How to Plant Boxwood Shrubs

Choose a location for the boxwood shrub. Although the shrub will do well in partial shade, the color is deeper when grown in full sun. Gardeners in areas with hot summer sun should provide the boxwood with afternoon shade.

Dig the planting hole in a saucer shape, with the sides gently sloping toward the bottom. The hole should be three times the width of the root ball and 1 inch shallower than the nursery pot in which it is growing. If you will be planting more than one boxwood shrub, to form a hedge, plant them 5 feet apart and they will grow together.

Remove the boxwood shrub from the pot. If it doesn't slide easily out of the pot, lay it on its side and use your hands to press the pot as you roll it back and forth.

Place the shrub's roots into the hole, making sure the top inch of it will be exposed above the soil. Throw enough soil into the hole to cover the roots. Use your fingers to work the soil in and around the roots, then fill the hole halfway with soil.

Run water into the hole until it is full. Allow the water to drain and finish filling the hole with soil. Do not press the soil around the base of the plant.

Water the newly planted boxwood shrub until the top 8 inches of soil is wet. The best way to do this, according to the experts with the University of Vermont, is to place a hose at the base of the shrub and allow it to trickle onto the soil.

Add more garden soil if the boxwood settles after watering. Only 1 inch of the plant's crown should be exposed above the soil.

Spread 3 inches of organic mulch on the soil, completely surrounding the boxwood shrub. Keep it 6 inches from the base and extend the layer 6 inches beyond the root ball. Remove and discard the mulch every spring and replace it with a fresh layer.