Now we can implement the rule of thumb for planting shrubs, namely, that the planting hole should measure twice the width of a shrub's rootball, but not quite as deep. The reasoning behind the first part of this rule of thumb is simple:
By making the planting hole twice the width of the rootball, you're providing the roots plenty of room to expand sideways, through freshly-laid, rich soil.
The reasoning behind the second part of the rule of thumb will be provided later in the tutorial.
As the pictures on this page and the prior page show, my rootballs measured 6", so I dug my planting holes 12" wide. I tried to get the walls of the planting holes as plumb as I could, so that my root growth and drainage will be evenly distributed.
In Step 6, the shrubs find a home in their new planting holes....
