The bare facts about bare-root plants

Sunset, Fall-Winter, 1996

BLUEBERRIES. For a sustained harvest, plant a mixture of early-, mid-, and late-season varieties. Select plants with full, stocky tops and a substantial mat of fine roots. Plants bear some fruit the first year; production increases with age and size.

STRAWBERRIES. Essentially three types of strawberries are available bare-root. One produces a single, major crop in the spring. Another produces two or three crops during the growing season. The third produces on and off throughout the season, but never a lot all at once. Mix varieties for a prolonged and abundant harvest. Plants are available packaged and bundled. Make sure the roots are moist and plump.

GRAPES. A better selection of juice, raisin, table, and wine varieties is available loose than in packages. Plants are usually grown from cuttings. Grade 1 plants sold loose are larger than packaged grade 2 plants. Select plants with roots growing all the way around the basal node, the joint at the very bottom of the plant. Vines bear a partial crop in the third year and a full crop in the fourth.

FRUIT TREES. Apples, apricots, Asian pears, cherries, crabapples, figs, jujubes, mulberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, pluots, pomegranates, and quinces are available in increasing numbers. You'll also find fruit trees with multiple grafts.

Tree trunk diameters usually range from 3/8 to 1 inch, with corresponding heights from 4 to 8 feet. Smaller trees are easier to shape and may cost less than larger ones, but larger trees may give you an earlier harvest.

Look for a tree that is relatively straight where the trunk joins the rootstock. The top should be balanced with branches growing off a single leader. Buds along the branches should be plump yet closed. The roots should be evenly spread without kinks or knots, and appear plump, not shriveled.

NUT TREES. Varieties vary by region. The 'All-in-One' genetic semidwarf almond is the most available nut tree in California. Occasionally, you'll find additional almond varieties as well as walnuts and, less frequently, pecans. Use the same criteria to select a healthy nut tree as you would a fruit tree.

Perennial vegetables

In all cases, buy plants with the largest, plumpest roots you can find.

ARTICHOKE. 'Improved Green Globe' is most widely available. Artichokes are traditionally sold by root division, but seedlings that are true to the parent plant are also available. Seedlings are less prone to rot than divisions. Both will produce artichokes the first year.

ASPARAGUS. Roots are typically one-year-old seedlings whole tops have been cut back. Common varieties are 'Mary Washington', 'U.C. 157', and 'U.C. 72'. Plants take two to three years to reach full production.

HORSERADISH. Crowns from root divisions produce roots for harvest the first year.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (also called sunchoke). Plant the tubers, which multiply underground.

RHUBARB. Several varieties are available, including 'Cherry' (also called 'Crimson Cherry'), 'Strawberry', and 'Victoria'. Sold as divisions and seedlings. Divisions tend to rot more easily but produce red leaf stalks. Plants from seedlings may include green stalks at maturity.