How to Grow Shrubs in Damp Soil

Plant the shrub when the soil is as dry as possible. You can plant container-grown shrubs any time of year the soil isn't frozen. Based on your climate, you may notice that the damp soil areas of your garden are less muddy and easier to dig and work in during the drier late summer or early fall, for example.

Dig the planting hole with a shovel, making it the same depth or 1 to 2 inches shallower than the root ball in the container. Make the hole two to three times as wide as the shrub's root ball.

Center the shrub in the planting hole and back fill soil around it. Tamp the soil gently with our hand as it fills. Do not pile excess soil atop the root ball or against the shrub's trunk. When done, the top of the shrub's root ball needs to be even with or 1 to 2 inches above the top rim of the planting hole.

Water the soil and root ball in the planting hole immediately after planting. This watering compacts the soil and eliminates air pockets so soil particles come in direct contain with the shrub's root ball. Maintain a moist to wet soil for the first six to 12 months after planting to ensure the root ball never dries out.

Place a 3-inch layer of organic mulch over the soil around the shrub in the damp soil. Keep the mulch 2 inches away from the shrub's trunk but scatter it widely across the soil. The mulch retains soil moisture, prevents weeds and helps diminish muddy conditions if you need to walk among the shrubs.