How to Plant a Serviceberry

The serviceberry bush provides both ornamental qualities and edible fruit to the home garden. The bushes bloom abundantly in late spring and early summer, and the berries ripen in late summer and fall. Serviceberry plants thrive in full sun but also grow in partially shaded beds, though they may not flower or fruit as well. The bushes tolerate a wide range of soils, but prefer locations that are rich in organic matter and provide good drainage.

Things You'll Need

• Power tiller
• Shovel

Instructions

1. Break up the soil to a 12- to 16-inch depth with a power tiller or shovel. Remove any large rocks or old roots from the planting site.

2. Dig the planting hole to the depth of the serviceberry's nursery pot. Make the hole two to three times as wide as the pot.

3. Lift the serviceberry bush out of the pot. Set the roots in the hole and adjust the soil level beneath the roots until the bush sits at the same depth it was at in the pot.

4. Fill the whole half full with the removed soil. Water the soil until it's moistened throughout. Finish filling the hole and water a second time.

5. Space additional serviceberry bushes 6 feet apart in the planting site. Set the plants at least 6 feet away from other trees and shrubs so the plants don't suffer from root competition.

Tips & Warnings

• Mulch over the bed after planting. Mulch helps insulate the soil, prevents weed infestation and helps the soil stay moist.

• Plant serviceberries in spring or late summer. Heat at midsummer stresses newly planted bushes.

References

• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Serviceberry; George M. Dickert; March 2010
• Iowa State University Extension; Serviceberries; Richard Jauron; June 1997