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If you’re looking for a quick fix for your landscape, shrubs are a nice option. Most shrubs grow quickly and will make an immediate impact. If you plant them properly and give them the tender loving care they need, your shrubs will establish quickly and generally reach maturity within three to five years. Once properly established, they will grow with minimal maintenance.
When To Plant Shrubs – Spring or Fall
Like most plants, spring or fall is the best times to plant shrubs. The cool, moist earth provides an ideal environment for the shrub to establish its roots before winter frost or summer heat kicks in. If you live in the south where the ground does not freeze in the winter, fall is the best time for planting shrubs. You have warm soil temperatures to establish your root growth and cool air conditions which slow down the rate of top growth. This combination allows the plant to concentrate all its growing abilities on establishing its root system. The result is a healthy plant with deep roots that is better able to withstand the stress of extreme temperatures, pests, or disease.
When To Plant Shrubs – Just Spring
If you are located further north and get early frosts and frozen ground during the winter, spring is a better time to plant your shrubs. Plant as soon as the last frost has left the ground and the ground is warm enough and dry enough to work the soil. The shrub does not have the benefit of warm soil temperatures and cool air temperatures that you get with southern fall plantings, but the more northern regions do not get the extreme heat of the south either. In northern climates, the more moderate spring and early summer temperatures allow enough time for the root system to establish.
When To Plant Shrubs – Plant Care
As with all new garden additions, you need to give your newly planted shrub some special attention while it establishes itself in its new home. Work organic matter such as compost or peat moss through the soil when you plant your shrub. Healthy soil will help your shrub settle in and establish its root system. Water amounts should also be monitored carefully. Keep the soil moist and add a 2” layer of mulch around the shrub after planting. The mulch will help retain moisture and inhibit weed growth. You don’t want your shrub to have to compete with weeds for the nutrients in the soil.
Technically, you can plant shrubs any time of the year except the dead of winter. However, you want to give the plant the best possible growing environment so that it can establish strong healthy roots. Depending on your local growing conditions, fall or spring provides the best mix of temperature, sun, and moisture to get your shrub through its first few critical months. Invest time and TLC in your newly planted shrub and ensure it gets the water and nutrients it needs. Once established, your shrub will provide long term beauty with minimal maintenance.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about trees and shrubs and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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