Planting trees and shrubs in horticulture is a basic and simple process. An experienced gardener knows how to plant a shrub and this will be very little information for him. Whereas for the new gardener this task can be a bit difficult. Today we are going to discuss How To Plant A Shrub In The Ground. Keeping in mind the points given here, you can plant the bush in the right way. With these methods, you will not only avoid getting frustrated but will also give your shrubs a chance to spread and flourish.
Dig a Good Hole
The first and most important point under how to plant a shrub in the ground is to dig a good pit. Where you are planning to plant a shrub or flower plant, make a pit in the right way. A good pit ensures that the shrub will spread widely. Along with this, a pit also ensures that the plant planted by you will live for a long time by getting established properly or not.
When you take the bush out of the container/pot, check the width and depth. After this, the pit you will make should be at least two times the width of the root ball and a maximum of three times as wide.
Whereas the depth of the pit should be about 75% of the root ball height. In other words, 75% of the root ball should be inside the pit and the remaining 25% should remain above the pit.
Doing this will not fill the pit with water and will help it to grow. If the pit is equal to or deeper than the level of the ground, then water may accumulate here which will not be good for the plant at all. The exact depth of the pit can be measured using a tool or stick.
On the other hand, when you are placing the plant in the pit, place a wooden or taut rope in such a way that you can see the level of the ground near the pit. This will give you an idea of how high the root ball is above the ground level. If some part of it is above the wood, then it is fine, otherwise, by adding some soil, correct the height.
Break the Root Ball
Second and another important factor of how to plant a shrub in the ground is breaking the root ball. After removing the plant from the container or pot, you will find that the root ball of the plant has taken the shape of the pot. The roots are entangled in a circular pattern. If you dig the plant and plant it the way it came out of the pot, then you will face disappointment very soon.
This is the only chance for these roots to break that circular pattern so that they can now spread into the ground around them. It is equally important to tug at the bottom as well as every other part of this root ball.
Failure to do so proves to hinder the growth of the plant. In fact, if the root ball is not picked up, the roots of the plant remain confined to the size of the pot. Usually, hands or a knife are used to break the root ball. Using your hands or fingers, scrape off the roots and spread them out slightly. You can also use a knife to cut, scrape, and spread the roots. Apart from this, remove the soil under the roots by scraping it a little.
You can scratch at places with a knife and separate some soil from the roots. If you break some part of the root while scraping it with your hand or knife, do not worry, as the plant spreads new roots after being planted in the ground.
Box Shape of Roots
If you’re afraid that plucking the root ball will damage the plant, or for whatever reason, you don’t like doing it, you can use a different method. The University of Minnesota recently published the results of an experiment showing that trees whose roots were boxed out were much better established. This process is very easy.
After removing it from the pot (which is circular at the end), cut the root ball of the plant with a knife in a box shape from all sides. Some parts of the root will have to be removed in this process but don’t worry. This will prove to be good for the plant. On the other hand, if the pot is square and the root shape of the plant is also square, still cut the root a little on all four sides. This method is also effective.
You just have to take care that the root is not to be cut too deeply in the box shape. If you do so, the plant will suffer. Cut only such a part of the root ball that the entangled roots on the inside of it get a place to come out.
Fertilizer or Manure
For extensive growth of the plant, you need to use fertilizer or manure. Fertilizing plants under the right way of how to plant a shrub cannot be ignored. Add fertilizer or manure to the pit and mix it well with the soil.
After that put the plant in it. The use of fertilizer gives a boost to the plant and it establishes faster and roots are stronger. When the roots are deep, the plant will not face any problem in supplying nutrients and water.
Soil Hardness & Moisture Retention
Once you have placed the plant in the pit, fill it with soil. But after adding the soil, do not press it too much. This will make the soil hard and the roots of the plant will not be able to breathe. Also, it will be difficult for the water to reach the roots. On the other hand, loose soil provides an opportunity for the roots to spread around. Whereas too hard soil can suffocate the roots of the plant.
You can leave the mulch by applying mulch around the plant. It helps in retaining moisture. But make sure the mulch is four to five inches away from the main stem of the plant. Keeping mulch close to the main stem can cause a variety of problems. For example, the infestation of insects and invite various diseases. Either way, this would not be a good idea.
Watering
After putting the plant in the pit and filling the soil in it, you add water. It is very important to water the plant immediately after planting. This gives nutrition to the plant, which is very important for its establishment. It is necessary to soak it completely. For this, you can use a bubbler which slowly pours water.
By using this, you can save a lot of water and water is easily accessible to the roots of the plant. You can run the bubbler for 10 to 15 minutes for the plant to absorb the water completely. If a bubbler is not available then you can use any water pot or fountain. You have to make sure that the water reaches the roots of the plant.
Summary of How To Plant A Shrub In The Ground
all these 6 steps are very crucial when you ask how to plant a shrub in the ground. if you follow all these steps, nothing more you need to do. while Many shrubs come with different demands. But these are the basic steps for planting them in the ground. It is up to the bush what they want other than these steps and you should complete them as well.
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You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!