The roots of this white pine seedling are separated and ready for planting.

Adding trees to a landscape provides shade in the summer, a habitat for animals and a sense of place.

Throughout the growing season, gardeners can find a variety of potted ornamental and fruit trees for sale in garden centers and nurseries.

Potted trees are easy to plant because their root ball is relatively small, making its installation straightforward. Larger-sized, balled and burlapped trees are available at nurseries and specialty growers.

Compared to potted trees, balled and burlapped trees are more mature in size, more expensive in cost and more labor-intensive to install.

There is, however, a third option for gardeners who wish to economically plant more trees with less effort. Bare-root seedlings are considerably less expensive than either potted or balled and burlapped stock. Because they are easy to ship, varieties of species not stocked at local garden centers are available for purchase through on-line vendors.

Spring is the best time to plant bare-root seedlings, preferably early in the season when there is high soil moisture and cool temperatures. In many cases, mail-order growers will not begin to ship until late March or early April.While it is best to plant the seedlings soon after they arrive, seedlings can be stored for up to a week in a cool, damp area. Bare-root seedlings can dry out easily, so it is best to minimize their handling.To plant bare-root seedlings, remove them from their grower packaging and transport them to the planting site in a bucket of muddy water, or gently wrapped in wet towels or burlap. Seedlings should be placed into the ground at the same depth in which they were grown in the nursery.Dig a hole using an auger, planting bar or shovel. The hole's diameter should be the same depth as the length of the roots. Space the holes according to the grower's recommendations and the desired landscape aesthetic.Select one seedling, using caution not to twist or fold the roots against themselves, as this can cause problems for the plant as it grows. Try to identify the root collar, the area where the roots join the main stem. There is normally a small flare at this point.When planting bare-root seedlings, plant only as deep as the root collar. Proper planting depth will discourage the creation of girdling roots and other root issues as the plant grows.

After putting the seedling into its hole, hold the plant straight and gently pack soil around it to the level of root collar. The goal of packing soil around the plant is to eliminate any air pockets that were created while making the hole.Unlike the large holes needed to plant containerized trees, bare-root seedlings are typically slipped into much smaller voids that move, but do not necessarily remove soil. Small holes can create air pockets that can dry out the roots; by gently packing the soil around the roots, these air pockets can be displaced.Once planted, water the seedling thoroughly, but do not fertilize for a least one month. Apply mulch around the planted seedlings to discourage weeds and retain water. As the seedlings grow, they may require staking, but given the right conditions, bare-root seedlings will establish quickly and begin to show significant growth in a few short years.Penn State Extension offers additional text and video information on planting bare-root seedlings. Visit www.bit.ly/barerootseed.If you have more questions about planting bare-root trees, call the Master Gardener Garden Hotline at 724-287-4761, Ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.<i>Greg Horgan is a Penn State Extension Butler County Master Gardener.</i>

The needles are green and healthy and the roots are moist on these white pine seedlings.