Diervilla rivularis Georgia Bush Honeysuckle 'Troja Black'

Planting Advice for Diervilla rivularis 'Troja Black'

• Pot-grown shrubs can be planted at any time of the year as long as the soil is not waterlogged or frozen.
• Shrub roots generally tend to spread out rather than down, so dig a planting hole 3 x wider than the roots of the shrub you're planting and mix some well-rotted compost or manure with the soil from the hole and use this to re-fill one the shrub is in place.
• We've found that a square hole is better than a round one as the new roots, once they reach the edges tend to grow in a circle round the circumference of the hole whereas when they reach the corners of a square hole, they find it easier to grow through.
• Before planting soak container-grown shrubs thoroughly and allow to drain.
• Remove your Diervilla from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
• Add Mycorrhizal fungi to the roots when planting to help plants establish quicker.
• Place your shrub in the hole at the same level at the pot.
• Refill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling).
• Firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ball.
• Water well.
• Mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.

Aftercare Advice for your Georgia Bush Honeysuckle

• If you’re planting in spring or summer, water 'Troja Black' well and regularly for the first few months.
• Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons.
• Apply a generous layer of mulch around the base of the plant after planting and thereafter annually.

Pruning Advice for Diervilla 'Troja Black'

• To prune, cut back to a low, permanent framework each spring as the buds are beginning to swell, removing any branches that are dead, damaged or diseased.