How to Plant Wax Privet

The wax leaf privet (Ligustrum japonicum), also known as wax privet or Japanese privet, provides seasonal interest to the garden with its year-round, glossy dark green leaves. This woody evergreen grows well as a standalone shrub, hedge or even small tree. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7b through 10a, the wax leaf privet grows in full to partial sunlight and a variety of fast-draining soil types. Wax leaf privets establish themselves best when planted in the late fall or early spring.

Shovel
Pruning shears
Garden hose
Mulch
Rake

Instructions

- 1
  Pull weeds and remove debris from the planting site. Dig a hole twice as wide and equal in depth to the wax leaf privet's root ball, using a shovel. Space the hole 5 feet away from other privets if you wish to create a hedge, and 15 feet away from other plants if you wish the privet to stand alone. Insert the shovel's blade repeatedly into random spots around the hole's sides to roughen them and create slits that will encourage outward root growth.
- 2
  Slide the wax leaf privet from its container or remove any wrappings around its root ball. Cut off any mushy, discolored, broken or dead roots with pruning shears. Cut through any circling roots to disrupt their negative growth pattern. Massage the bottom of the root ball gently to spread the roots outward.
- 3
  Place the privet in the bottom center of the hole. Add or remove soil as needed to position the root ball's top even with the surrounding ground.
- 4
  Fill the hole halfway with soil, tamping it down firmly around the wax leaf privet's roots. Fill the hole with water from a garden hose. Wait for the water to soak completely into the soil.
- 5
  Backfill the remaining space in the hole with soil. Tamp the soil down around the roots as before, removing excess air pockets. Do not overfill the hole or mound the soil up around the privet's stem. Do not bury the root ball deeper than it was previously growing.
- 6
  Pile a 4- to 5-inch-tall ring of soil around the perimeter of the buried root ball. Pat the soil in the ring to firm it in place. Fill the circle's interior with water. Wait for the soil to absorb the water completely.
- 7
  Spread a 2- to 3-inch-deep layer of mulch over the planting site with a rake. Keep the mulch 3 to 4 inches away from the privet's stem to prevent the bark from rotting. Spread the mulch over the ground 12 to 24 inches past the privet's canopy to aid in soil moisture retention and weed suppression.
- 8
  Water the privet when the top 1 inch of soil begins to dry. Keep the soil evenly moist, but avoid overwatering to the point that the soil becomes soggy.

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