Lady Slipper Planting
These planting methods are what we do here at the nursery, there are other ways that work as well depending on the type of soil you are starting with. What is most important is that the plants stay evenly moist and do not get soggy or dry out.
Step one: Prepare your planting area
Here you can see that this hole has been dug so that it is about 16 inches across and 8 or 10 inches deep. The soil in the hole was amended with a sand/grit mixture.
Step 2: Remove from pot
Step 3: Remove soil from roots
Step 4: Spread out roots horizontally in hole. Some of the soil from the pots is OK, but not necessary.
Step 5: Fill the hole by covering the roots and crown with the amended sandy loam or coarse gritty sand
Step 6: Here we have covered with a coarse grit to protect the crown from excessive moisture.
Step 7: The grit can be covered with a bark and/or pine needle mulch. This mulch layer is very important to help keep the soil evenly moist.
Planting a bare root Lady Slipper
The above picture shows how we plant our lady slippers in their raised beds here at the nursery. Notice how the tip of the bud is about half an inch below the surface of the soil and is covered by about three quarters of an inch to an inch of fresh bark mulch that will compact to about a half an inch over time. You can put a layer of pine needles on top to keep the soil cool, but a good bark mulch (not cedar) is sufficient.
If you're planting in the fall and live in an area that has wet winters, it is good idea to cover the newly planted and semi-established plants with plastic or plywood to keep off the rain so they don't get soggy over their first winter. Just don't forget to uncover the plants in early spring.