PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS 
77 
PLANTING SHRURS 
Shrubs should be planted in groups or masses. Be¬ 
fore planting, the ground should be spaded 18 inches deep 
and well-rotted manure, or fertilizer, should be thor¬ 
oughly spaded in so that it is thoroughly mixed with the 
soil. 
But green manure should not be used in the planting 
of shrubs for it is likely to burn the roots or cause the 
soil to sour. 
It is difficult to state any rule for the distances apart 
which shrubs should be placed. In general, however, 
shrubs which attain a height of 6 to 8 feet should be 
planted about 5 to 6 feet apart, those growing 3 to 5 feet 
tall should be set 3 to 5 feet apart. 
Before making the holes for the shrubs set stakes in 
the ground to indicate the position of each shrub and ad¬ 
just the stakes until the desired arrangement is obtained. 
The holes should be large enough to accommodate all 
the roots with space to provide for the future growth of 
the roots. 
Shrubs should be cut back and thinned out before 
planting, as in the case of shade trees. 
In the planting of shrubs the procedure is much the 
same as in the case of shade trees. The shrub should be 
placed in the hole at the same depth it grew in the nursery. 
The roots should be straightened out so they are not 
cramped or tangled, and the fine top-soil should be placed 
about the roots by hand. Care should be taken that no 
air pockets are left about the roots. When the roots are 
entirely covered but the hole not entirely filled with dirt, 
water should be poured into the hole. Then the filling of 
the hole should be completed with dry soil. 
Where the soil is heavy, or of a clay or gumbo nature, 
it is sometimes too “tight” for the roots to penetrate, and 
it becomes hard on top. This condition may be corrected 
by mixing some sand with the soil when it is being spaded 
