Conifer trees play a vital role in enhancing landscapes and providing essential wildlife habitats. Whether you’re planting a windbreak, establishing a natural privacy screen, or supporting biodiversity, conifers are a popular and resilient choice. But as with any tree, transplanting conifers—especially when using bare root stock—requires careful handling to ensure strong, healthy growth.
At Cold Stream Farm, we’ve been growing and shipping wholesale trees and shrubs for more than 40 years, supplying customers across the Midwest with premium bare root conifers at competitive prices. If you’re preparing to plant conifers this season, here are three critical tips that can make all the difference in transplant success.
1. Time Your Planting Right
The timing of your transplant has a big impact on how well your conifer tree adapts to its new environment. The ideal windows for transplanting are early spring and late fall—seasons when trees are not actively growing but still have favorable conditions for root establishment.
- Spring: As soon as the ground is workable and before bud break, bare root trees can go in the ground and begin developing roots in time for the growing season.
- Fall: After deciduous trees drop their leaves, but before the ground freezes, you can transplant conifers with minimal stress and give them a head start for spring.
Note from Cold Stream Farm: Orders may take up to three weeks to ship once confirmed, especially during harvest season. We recommend placing orders early to align with your ideal planting timeframe.
2. Prepare the Soil and Site with Care
Before your trees arrive, take time to ensure your planting site is ready. Proper soil preparation helps reduce transplant shock and improves early root development.
Here’s how to get your site ready:
- Dig a wide, shallow hole. Avoid planting too deep—conifers do best when the root collar sits slightly above ground level.
- Assess drainage. Fill the hole with water and watch how fast it drains. If it takes longer than 24 hours, you may need to improve soil drainage or choose another location.
- Break up compacted soil. This makes it easier for roots to spread and establish.
While it’s tempting to add fertilizer, wait until the tree is established—newly transplanted conifers are sensitive, and fertilizer can cause more harm than good in the early stages.
Cold Stream Recommendation: Be sure to check the specific soil and sunlight needs of the conifer species you’re planting. For example, Norway Spruce and Eastern Red Cedar have different tolerances for moisture and light exposure.
3. Handle Bare Root Trees Gently and Water Consistently
Bare root conifers require extra attention to detail during transplanting. These trees arrive without soil on their roots, so it’s important to prevent them from drying out or being damaged.
Tips for handling and watering:
- Keep roots moist from the time you receive your shipment until the tree is planted. If you can’t plant immediately, store the roots in damp packing material in a cool, shaded location.
- Soak roots in water for several hours before planting, ideally 2–6 hours.
- Spread roots carefully in the planting hole, avoiding tight curls or bunching that could limit growth.
- Water deeply and thoroughly after planting to remove air pockets and saturate the root zone.
- Add mulch to conserve moisture but keep it away from the trunk to avoid rot.
Even drought-tolerant conifers need consistent moisture in the first year. Once established, they’ll be far more resilient, but in the beginning, regular watering is key to survival.
Cold Stream Reminder: Monitor soil moisture weekly during the first growing season. A deep soak is better than frequent light watering.
Plant with Confidence – Choose Cold Stream Farm
At Cold Stream Farm, we’re committed to helping landowners, landscapers, and conservationists succeed in building beautiful, sustainable spaces. Our Michigan-based nursery supplies high-quality bare root trees and shrubs, including a wide selection of conifers perfect for large or small projects. We offer wholesale pricing, volume discounts, and no minimum order requirements.
Please keep in mind:
- Field inventory levels are estimated.
- Unavailable items will be refunded.
- Orders are processed in the order they are received.
- Shipping is limited to the 48 contiguous United States.
Place your order online today and review our shipping info before checkout. Whether you’re planting one tree or a hundred, Cold Stream Farm is your partner in growing strong, resilient landscapes from the ground up. Contact us today at (231) 464-5809 or visit us online for more information!
