How to plant shrubs – 5 simple steps to help them thrive for years to come

Wondering how to plant shrubs the correct way? It isn’t as simple as digging a makeshift hole and popping it into your garden – but if you make a few tweaks to that technique, it’s pretty straightforward.

October is the ideal time to prune certain shrubs, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to plant new ones. The soil is still warm enough from the summer, it’s moister, and the roots have plenty of time to establish before spring.

I’ve thrown together a guide on planting new shrubs, with expert tips, to help you give your plant the best possible start this autumn.

What you'll need

1. Soak the roots first

There’s a lot of debate around whether or not you should soak spring bulbs before planting, and shrubs hold a huge question mark, too. According to experts, though, it’s wise to soak the shrub’s roots before you plant it in the garden.

‘Douse the shrub roots in water until completely soaked,’ advises Paul Parker from J. Parker’s. ‘This helps to minimise the stress on the plant.'

You’ll just need a big bucket, like this 26L Whitefurze Flexible Tub from Argos.

2. Prepare the soil

While the roots are soaking, you can start preparing the ground for your new shrub. This step comes just before you dig the planting hole – and it’s worth learning a few quick ways to remove weeds beforehand.

‘Prepare the ground thoroughly, removing perennial weeds and breaking up compacted soil,’ says Annelise Brilli, Thompson & Morgan’s horticultural expert. It's worth investing in a sturdy garden fork like the Spear & Jackson Traditional Stainless Steel Border Fork from Amazon to tackle larger clumps of soil.

When it comes to planting roses and other specific shrubs, experts often suggest enriching the planting hole (once you’ve dug it) with organic matter. According to Annelise, though, it could do a newly planted shrub more harm than good.

‘Avoid the traditional advice to add organic matter to the planting hole,’ she warns. ‘In heavy or poorly drained soil, it can create a sump that holds excess moisture around the roots. As the organic matter breaks down, the soil can also settle, causing the shrub to sink too deeply.’

3. Dig a hole

Once you’ve prepared the soil, you can start digging a hole for your shrub. Annelise told me that planting depth is key to a shrub’s long-term health and performance – too deep, and you’ll deprive the roots of oxygen, but too shallow, and the root ball is at greater risk of exposure and drying out.

‘This hole should be a bit deeper than the pot that the shrub comes in, and three times as wide,’ advises Paul. ‘Make sure you loosen the soil below and surrounding the hole so that the roots can fully establish themselves.’

A sturdy spade is a must for planting a new shrub. I rate Kent & Stowe’s garden tools, and I’ve got my eye on this top-rated Kent & Stowe Garden Life Stainless Digging Spade from B&Q.

4. Position the shrub

With the soil prepared and hole dug, you can carefully tip the plant from the pot it arrived in. Preserving the roots is key here – you’ll want to avoid disturbing or damaging them.

Once you’ve lowered your shrub into the hole, you’ll need to make sure it’s positioned properly.

‘The top of the root ball should sit level with the surrounding soil,’ says Annelise. ‘Place a cane across the hole to help you judge the depth.’

Once it’s in place, you can start to backfill the hole with soil.

‘Pat down until firm, but don’t damage the roots below,’ advises Paul. ‘Try to wedge the plant in by adding soil to fill any gaps – this will help to keep the plant steady as the roots establish.’

5. Water and mulch

Learning how to plant a shrub really is as simple as that, but you’ll need to follow it up with a couple of crucial steps to help it settle into your garden. First, you’ll need to give it plenty of water.

‘Give the shrub a thorough soaking to settle the soil around the roots, even if the ground is already damp,’ says Annelise.’

It’s also worth mulching around the shrub, using something like Strulch, which you can order from Amazon in a bundle – but don’t get too close to the shrub itself.

‘Apply mulch in a wide circle around the shrub to help conserve moisture and suppress weeds, but avoid ‘volcano mulching’,’ advises Annelise. ‘Piling mulch against the stems can trap moisture and encourage stem rot, so leave a clear gap of 10cm around the base of the shrub.’

From there, Annelise recommends watering deeply when the shrub needs it, rather than little and often, and keeping a closer eye on your shrub during dry spells (although as we’re heading towards winter, those are less likely to be a problem for the rest of the year).

‘Hot, dry springs can be particularly challenging, as shrubs put on fresh leaf growth that requires a steady supply of moisture before their root systems have had enough time to develop and support it,’ Annelise adds.

Knowing how to plant shrubs properly will make a world of difference to your plant's long-term health.