How to Plant a Barberry Bush

Barberry bushes can be an integral plant to enhance the landscaping around your home. Depending on the variety of barberry it can be chosen for its beautiful fall colored foliage, bright berries, flowers or combination of all of these. It's also a completely non-toxic plant, making them ideal for the family with small children.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Barberry plants
• Sunny location
• Tools to dig and prepare the ground
• Compost

1. Find a location that has full sun. If you're planting the evergreen variety, you can allow for a little more shade, but they will do best in full sun. They can usually be set out any time of year and most will tolerate acid, neutral and alkaline soils.

2. Check the drainage of the area that you're going to plant. If it's not well drained, either choose a different location or take the measures needed to correct this.

3. Dig a hole that has ample room for the plant rooting system. If you're planting more than one plant, check the spread on the tag from the nursery and space the plants that distance apart. If you're planting two different varieties, add the two spreads together and divide by two to get the spacing.

4. Mix a spadeful of organic material at the base of each hole. If your soil is poor in quality, spade in additional organic material with the dirt that was removed.

5. Set the barberry plant in the hole and make certain the base of the plant will be at the same height in the ground as it was in the pot. Press the plant in and water thoroughly.

6. Trim off the upper quarter of each main stem, about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks after planting. This will encourage a bushier growth.

7. Sit back and enjoy. You only need to occasionally prune the plants and if there is a long period of drought, water them, once they are established.