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Shrub Planting Guidelines |
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Before
planting the shrub, add a good amount of bone meal powder to
the hole. Place the shrub in the center of the hole. Secure
a string at ground level on one side of the hole and extend
it to the other side, avoiding the shrub. Pull it tight and
secure the other end at ground level. Raise the shrub so that
the top of the soil in the pot or burlap sack meets the string
line and measure how much soil you will need under the root
ball to keep it at the desired height.
Remove the shrub from the hole and place a soil mixture that
includes some of the original clay-like dirt as well as black
loam and organic material such as rotted manure or compost under
the root ball location. Tamp the soil in, ensuring that it's
very firmly packed. Replace the shrub and check it against the
string height. Add more of the soil mixture to adjust the height
as necessary. Thoroughly water the added soil, which will ensure
all trapped air in the dirt is removed.
Remove the shrub from its container (no need to remove a burlap
sack), set in place and gradually add a mix of topsoil and the
original soil up to the base of the root ball. Spread bone meal
powder adjacent to the root ball. Thoroughly water and let drain.
Add the soil mixture in layers around the shrub ball, adding
bone meal and watering thoroughly each time. Note that if you
are planting a bare-rooted shrub (in which the roots are not
covered by soil or a container), you should spread the roots
open before covering them with soil.
Once the hole is filled to half the height of the root ball,
remove any twine and loosen the burlap; tuck the burlap under
the soil to expose the sides of the root ball. Keep backfilling
with the soil mixture until you reach ground level. Again, thoroughly
water and add soil to any slumped areas. Ensure that the shrub
remains vertical throughout this process.
Use soil to make a rimmed saucer around the shrub at the outer
edge of the planting hole. This rim should be about 3"
(about 7cm to 8cm) higher than the surface grade.
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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