If you are looking for a new shrub for your landscape, you cannot go wrong with a euonymus shrub. This landscape favorite can be found in varieties that grow like a vine, to a shrub, to even a tree. They as a group provide year round interest from colorful foliage, interesting bark, and unique flowers and fruit. One well known euonymus is the “Burning Bush” that starts out in the spring as a green leafed shrub. As the temperatures cool, the foliage begins to turn red and in doing so this is where the name “Burning Bush” comes from. Later on in the season, red berries will form, which provide wildlife food.
The euonymus works well in partial sun to shade and even bright sunlight. They as a group can grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. If you are afraid to plant anything new because of deer, do not worry. These shrubs are deer resistant. Beyond that, they work well in landscape design as living fences, and ground covers. The reason for this is the fact that many varieties of the euonymus can grow up to 24 inches a year under ideal conditions.
To plant your euonymus, starts off with the proper location. The euonymus shrub can tolerate shade to direct sunlight. While the soil type is not important for this shrub, the soil drainage is very important. It will not tolerate “wet feet,” which is where the roots sit in water. Prior to planting your shrub, make sure you at least observe the ground after a rain. If you notice water pooling on the soil surface then you can safely say that the soil is not well draining. Once you have determined this, you are ready to plant.
To begin the planting process, you will first need to dig a hole that is twice the width of the container and the same depth. After that is done, place the planted pot in the hole to check the depth and width of the hole. Adjust as needed.Once the hole has been dug, you will need to scrape the inside of the hole. Why do you need to do that? Well, the answer is simple. If you have a high level of clay in your soil make up then you have a situation by which the inside of the hole will become hard like a clay pot. This process is called glazing and this simple process will keep the roots of your plant from growing outward from the hole. The glazing itself will keep the roots in the hole by which they will just grow in a circle. This will eventually kill the plant. To prevent this, you will need to deglaze the hole. This is easily done by scraping the inside of the hole with a garden rake.Next, remove the euonymus from its container by cutting away the pot. After the roots have been exposed, examine the root ball and cut away any diseased or dead roots. Gently tease the roots with your finger to loosen them up a bit and tell them they can grow outward. Once that is done, place 2 inches of garden soil in the bottom of the hole and place the roots in the hole. Fill in with soil. Water in to remove any air bubbles and refill with soil as needed to make sure the hole’s soil level and the ground are equal.
Sprinkle a slow release fertilizer on top of the soil and top with mulch for weed control.
Source:
http://www.weekendgardener.net/garden-plants/how.to.grow.and.care.for.the.euonymus.htm