It should not be necessary to leave ties connected to the scrub for more than one year.

Fertilization
Use plant-soluble starter fertilizer, such as 10-52-10 or some other high-phosphorus, low-nitrogen mix. Combine the fertilizer in water according to the package directions. Most shrubs can use one to two regular-sized buckets of the water/fertilizer mixture. Add about 2" to 3" (about 5cm to 8cm) of woodchip/bark mulch to the surface of the entire saucer area. The depth of the mulch should be no greater than 1" to 2" (about 3cm to 5cm) at the trunk.