planting bushes in now in ny

[sarasprings]

Oooh, I need a little advice. Last week I bought some bushes (azalea, conifers, euonymous) and transplanted them. I tried to break apart the roots and had a hard time with most. I'm worried they are too bound to grow well. Should I dig them up and rinse the roots to free them?

[plantnerd]

No, do not dig them back up. It'll be cold there soon! They will eventually move past the root bound stage if the surrounding soil is good and you water around the edges of the rootballs rather than the center to encourage growth outwards. In the future, a tip is to use a pruning saw to cut in slices around the compacted balls, about every 4 inches. Cut roots encourage branching growth, and they will moove into the fresh soil. Much easier than trying to do it by hand.

[sarasprings]

Thank you! I'll let them alone and take extra good care of them in the spring.