Planting Shrubs in Dormancy
Placing shrubs in the ground when the plant is dormant will reduce shock to the shrub. In most cases, this will mean planting in late fall to early spring prior to any leaf emergence on the shrub's limbs. According to West Virginia University extension service, the success of the shrub depends fully on the planting technique. The shrub should be planted in late fall to early winter, but prior to any ground freeze.
List:
Shrub
Spade shovel
Water
Knife
Pruning shears
20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer
Mulch
Dig the planting hole so it is 1-foot wider and 6 inches deeper than the root ball on the shrub. The shrub may come in a plastic container, wrapped in burlap or with bare roots. Bare root shrubs must still be placed in a hole that is much larger than the full width and length of the roots themselves. Select the site for the shrub that is well drained and has exposure to full sun for at least 6 hours to 8 hours a day.
Test the drainage on the planting hole by filling it full of water. Allow the water to completely drain from the hole. If the water empties from the planting hole in less than 8 hours, the shrub will have no problems in regards to good drainage. If the hole retains water for greater than 8 hours, the site will require some type of underground drainage system..
Cut the plastic container away from the roots, or the twine from around the burlap using the knife. The burlap may be left around the root ball, but must be loosened. All wire and twine must be removed to prevent the roots from being bound. Remove the shrub from the container. Prune any broken or dead roots and limbs from the shrub.
Set the shrub into the planting hole so the topsoil line of the root ball sets approximately 1-inch to 2 inches above the native soil line. Mound enough loose soil in the bottom of the planting hole to obtain the necessary height. The mounded soil will also increase the drainage of water from around the roots. Back fill the soil around the root ball. Add soil in 6-inch increments. Tamp the soil down between each addition.
Irrigate the shrub with water. This will remove any air from around the roots and improve the root to native soil contact.
Fertilize the shrub immediately with a water-soluble fertilizer. Mix one tablespoon of the 20-20-20 solution with one gallon of water. Add 2 gallons to 3 gallons of the fertilizer solution to the shrub. This will stimulate the root growth during the winter season.
Layer 2 inches to 3 inches of mulch around the shrub. The mulch will retain moisture, keep the root ball from heaving during freezing weather, and retard any errant weed growth.
Words to the Wise:
Contact your local agricultural extension service for methods on making poor drainage sites usable for planting shrubs and trees. In most cases, you may have to install a drainage pipe in the bottom of the hole to reduce any standing water. This may entail digging a long drainage ditch that leads away from the shrub hole location.
