How To Plant a Shrub | The Home Depot, by The Home Depot on YouTube. 3 min 39 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 39 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a spot that suits the shrub's light needs. Check the plant tag for sun or shade, and leave room for the mature width listed.
Dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball and no deeper than it. The top of the root ball should sit level with the surrounding soil.
Roughen the sides and bottom of the hole with your shovel. Smooth, glazed walls can stop roots from spreading into the native soil.
Slide the shrub out of its pot and loosen any circling roots with your fingers. Cut tight roots with pruners if they will not pull apart.
Set the shrub in the hole. Check that the root flare, the spot where the trunk widens into roots, sits level with or slightly above the ground.
Backfill with the soil you dug out, adding it in layers and firming each one with your hands. This removes air pockets without compacting the soil.
Water slowly until the soil settles and the hole is full. Add more soil if the water exposes the top of the root ball.
Spread a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch around the shrub, keeping it 2 inches back from the trunk. Water deeply about once a week for the first year.
Tips and common mistakes
Call 811 before you dig so buried utility lines get marked and you avoid hitting them.
Planting too deep is the most common mistake, so keep the root flare visible above the soil line.
Early fall is a good planting window because the soil is still warm and rain is more reliable.
Skip fertiliser at planting time, since it pushes leafy growth before the roots can support it.
Questions
How often should I water a newly planted shrub?
Water deeply about once a week for the first year, more often in hot or windy spells. Check the soil 2 inches down and water when it feels dry.
Should I add compost or fertiliser to the hole?
Keep the backfill close to the soil you already have so the roots spread into it. Save fertiliser for the following spring, after the shrub is settled.
Can I plant a shrub in summer?
You can, but you will need to water more often and shade it from harsh afternoon sun. Fall and early spring give new roots the easiest start.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
