How to Plant a Shrub in Open Ground
After preparing the site, follow these five easy steps to plant your shrub:
Step 1: Prepare the Plant
If you are planting a container-grown shrub, make sure that the compost around the plant is fully moist; either water it well so that the root ball is thoroughly wet, or sink the plant in its pot in a bucket for an hour or two. Leave it to drain for at least an hour.
Step 2: Prepare the Hole
Place the shrub where you want to plant and mark a circle around it with a spade. The hole should be at least twice the width of the root mass for container-grown or root-balled plants, or more in heavy, clay soils. For bare-root shrubs, make the hole wide enough to allow the plant's roots to spread out fully. Mix the removed soil with organic matter and then fork over the sides and base of the hole to loosen the soil.
Step 3: Position the Plant
To remove containerised shrubs, place one hand on top of the compost around the base of the shrub and then gently ease the plant out of its pot.
Place the shrub in the middle of the hole and hold it in place so that you can check the correct planting depth. Lay a cane across the hole and make sure that the soil mark (a dark mark near the base of the stem indicating the shrub's previous soil level) is level with the cane. Adjust the depth by adding or removing soil beneath the shrub. If you are planting a root-balled shrub, remove the hessian wrapping once you have determined the correct hole depth.
Autumn is the best time to plant shrubs, as their root systems have time to become established while the ground is still warm; they can then settle during the dormant winter period. By the following spring, the shrubs should be flourishing before the dry summer weather arrives.
Step 4: Planting
Loosen any long roots that have wrapped around the root ball with your fingers and place the plant in the hole. Slowly fill in the soil around the shrub, holding the plant upright and at the right depth. If you are planting a bare-root shrub, shake it gently to settle the soil. Firm the soil around the plant roots as you go to prevent air pockets from forming, but make sure that you do not compact clay soils. When the hole is full, carefully firm the soil around the shrub with your heel or hands, then lightly fork over the area.
If you are working with heavy, clay soils, you can improve drainage by planting the shrub slightly proud of the soil level and mounding the soil around the exposed section of the root ball up to the level of the soil mark. With sandy soils, plant the shrub in a slight hollow so that water is channelled around the plant's roots.
Water the shrub thoroughly; apply a mulch of pulverized bark or well-rotted compost about 5-7 cm (2-3 in) deep and at least as wide as the planting hole. Clear the mulch away from the stem of the plant when you have finished.
Step 5: Tidying Up
Cut any damaged, diseased or dead wood back to healthy growth. Prune long, straggly stems so that they do not spoil the overall effect of the shrub's framework. You should also remove any inward-growing or crossing stems to an outward-growing shoot or bud.