My experience with barefoot trees purchased from the Internet is not good at all. One of five worked and I gave up contacting the Nursery for replacement. As a matter of fact I stopped buying trees from the Internet. It is like everything else starts good then the greed and consumer Rip-off prevail. Last year I Bought a Chicago Hardy Fig tree from EBay for $10 and $8 shipping it arrived in pot and the tree was about 6 inches long after one year it is about 1 foot long. I am stupid and I don't learn quickly. This year I purchased 2 black mission Fig trees from Purpee $30 cost and $10 shipping for a total of $40. It arrived after 4 weeks and when I opened the box my woman said they did they send you weeds. She thought it is weeds. The trees are 3-4 inches long and I said that is it. Never again. I was at HD buying some Sulur and found that they have new trees arrived I bought A brown Turkey Fig tree which has two 5 feet branches and in a pot for measly $19.00. I planted it and kept it inside the Garage and it is now has lots of leaves and look like a real tree. I have to find a nursery even within 100 miles and go and see what I am getting and it has to be in a pot. The so called barefoot gives the roots a big shock and most of the time don't recover.

Regarding planting of bare-rooted stock in general the bare-rooting kills most of the fine roots. The top is stunted the first growing season after planting because of this. It should not be unhealthy, just not grow nearly as far that year than it usually would. You can often see how long ago comparatively recently planted stock was transplanted by looking to see where there was a year of much shorter growth than before or since. (This includes balled in burlap stock, which usually also loses most of its fine feeder roots when dug). Growth of new roots after planting in spring is initiated in response to hormones sent down to the cut root ends from the opening, no longer dormant foliage buds formed the previous fall at the branch tips. If the branches are all cut back at planting these buds aren't there to get the new roots going. This also results in a an undesirable hedge-like re-growth of branches from the cut branch tips. Growth of new roots in spring is fueled by energy stored in stems over the winter. The more top is present when new roots appear in spring, the more energy is available for root growth. Existing roots elongate markedly in fall, after the overwintering buds at the stem ends have formed and matured. Again, this root growth is sparked by hormones sent down from these buds. This fall root explosion is the greatest amount of root growth at one time of the whole year, 60% of the annual total. The rest of the time other parts of the plant receive priority - or the plant is dormant. Healthy stock recovers enough of the roots the first fall after planting to resume a normal rate of top growth the second spring after planting. Growth of the top in spring is based on energy stored in the stems and roots. Trees and shrubs are integrated systems like us. Reduction or removal of one part impacts the rest of the plant. Removing additional tissue, as in cutting the top back to compensate for root loss at transplanting and supposedly restore balance instead merely decreases the plants ability to respond. It is no more beneficial than cutting off a leg to make up for a lost arm.

bulbs are a bit different because they store dry ... think of any onion.... you could probably plant it if its not rotted ... but roots in some saw dust.. can simply just dry out too much ... and it doesnt help ... they are in a plastic bag.. in a paper box .... in a warm store ... had they been held ... is storage.. akin to your vegetable crisper drawer .... you might be surprised how long they could be held ... and that how the mass producers usually do it.. harvest in fall once dormant .... then divide and refrigerate ... until spring packing for sale ... ed.. i once worked at a nursery one spring.. all their stock came in bare root ... and i potted them up ... for a few weeks in the greenhouse.. and then outdoors ... it simply wouldnt be cost efficient to transport tons of potting media ... ken

Yup, I soaked them for 24 hours, too. I water them every day, and Texas hasn't gotten TEXAS hot quite yet. Since my soil is mostly clay it holds water better than most soils. The water I give them is actually sufficient to moisten the soil down to about 18 inches (I checked with a metal rod) which is how far down the roses are planted, so the soil cannot possibly be too dry for them. So you're saying that after these buds fry new ones will sprout? I think 3 or 4 of them have viable first buds, the rest have buds that are drying out. Come to think of it, I did water them twice yesterday. I'll check the moisture in the soil and water them again today if it's not soggy. Wouldn't want to overwater them.