How to Plant & Grow Winterberry Bushes

Test the soil where the small Winterberry bush will be planted. Shovel out a hole twice as wide as the pot it is in and as deep at the pot. Fill it about halfway with water and let it sit for one hour. If the water is gone, the area drains well and the Winterberry can be planted there. If not, find a new location or improve the soil by mixing in mulch and other organic material until the soil drains as needed.

Remove the Winterberry from the hole and break up the clump of dirt around the roots by hand. Place the bush in the hole and fill in with native soil. Press in with your hands to work the soil in between roots so that there are no air pockets.

Cover the base around the bush with a 2-inch layer of mulch. This will keep weeds from growing, trap moisture and maintain the soil temperature.

Water the bush two times a week to keep the soil moist for the first month until the roots have started to establish. Afterward, cut back to once a week for another month before stopping the extra watering. Established shrubs generally are able to get enough water from the ground and rain to keep them healthy.

Prune the Winterberry bush in the fall when it is starting to go dormant. Clip back small amounts each year to keep the desired shape and size. Continue to cut back every year to maintain shape. Use pruning snips to prune the bush, making cuts on the limb at a 45 degree angle. Do not cut straight into the stem, but turn the pruning blade to the side to make an angled cut. Place the clips just above a leaf or notch on a branch, and squeeze the handle to clip the stem.

Insert cuttings that are at least 4 inches long into pots filled with potting soil. Use the cuttings from Step 5, so as not to waste the material. Dampen the soil with water and maintain moisture to start the rooting process. This is the easiest way to propagate new Winterberry bushes. Keep them indoors in pots for one to two seasons, then move them outdoors during a spring season.