowners can supplement that, and it’s been overall great weather with cool nights so nothing is breaking dormancy too quickly, which makes for a really strong start to the season.”

Bareroot shopping is all about timing biology. Trees are sold from the bareroot cellar generally until early May. After that, warmer weather leads them to start budding, and the trees are moved into pots.

“It’s a great way to get an early start on spring without running the risk of damaging your investment,” Kalfs said. “Bareroot trees go in the ground dormant and start to bud out based on weather patterns with others established in the area. But we can only hold them so long in the cellar, which is why it’s important to stop in soon.”

When you do, you’ll find a wide variety of bareroot trees no matter what you’re looking to add to your yard.

Replacement trees

Many homeowners are visiting the bareroot cellar to shop for replacement trees in their boulevards, part of the city of Sioux Falls’ effort to minimize damage from emerald ash borers.

“The city has been working hard and removing a lot of ash trees, so our root cellar is stocked with city-approved boulevard trees as homeowners are looking to get ahead of those empty spaces in their boulevards,” Kalfs said.

“We have nearly anything on the city’s approved tree list available, plus you enjoy cost savings when buying bareroot trees, so now is a great time to get a head start, and we’re ready to help you through the decision-making process.” 

Add unique varieties, ornamentals

The bareroot cellar includes plenty of trees to add a distinctive look to your yard, from lilacs to ornamental pears and crabapples.

You’ll also find varieties such as ironwood, sycamore and American hop hornbeam.

“These are really unique trees that do well in the right spot in Sioux Falls, and you don’t see them offered at many garden centers.”

Plant a food forest

Bareroot trees can be part of your home “food forest,” too, with peach and apricot trees in stock.

“We also have a great selection of potted apple trees and pear trees, plums and cherries,” Kalfs added. 

Get some help

Not sure about tackling tree planting on your own? Landscape Garden Centers offers the service through its garden center.

“If you don’t have the time or resources to do it on your own, we take care of calling for utility locates, handle all the labor and delivery of getting it planted, staking it, mulching, fertilizing and watering before we leave,” Kalfs said. “It’s a great service, especially if you’re busy, you’re not sure you have the tools on hand or you want to ensure it’s planted with expertise.”

That said, bareroot trees are easy for most homeowners to work with, she added.

“It’s a lot easier to plant bareroot trees because you’re not lugging around a big heavy pot of soil, you don’t have to struggle with getting a large tree out of a pot, and you can easily pick up three or four trees at a time and carry them across the yard,” Kalfs said.

“You don’t even need a truck or large vehicle to take your tree home; we can tie it to the roof of a car like a Christmas tree. So it’s a great way to save time and money and save your back too.”

Once the trees are in the ground, “they’re also easier to care for because they’re not leafed out yet so they don’t require as much water,” she continued. “You want to water them in well just like anything you plant, but depending on temperatures and what we get for rainfall, the need for water can be greatly reduced during the initial few weeks. Once root systems begin to establish and the weather continues to warm, they bud ou,t and that changes, but it’s less maintenance when you first plant.”

And if your new tree or trees inspires you to further invest in outdoor living, talk with the Landscape Garden Centers team sooner rather than later.

“Maybe you need some bed work done or you’ve always wanted to add a patio or new backyard living space,” Kalfs said. “Planting one tree in the boulevard can lead to a full yard renovation or new landscape project, and while we have capacity to take those projects on this season, you’ll want to come visit with us soon so we can get an idea of the size and scope of the project and help you begin planning and designing.”

New for the season

New this year, Landscape Garden Centers has revamped its reward program, Green Choice Rewards.

For a $100 annual membership, it includes a lifetime warranty on all plants, trees and shrubs, along with unlimited yard clippings, leaves and branch disposal.

Members save 10 percent on qualifying garden center purchases in addition to benefits such as:

• Free local delivery on qualifying nursery plant materials.
• 25 percent off replacement installation labor charges.
• Free perimeter pest control — when signed up for the 4-Step Lawn Fertilization Program.
• One free workshop registration per year.
• 20 percent discount on private event space rentals in The Gardens Venue.
• Exclusive member-only perks.
• One pair of gardening gloves.

“Some customers sign up just for the yard waste drop-off, so you’re not paying the extra fees for your hauler to pick up leaf litter and clippings over the course of a year,” Kalfs said. “You just drop it off at the garden center, and we compost it over the course of years into black dirt.”

To learn more, click here. 

Spring events

Ready to literally dig into the season ahead? Landscape Garden Centers is taking registrations for the first of its popular container workshops.

The first ones will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. May 3. Plant experts will guide you through selecting the right plants, pairing beautiful color combinations and learning proper care techniques to keep your container thriving all season long.

Bring your own container or purchase one from Landscape Garden Centers’ large selection.

Visit here to learn more and register.