How–To: Grow Shrubs

There’s no better way to enhance the beauty of your landscape than adding a few shrubs. With several common varieties able to flourish in practically any environment, providing your yard with that burst of green it’s been missing has never been easier. To make things even easier for you, this visual how-to helps you grow shrubs – from planning to planting to tending to them throughout the year.

Planning

Before you start growing your shrub, you need to come up with a plan. Your greenery serves a purpose, and it’s important that any shrub you incorporate into your yard fits this purpose. This means picking the plant that works with the climate conditions in your area, as well as finding the most aesthetically appealing spot for it.

1. Picking the Plant: Do you want it to add a bit of green around the outside of your home? Do you want it to bring some liveliness alongside your vegetable garden? Shrubs can play many different roles, and the first step in growing a shrub is picking the one that best fits your environment. But with so many types to choose from, you may not know where to start. To help, here are a few of the more popular shrubs, which grow in most regions of the United States:

• • • Azalea
    • Barberry
    • Forsythia
    • Holly
    • Hibiscus
    • Hydrangea
    • Lilacs
    • Rhododendron
    • Rose of Sharon
    • Roses

2. Picking the Place: Before you go out and actually buy the shrubs you want to grow, do a thorough examination of the outside of your home to find the best growing spot. It needs to be somewhere that gets plenty of sun and rainfall – that way, the shrubs are equipped to flourish. Then, think about where the plants fit best, whether you want to place them around your home’s foundation, sit them alongside other plants, or use them as natural fencing.

Planting

Now that you’re home from the store with shrub in hand, you’ve reached the stage when you plant it in the spot you picked out in your yard. At this point, it’s time for you to dig the hole, place the plant in the ground, and add nutrient-rich soil products.

1. Digging the Hole: Unless you’re starting with a package of seeds, the shrub you buy will likely have sprouted already. In this case, the plant will come with a root ball wrapped in burlap or another type of covering. You need to account for the root ball when making the hole, which needs to be around twice as wide and the same depth. Remove debris from the hole after digging and add a bit of compost at the bottom of the hole to give it an immediate nutrient boost. Then, place a landscape fabric to prevent weeds from popping up.

2. Placing the Plant: Now it’s time to put your plant in the ground, making sure that your shrub’s root ball sits slightly above the surface. When placing the plant in the hole, leave the covering on (you don’t want to risk it falling apart). Once it’s been situated in the ground exactly the way you want it, remove the covering. Then, fill your hole back up with soil. On top of the hole, a fertilizer granule or soil amendment can give the shrub the nutrients it needs.

Tending

Your plant is in the ground, and now you’re excited to watch it flourish. To make sure it stays happy and healthy for years to come, take good care of it by performing routine upkeep. This includes regularly watering and trimming the shrub.

1. Watering: Directly after planting, give your shrub a thorough watering to combat “transplant shock,” a common side effect of moving a plant to a new location. Water regularly (around once a week) during its first year. In areas that don’t get a lot of rain, you may want to water more often. Only provide the amount of water the shrub needs, making sure there’s enough to reach its roots. The Ross® Root Feeder can help, making sure water goes right to the roots and preventing waste through run-off. Also, to help the plant retain water, replace mulch as needed.

2. Trimming: Trimming your shrub is another important part of upkeep. Doing so makes sure that the plant is able to get the sunlight it needs and that dead and excess branches don’t hinder its health. The best time to trim your shrub depends on the kind you planted, but typically:

• • • Flowering shrubs should be trimmed during the offseason.
    • Non-flowering shrubs should be trimmed anytime except fall (otherwise, the plant would go dormant before new growth is able to develop).

When trimming your shrub, start at the bottom and work your way up at a slight inward angle. This keeps the plant from becoming too top-heavy. You may also follow a certain shape if you prefer. Make small cuts to excess branches and remove dead branches along the way. To avoid weakening the shrub, never trim more than 1/3 of it at a time.

Grow Beautiful Shrubs with the Help of Jobe’s

With plenty of varieties to choose from, there’s a shrub to fulfill any type of landscaping need you have. Adding the greenery you’ve been wanting is simple; all it takes is a bit of periodic care after planting to keep your shrubs healthy. Jobe’s Organics® has all of the gardening products you need to support them as they grow. Add that natural touch to your property with the beauty of well-placed, healthy shrubbery.