Rows of shrubs and trees can act as a windbreak to help protect your home. A windbreak on three sides of a building can cut annual fuel bills by as much as 30 percent, reducing wind chill in winter and making shade in the summer.
Tree and shrub windbreaks are habitat for wildlife. They beautify the landscape, stop blowing snow, screen out noise and dust and serve as living privacy fences.
Most shrubs are sold as container-grown plants or ball and burlap (B&B) plants. You can plant a container-grown plant most of the year but the best time to plant is in the spring and fall.
If your landscape is in need of many shrubs, avoid using only one or two species. Too few shrub species is like putting all your eggs in one basket, for example if there is a pest problem then there is a good chance that a significant portion of your shrubs would be affected.
Since wet soils can reduce plant growth and survival, you should plant in a well-drained soil.
Tip: To test for soil drainage, dig the hole for your new plant and fill it with water. If the water doesn’t drain in 24 hours, plant elsewhere.
How to plant a shrub:
- Make sure the shrub roots are kept moist at all times.
- Dig a hole as deep, and twice as wide, as the roots.
- If the shrub is in a container, ease it out carefully without disturbing the root ball. Save the plastic pot to recycle.
- Place the shrub seedling in the center of the hole.
- Fill the hole with moist soil and then use your hands to firm the soil around the roots of the shrub, making sure there are no air pockets.
- Remove all tags, wires and strings from the shrub. These can constrain and kill the shrub as it grows.
Once your shrub has been planted, give it just enough water to make sure that the roots don’t dry out. You can use mulch around the shrub to slow water loss from the soil, reduce weed growth, and protect the shrub from lawn mower and weedwhacker damage.
Tip: Avoid overly deep mulch or piling the mulch up against the trunk of the shrub as this promotes shallow roots, disease, and pest damage. 2-3 inches of mulch is adequate.
Most nursery-grown shrubs, especially container-grown plants, have been well fertilized in production. Many shrubs may have controlled-release in the potting soil, so they may not need fertilizer at planting unless your soil is nutrient deficient.
Tip: If you do need fertilizer, use a controlled-release fertilizer instead of a soluble one to reduce the chance of fertilizer damage to the roots of the shrub.
