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How to Plant Shrubs

The shrubs we offer are really easy to grow. Basically, just dig a hole, place the plant in the hole, water them in really well, and then don't let the soil dry out for the first couple months. Before you know if you'll have beautiful shrubs growing in your garden.

Listed below is a quick step-by-step process to planting shrubs. The shrubs we will send to you will be dormant and bareroot. They aren't delicate little violets, but they do need immediate care once they arrive. It's best to plant them as soon as you receive them. Dormant, bareroot shrubs can be planted as soon as the frost is out of the ground and you can dig a hole. They do best if planted while the temperatures are still cool (above 20 degrees) in early spring.

1. First thing to do: soak the roots in a bucket of water for at least 8 and not more than 24 hours. This helps rehydrate the roots and branches.
2. Dig a deep hole that is big enough to allow the roots to spread out without bending or overcrowding. Keep the topsoil and blend with compost or rich, black dirt.
3. Prune off any damaged or broken roots. If they are too big to fit in the large hole that you dug, prune the roots -- but don't bend them to fit into the hole.
4. Place the plant in the hole so that all the roots will be under the ground, then backfill the hole.
5. Water well to settle the soil around the roots and remove any air pockets. Water the equivalent of one inch of rain every 7 days. Water slowly so that it reaches the entire root system.
6. Prune back the top branches of the plants to about 9 inches from the ground. This reduces transplant shock and helps the plant get established by reducing the amount of branches and leaves that the roots have to support. The first year in the ground is for reestablishing the root system of your new shrub.
7. Place about 6 inches of soil or compost over the crown of the plant to keep it from drying out. Carefully remove after two weeks. Just wash it away with water from a hose.
8. Add a layer of mulch to the soil around the shrub. Mulch cools the soil temperature and helps retain moisture. It also prevents weeds from growing and slowly adds organic matter to the soil.
9. Shrubs don't need fertilizer right away if the soil you planted it in is average garden soil. Go ahead and add compost the first year. But, the following year after planting, fertilize your shrubs in early spring with a well-balanced, natural or organic granular fertilizer. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package. Also add a shovel full or two of compost around the base of the plant to add organic matter, improve soil structure and provide slow-release nutrients.
10. Prune your shrubs the first year as noted in number 6 above. Reserve severe pruning until after the plants are established or after they have been in the ground for at least 3 years.

Tools to Help You Grow Your Shrubs