Q: I occasionally get bare root twigs from the Arbor Day folks. These seem to flourish in my yard much more than container-grown trees purchased at a local nursery. Why is that?

A: Your experience may not be true for everyone but well-cared-for bare root seedlings can certainly zoom out of the ground if planted in an appropriate spot. Young trees of any size benefit from a wide area of loosened soil around the planting site, a layer of mulch four feet wide in all directions from the trunk and weekly water in summer. Georgia residents can order bare root tree seedlings from the Georgia Forestry Commission at www.gatrees.org.