This helps keep roots cool and conserves water, minimizing stress on your new plant and encouraging rapid development root development. Keep your new shrub well watered — it should not be allowed to dry out completely during its first season.
In the coming months, the plant will mostly devote its energy to growing roots, so you may not see a lot of growth on top. Typically, shrubs begin to grow vigorously in their second season; growth and flowering increase every season as long as conditions remain favorable.
Your small investment in time and money will yield big dividends in the coming years. Search this site:. Create Account Upgrade Account to Professional. Home Learn How to Plant Shrubs. We're listening! Contact Us. Get Local. Log In. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account.
Already Started? How to Plant Shrubs. Even in a cool, wet summer, the rain rarely replenishes soil moisture stores fully. The soil may be dry around the roots even when the surface appears moist. Dry, windy conditions are especially likely to lead to water shortages. With experience, it is possible to detect the dull, lifeless foliage indicative of drought stress but by then the tree has already been damaged. Ideally anticipate water loss, and irrigate to prevent damage.
Overwatering is possible, especially on poor draining soils and with automatic irrigation systems, which leads to rotting roots and symptoms similar to drought. If in doubt dig down with a trowel to the side of the rootball to see if the soil is beginning to dry before watering. The quantity required will vary with soil type but typically litres per square metre watering cans each week in dry weather during the growing season will be necessary.
Weeds, lawns and other vegetation intercept water before it reaches the roots of newly planted trees and shrubs. Fertilisers do not need to be added at planting time but can be used a season after planting if the soil is very poor or a boost to growth is required.
However, if you are using a mycorrhizal fungi e. Rootgrow do not to apply a fertiliser at all as phosphorus found in general fertilisers and superphosphate can suppress the fungus. Corrective pruning on misshapen trees is best carried out while the tree is still young. This may involve shortening or removing any competing leaders and removing damaged, dead or diseased wood. Lower laterals i. See our page on formative pruning of new trees.
Inspect tree ties in spring and autumn and adjust ties to prevent constriction of the stem. After two growing seasons the tree should make sufficient root growth to anchor the tree and the stake can be removed. Planting too deep is a common cause of tree death. Poor establishment , brown leaves or general leaf damage are also sometimes encountered after planting.
Newly planted trees often need protection from mice and voles , rabbits and deer to prevent being ring-barked. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. Take action Why take action? Support us Donate Careers Commercial opportunities Leave a legacy.
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Harlow Carr North Yorkshire. Hyde Hall Essex. Rosemoor Devon. Wisley Surrey. Bridgewater Greater Manchester. Environmentally friendly gardening. In heavy clay soils, the sides of the planting hole can become glazed similar to the inside of a terra cotta pot.
Use a shovel or mattock similar to a pickaxe to notch out the sides of the planting hole to help newly growing roots more easily move into the surrounding soil. A hand-dug planting hole with notched walls will enhance root spread into the surrounding clay soil. When preparing a planting bed for more than one shrub, incorporate organic soil amendments throughout the entire planting area to create a uniform growing environment for the roots.
Add no more than 10 to 20 percent organic matter by total soil volume. For example, when preparing a bed to 8 inches in depth, only add 1 to 2 inches of organic matter to the bed surface, then till well.
For heavily compacted clay soils, it may be necessary to relieve compaction by subsoiling or deep tilling before adding organic matter. Start by selecting the right plant for the space. If the area is deemed suitable but has poor drainage, elevate the bed 8 to 12 inches using native soil or topsoil purchased from a reputable supplier.
Unfortunately, there is no industry standard for topsoil. The definition of topsoil is simply the soil layer at the top of the soil profile. Look for topsoil made up of mostly native soil and a relatively small portion of composted organic matter.
Organic matter found in topsoil should be small particles in which the organic source material is unrecognizable. Additionally, plant shrubs high to allow the water to drain away from their roots, allowing access to much-needed oxygen. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to install a subsurface tile black, corrugated pipe drainage system to help carry water off the site.
When shaping the final grade of the planting bed, rake the area smooth to eliminate low spots where water is likely to collect. To help achieve proper drainage, shape beds to carry excess moisture away from buildings to areas where it can slowly percolate into the soil. While few ornamental plants tolerate long periods of standing water, plants used for rain gardening do well with occasional flooding.
For more information about rain gardening, see the Carolina Rain Garden Initiative. Remove any debris left on new construction sites where creating planting beds. Concrete, roofing shingles, tar, oil spills, paint, and sheetrock can cause long-term plant growth problems.
Soil compaction can also be a problem on construction sites due to heavy equipment use and constant foot traffic. Deeply till the soil and incorporate organic matter to relieve compaction. Container Plants : Nurseries start shrubs grown in containers as seeds or cuttings in soilless media potting soil. Containers are usually plastic but can be made from wood or biodegradable products. Before planting containerized plants, inspect the root ball for root defects that may have occurred during propagation or while in inventory at a nursery.
During potting-up, sometimes, the topmost roots of the shrub are buried too deeply in the container. It is crucial to conduct a thorough inspection of the root ball to find the root flare and topmost roots of the shrub. The root flare occurs where the trunk gradually widens as it approaches the soil line. This area is where the trunk transitions into the topmost roots just below the soil surface. Dig the planting media away from the top of the root ball to locate the root flare and uppermost roots before planting.
Often, adventitious roots will grow along the trunk of a shrub that has been planted too deeply in its container. These roots are not the topmost roots. Remove them down to where the root flare transitions into the uppermost roots. Contrary to popular belief, most plant roots prefer to grow uniformly around the trunk, extending outward radially rather than deep down into the ground. So, when plants are not potted-up at the correct time during production, the roots grow to the side of the container where they begin to grow horizontally along the inside of the plant pot or vertically in search of free soil space.
If this growth occurs for too long, the roots begin to grow over each other, causing the root ball to produce circling roots and become root-bound. Research suggests once plant roots start growing in a circling pattern, they do not readily correct their growth outward when removed from the container and planted in the ground. Therefore, roots circling in the pot are defective. Always examine the root ball of container-grown plants for defects and correct them before placing them into the ground.
Circling roots left on the shrub at planting can later grow into a girdling root around the trunk of the shrub. Girdling roots eventually cause plant failure by strangling the water and food conducting structures of the plant.
At a minimum, identify and remove circling roots using a machete, serrated knife, or spade shovel. Shear off the outer 1 to 2 inches of the root ball of pot-bound shrubs. For reference, think of it as making the round root ball into a square with the cuts. After the initial shearing, gently tease out the roots growing along the outside of the root ball.
Using a sharp hand pruner, cut them back to where they begin to circle. New root growth will occur at these cuts. This new root growth will grow radially from the trunk of the shrub. An alternative method for many container-grown shrubs is root washing. When root washing, wash the potting mix away from the roots to examine the root ball more closely. Prune circling, kinked, or otherwise defective roots using a sharp pair of hand pruners.
Place the shrub in the planting hole and arrange the roots radially from the trunk of the plant.
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