Shrubs are defined as woody, semi-woody, or herbaceous perennial plants. The branches arise from the base of the plants and grow up to the height of about 50 cm to 4 meters, which gives the plants a bushy appearance. It has no distinct trunk.
Importance of shrubs:
Shrubs are the most important garden plants. They have many cultivated species and varieties that give us a wide range of variations in the shape and size of the plants, leaves, growth habits, shape and color of the flowers, and foliage.
They also produce flowers of almost all important colors. Shrubs provide different attractive colors at our eye level and emit fragrance at our nose level.
Various shrubs, especially with white, yellow, or dark gray foliage, can produce a pleasing effect if you plant in proper schemes in the garden. Shrubs have become an integral part of the garden. They also form a part of the garden framework and create a pleasing picturesque effect if you select and plant carefully.
Purpose and use of shrub
Shrubs have different purposes or use. They are mentioned here –
Shrubbery border: When the shrub is grown in the bed, it is called shrubbery. When shrubs of different Types are planted in a strip of land depending on their height, color of the flowers and foliage, and flowering time, it is called a shrubbery border. A shrubbery border increases the beauty of the garden to a greater extent.
Before making a layout for the shrubbery border, the following points should be kept in mind:
- You should face the shrubs bed east or south for the optimum outcome.
- A very pleasing effect will be obtained by making shrubbery in front of a building wall.
- A greater width of the border is allowed where a greater height is desired. Greater height is necessary when the shrubbery is away from the house. But where it is near the house, it needs to be low.
- You should avoid any shade.
- Shrubbery is also used to limit the gardens, especially for larger gardens.
Arrangement of shrubs:
Shrubs should be arranged according to the height and color of the flowers and foliage.
- According to height shrubs are divided into three distinct groups for making shrubbery. They are tall, medium, and dwarf. Tall shrubs should be planted 30-45 cm away from the edge of the bed. The medium shrubs should be planted 30 cm away from the inner edge of the bed. The dwarf shrubs should be planted in a group of 4-6 plants.
- According to color: The flowering shrubs produce a beautiful color effect when planted carefully. Before planting, consideration of the color scheme should be kept in mind.
Making of hedge
Shrubs are used for making good hedges. When the shrub is planted on a boundary for fencing purposes, it is called a hedge. Hedges may be ornamental or protective or both. All shrubs are not used for making hedges. Only some selected shrubs are used for making an ideal hedge.
For making an ideal hedge, the shrub should have the following characteristics-
- Shrubs should be quick-growing in nature.
- It should withstand severe and frequent pruning operations.
- The shrub should have small and thick-textured leaves.
- It should be compact and bushy in growth habits.
- It should be propagated by seeds or cutting.
- The shrubs should withstand drought conditions.
- It should not attract any reptiles or animals.
Topiary
The art of training shrubs and other plants into different attractive shapes like birds, balls, spirals, animals, umbrellas, domes, etc., is known as topiary. Topiary is an important feature of gardens, parks, etc. It is becoming common in city parks to provide recreation to visitors, especially children.
The ideal shrubs for making a good topiary should have the following characteristics-
- The shrubs should be quick-growing in nature.
- It should have densely arranged thick green and small leaves.
- It should withstand frequent trimming.
- The shrubs should thrive well in the local soil and climatic conditions.
- It should be easily propagated.
- The plant should be hardy and resistant to pests and diseases.
For making topiary suitable, training frames are employed. Frames are generally made from standards of galvanized wires. Making a real topiary frame needs tremendous technical knowledge and must be artistic. So, the man who has artistic knowledge of work should be employed for the work.
A figure like an elephant, camel, horse, monkey, giraffe, bird, peacock, umbrella glove, etc., is liked by everyone. To get the desired shape of the topiary work, training, tying, and trimming the branches should be done.
The following plants should be selected for topiary Duranta, Plumeri, Inga dulcis, Murraya exotica, Hibiscus, and Thuja.
- Specimen plant: Shrubs are planted singly or in groups in the bed or lawn of the garden as specimen plants to create a dramatic effect. These shrubs should have elegant foliage and beautiful flowers. Shrubs can be selected for different landscaping situations to produce the best effect. Shrubs suitable for specimen plants are Hibiscus rosasinensis, Bougainvillea, Hamelia, etc.
- Standard plant: Shrubs can be trained as standard plants. The main stem is kept clean up to one meter to get a tall standard plant. But in the case of halt standard shrubs, the stem is kept clean up to 50 cm.
Shrubs for screening: Shrubs like Cestrum nocturnum, Bougainvillea, Jasminum pubescens, Murraya exotica, etc., can be grown successfully for screening plants.
Fencing: It is a device that fixes the former garden’s boundary, helps stop the land’s encroachment, and provides protection from wild animals and cattle. Shrubs like Lantana camara, Inga dulcis, Duranta, etc., are used successfully for fence making.
Classification of shrubs:
According to the requirement of sunlight for growth and flowering shrubs can be classified into three groups.
- Shrubs for the full sun: Most flowering shrubs love sunlight. Their growth and flowering are greatly affected by the intensity and duration of light. The morning sunlight shows an adverse effect on the growth and flowering of the shrubs. Plants like Hibiscus rosasinensis, Hibiscus mutabilis, Bougainvillea, Mussaenda etc. grow well in full sun.
- Shrubs for partial shade: Plants like Magnolia pumila, Nandina domestics, Beloperone, Mussaenda erythrophylla, etc., grow well in partial shade. In full sunlight, these plants show signs of scorching of the leaves in hot weather.
- Shrubs for both sun and semi-shade: Shrubs like Jatropha rosea, Lemonia spectabilis, Crossandra, Codiaeum, etc., grow well in semi-shade.
The shrubs can also be classified depending on the beauty of the plant parts used. They are as follows-
- Flowering shrubs: This shrub produces very attractive spectacular flowers grown for its mass effect. Flowering shrubs are Hibiscus rosasinensis, Hibiscus mutabilis, and Bougainvillea.
- Foliage shrubs: This shrub is grown in the garden for handsome and richly variegated foliage. Foliage shrubs include Codiaeum variegatum (croton), Aralia elegantissima, Nandina domestica, Acalypha tricolor, etc.
- Shrub with fragrant flowers: The shrubs produce fragrant flowers. It includes the name of the shrubs like Cestrum nocturnum, Jasminum sambac, Gardenia florida, Murraya exotica, etc.
Depending on the height of the plant, shrubs can be classified into three main groups, namely-
Tall shrubs: The height of the plant is 1.5 – 3 m or even more.
- Bougainvillia sp.
- Caesalpinia pulcherima
- Camelia japonica
- Gardenea florida
- Codiaeum variegatum
- Lagerstroemia indica
Medium shrubs: The plant height is 1.2 – 1.5 m.
- Acalypha wilkensiana
- Hibiscus rosasinensis
- Bauhinia acuminate
- Cestrum diurnum
- Musaenda philipica
- Murraya exotica
Dwarf shrubs: Plant height is below 1.2 m.
- Acalypha hispida
- Jasminum sambac
- Ixora chinensis
- Euphorbia mili
- Pentas carnia
- Juniperus chinensis
- Plumbago capensis
Selection of shrub
Like other ornamental plants, the selection of shrubs depends on many factors. So, the following points should be considered before selecting shrubs for plants.
- Sunlight: The duration and availability of sunlight at the proposed planting place should be considered. E.g., Hibiscus rosasinensis produces profuse flowers in sunlight, but Hamelia patens thrive well in partial shade.
- Height and spread: The height and spreading habits of the plants should be considered before planting the shrubs. Dwarf and bushy plants should be planted in the front, and they should be given narrow spacing, while tall and widespread shrubs should be planted at a wider spacing provided there is sufficient space available.
- Utility: The utility of the plants should be given due consideration before planting the shrubs. Shrubs can be planted for edge and hedge making, screening, indoor planting, topiary making, rock gardens, etc. For the rock garden, select the hardy and dwarf shrubs, whereas, for the home garden, preference will be on the shrubs with fragrant flowers.
- Space: The availability of space is also another deciding factor in selecting shrubs for growing in different places. Where space to be grown is limited, the choice should be made between dwarf and erect growing shrubs. Large shrubs will require more space for planting.
- Humidity: Shrubs like Gardenia, Ixora Singaporensis, etc., require a humid climate for proper growth and flowering.
- Tolerance: Most shrubs are very hardy and tolerant of adverse weather conditions. They need little attention and grow in all types of soil. Where a shrub-like Musaenda philipica cannot tolerate extremes of weather.
- Propagation: Plant growers produce their own planting materials from the mother plants or seeds. Shrubs can be propagated by seeds, cutting, layering, grafting, budding, and division of clumps.
Planting of shrubs
Climatic conditions: The world has tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate plants. Tropical shrubs require high temperatures. Whereas temperate plants need a cooler climate. As they are perennial and permanent, seasonal variation has little effect on them. Once they are selected and planted in a particular locality, they remain there for several years.
Soil: Any garden soil is suitable for shrub production. The soil should be well-drained, fairly deep, and rich in organic matter. The sub-soil should be free from hard substratum and retentive of moisture. Waterlogging conditions for a few days on wet soil adversely affect most shrubs’ growth.
Hibiscus does not survive in poorly drained soil, and Bougainvillea produces only vegetative growth but no flowering. The top layer (up to 30 cm) should be removed and refilled with good fertile and well-drained soil if the soil is bad.
The shrub can be grown in soil of varied pH. Highly alkaline or acidic soil is unsuitable for growing shrubs. Bougainvillea prefers saline soil.
Land preparation: After selecting a site for the shrubs, the soil should be prepared thoroughly 15-20 days before planting. The soil should be kept under the open sun for 7 days. Weeds, stones, and plastic pieces should be removed to clean the soil. Clods should be broken to make soil to be in good tilth.
Planting: Shrubs are planted in two ways-
Planting in pits: Shrubs are planted well in pits. The size of the pits depends on the height and growth habits of the plants. For large-sized shrubs, it would be 75*75*75 cm. For medium and small-sized shrubs, it would be 60*60*60 cm and 45*45*45 cm, respectively. The pit should be prepared at least 20-30 days before planting.
After preparing the pit, the soil should be exposed to the sun for at least 15 days. After that, the dugout pits are refilled with a mixture of soil and FYM or well-rotted cow dung manure at 10-15 kg per pit. Finally, the pits are filled 10-15 cm above the field level to avoid the formation of depression after the first irrigation.
The rest of the land should be prepared by digging up to 30 cm deep and removing all the weeds. Aldrin dust (5%) or MP dust (2%) at the rate of 10 gm per pit should be mixed with the soil to prevent the attack of termites.
Planting in bed: Shrubs can also be planted in well-prepared beds. When shrubs are grown in bed, it is called shrubbery. The soil depth for the bed should be 60 cm. It should be divided into three distinct layers of 20 cm each. The soil’s first and middle layers should be kept on both sides of the bed. The bottom layer need not be taken out. Thus manures and fertilizers should be mixed with the soil of different layers. The dose of manures and fertilizers is as.
- FYM or cow dung = 50 kg/m2
- TSP = 125 g/m2
- Woodash = 100 g/m2
- Neem oilcake = 300 g/m2
Planting time: The best time to plant shrubs is during the rainy season. It can also be done in February-March depending upon the water facilities during the summer month.
Spacing: The planting distance of shrubs varies according to their height, growth, and development.
- Tall plants = 1.5 to 1.8 m (plant to plant)
- Medium plants = 40 to 100 cm
- Small plants = 45 to 60 cm
How do you plant shrubs?
For planting saplings off the shrub, a hole is made in the center of the pit or in the bed, and this is where the seedling goes. Then, the seedling/sapling roots are covered with a soil mixture. You should maintain proper depth of planting . To keep the sapling or seedling upright, you should squeezed the dirt around the base of the plant firmly with your hands. After that, you should water the plants immediately after planting.
How to care for shrubs (Intercultural operation)
Gap filling: It should be done whenever necessary. Not all the seedlings survive after planting. So, a new seedling/sapling will be planted whenever mortality occurs.
Watering: Nothing survives without water. So, after plantation, watering is must. It depends on the soil types, the plant’s vigor, humidity, temperature, and plant types. In moist weather, plants need less water than in sandy soil. Pot plants require water most frequently. The ground plant needs irrigation at an interval of 4-10 days.
Mulching: The part of the soil that gets sun and water is worn out. Mulching can solve this problem. It should be applied over the soil surface and around the base of the plants.
Weeding: Weed causes serious problems to the growing plants. It competes with the shrubs for space, nutrients, light, and moisture and adversely affects the growth and development of shrubs. So, weeding is done in this situation.
Related post: Best 10 Cultural Weed Control Practices With Merits Demerits
Staking: Generally, shrubs do not need support. Sometimes, slender, tall, and weak-stemmed shrubs may need staking as support. Until they become strong enough to withstand external pressure. For this purpose, iron or plastic sticks are most suitable. Bamboo-made or wooden stakes may be used.
Hoeing: Hoeing helps break down the soil’s crust layer caused mainly by sun-baking. In this case, the soil of the top portion may be forked before watering.
Why is fresh cow dung not used at the base of the seedling of the shrub?
Generally, fresh cow dung produces toxic gas like CH4 and CO by decomposition. This toxic gas easily penetrates into the root of shrubs. As a result, the shrubs dried and ultimately died. In addition, the multiplication of bacteria is essential for the decomposition of fresh cow dung. So, for the successful multiplication of bacteria, it needs energy found from nitrogen available in the soil. As a result, nitrogen in the soil is found to be deficient. This is why fresh cow dung is not applied to the soil during planting.
Some common species of shrubs:
| English name | Scientific name | Family |
| Ixora | Ixora spp | Rubiaceae |
| Mussaenda | Mussaenda fondosa | Rubiaceae |
| Jui | Jasminum auriculatum | Oleaceae |
| Kamines | Murraya exotica | Rutaceae |
| Allamand | Allamanda cathertica | Apocynaceae |
| Bougainvillea | Bougainvillea spp | Nyctaginaceae |
| Rose | Rosa spp | Rosaceae |
| Capejesmin | Gardenia florida | Rubiaceae |
| Glory of Japan | Cestrum nocturnum | Solanaceae |
| Thuza | Thuja orientalis | Coniferae |
