Don’t Stress if Frozen or Waterlogged Soil Ruins Your Planting Plans in Winter – This Is the Easy Way to Keep Trees and Shrubs Safe to Plant Another Day
'Heeling in' bare-root plants is quick – here’s how to do it in 5 simple steps
The first month of a new gardening season can promise so much, though sometimes the weather gods aren’t on your side. If you have purchased bare-root trees or shrubs but the ground is unsuitable for planting, such as being frozen or waterlogged, don’t panic. There is a simple way to store them safely to plant in the future; and that is to heel in plants.
'Heeling in' is a common way of temporarily planting trees, shrubs, or plants in containers to protect them from the elements. In winter, it means insulating them from the cold if you can’t plant them straight away, which is usually ideal when planting bare-root trees and bare-root shrubs.
This temporary method of storing your new trees or shrubs is quick and straightforward. I have done it regularly as a professional horticulturist, and I want to demonstrate how easy it is to do. Trust me, there is no need to worry if you can’t plant your new purchases straight away.
Heeling in Plants: Why, Where, and How
‘Heeling in’ is a phrase commonly thrown around, but it may sound confusing.
As with much potentially baffling terminology, the reality is that it is simple to understand and do. It is not an essential task, but one required for specific circumstances. There is no need to do it if you don’t want or need to.
However, heeling in bare-root trees and bare-root shrubs (including bare-root roses) is recommended if they cannot be planted quickly after receiving them in winter, as you need to protect plants from frost and snow.
If planting looks like it will be delayed by weeks rather than days, you should heel in plants to keep them safe through winter.
5 Key Steps for Heeling in Bare-Root Plants
The following advice applies to any bare-root plants, including ornamental trees, fruit trees, shrubs, soft fruit bushes, or hedging plants. It will ensure your new plants stay alive and healthy until the conditions are right to plant them into their new permanent spot in your yard.
- Prepare the bare-root plant – Bare-root trees, shrubs, or hedging plants will arrive looking like bare twigs with a set of roots attached. You do want to give them a bit of TLC before you heel in plants. As an example, when you plant bare-root roses, it is always best to soak the roots in water in a bucket, such as this five-gallon bucket at Walmart, for three to six hours before planting. It is the same advice when heeling in bare-root roses. So, before you heel in plants (any plants), give the roots a good soak before planting.
- Find a protected spot – You should heel in plants in a part-shade and protected spot in the yard. It should ideally be sheltered from strong winds and away from any frost pockets. And it needs to have a soil type that drains well, to prevent the plant from sitting in cold, waterlogged soil during winter.
- Dig a trench – You don’t dig a traditional planting hole when you heel in plants. Instead, you use a spade to dig a shallow trench. It needs to be wide and deep enough to fit the roots of the plants; around 12 inches deep can suffice, and it can house several plants for a temporary period. Just remember to use plant labels or markers (such as these large, waterproof plant labels at Amazon) to remember what's what in the trench.
- Place plants at an angle – It may sound unusual, but when heeling in plants, you place them into the trench at an angle. Lay them against the side of the trench at an angle of 30-45 degrees. This angle protects them from the wind. Also, spread out the roots in the trench. If you have bought many bare-root plants that arrive in a bundle, which is common with fast-growing hedging plants, you can heel them in as a bundle to save space.
- Cover the roots – Carefully cover the roots with soil as you fill in the trench. Press down gently with your heel to pack in the soil and remove any air pockets around the roots. Then give the plants a good watering to settle the soil. You can provide an extra layer of protection by mulching over the soil surface with leaves or straw, or covering plants with frost cloth if extreme cold is predicted.
The objective when you heel in plants is to store and protect them for a temporary period. It should be a solution for weeks, rather than months. Once the temperatures start rising in late winter or early spring, and the ground conditions are suitable for planting, lift the plants from their trench and add them to flower beds or borders.
There is another technique of heeling in plants I have also used over the years, this one in vegetable gardens. It is to lift and heel in some crops to make harvesting easier over winter.
Primarily, I have used this technique when growing leeks. You can lift them ahead of severe weather and heel them into trenches, at an angle as mentioned above, so they are easier to lift when the ground does freeze.
A digging spade is an ideal tool for making trenches to heel in plants. This spade has a blade made of high-quality stainless steel and an ash hardwood handle.
Straw can make a perfect mulch to insulate roots when heeling in plants for winter. This 10-pound bag of straw is 99% weed-free.
Keep your hands protected from scratches or cuts with these floral leather gardening gloves. The breathable fabric also keeps your hands cool and comfortable.
