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Growing Indoor Shrubs – A Full Guide

Introduction: Hello Indoor gardeners we are back with a great information of Growing Indoor shrubs. Shrubs are an important part of garden design.  A shrub is defined as a woody plant that is smaller than a tree and normally has a rounded shape. Evergreen shrubs present permanent structure in the garden and all-year-round interest. What are we waiting for? Let’s get into the details of growing indoor shrubs.

A step by step guide to growing indoor shrubs

Grow evergreen shrubs as stand-alone specimens, as a component of a mixed border or as hedging. There are plenty of evergreen shrubs to select from so here are some of the top evergreen shrubs for an easy and reliable display.

Growing tips for indoor shrubs

  • When choosing a planting site, consider the plant’s needs. Determine its soil and light requirements. If it grows best in full sun and well-drained soil, don’t plant it in a shady, poorly drained site. Consider its growth habit; locate the shrub in a location where it can grow tall and wide without the interference of overhead power lines or nearby plants, walls, buildings or other structures.
  • Dig a planting hole 2 to 3 feet wider than the root ball to allow plenty of room for the roots. Planting depth must be equal to the height of the root ball. Score the sides of the planting hole to loosen the soil and make it very easier for the shrub’s roots to penetrate.
  • Remove the shrub from the container and inspect the root ball. Typically the root growth will have been compressed by growth inside the container. If the shrub is root bound, use a sharp implement, such as a trowel, knife, to divide and loosen the roots. Once you’ve loosened the roots, locate the root ball into the hole. Plant the shrub therefore that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Fill the hole with loosened native soil that was removed from the hole. Firmly but gently press the soil in place; take care not to pack the soil or the roots could have difficulty growing and penetrating the soil.
  • The important step to planting is watering the shrub immediately after planting. This helps to minimize the shock of the roots during the transplanting procedure and keep the plant hydrated. Monitor the watering of the newly planted shrub throughout the growing season, and apply adequate amounts of moisture as needed, particularly during periods of drought.
  • Apply a 2 to 3 inches layer of mulch around the base of the shrub. The mulch will help the soil retain moisture and combat weeds around the base of the shrub plant. Avoid placing the mulch directly at the base of the trunk as this could allow water to collect here and causes rot problems.

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A Guide to Growing Shrubs Indoors.
A Guide to Growing Shrubs Indoors.

List of the indoor shrubs

Some list of the indoor shrubs can be given below; 

Daphne

Daphne shrubs are marvelous plants with pink or white color scented flowers set in mini bouquets. The shrubs rarely get taller than a few feet and the largest cultivar barely tops 5 feet. There are plain-leaved and variegated varieties obtainable, such as Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’, which has a rounded compact habit and attractive glossy, yellow-edged leaves. Daphne plant is a superb small evergreen shrub for the garden. Grow Daphne plant in sunny or partially-shaded mixed borders, woodland gardens, and rock gardens.

The plants have a slow growth habit and normally do not need to be pruned unless they are growing into another plant. Daphne wants a sunny to the partially sunny location with well-drained soil. The shrubs do not like dry roots, so you will want to water them every two weeks, deeply. You can conserve moisture by working in 3 inches of compost to a depth of 12 inches at planting. And, spread an inch of mulch around the base of the plant. Fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer in spring after the Daphne plant has bloomed.

Hydrangea

This is one of my favourite growing indoor shrubs. Hydrangeas are superb for a range of garden sites from group plantings to shrub borders to containers. Hydrangeas can be deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs or the self-clinging climbers. Their displays are full of showy flowers and bring wonderful autumn interest to a home garden. Most prefer a sheltered spot in partial shade, but they will tolerate almost any soil type and can produce in full sun if the soil is kept moist.

Most hydrangea plants thrive in rich, porous, somewhat moist soils and add compost to enrich poor soil. This is particularly true for the big leaf hydrangeas.

Box

Boxwood plants are evergreen shrubs that are dense and planted in informal and formal elegant landscapes. Choosing to grow boxwood in the home landscape allows one to create a matching order, formal hedge or a balance to an entryway. The shrub can be planted as foundation plantings or focal points.

Box plant is a compact and versatile evergreen shrub. Box plants are superb for clipping into small, formal hedges that can be used to edge veg or flower beds or try creating own elaborate box parterre. Tolerant of deep shade, it is great for awkward sunless spots, or for growing beneath tall trees. The box can be used for topiary, either in the ground or grown in patio containers. Grow in well-drained soil in partial or full shade, but keep the soil moist if growing box plant in full sun.

Fatsia

Fatsia is also called Japanese fatsia, indicating its origin. It is a popular shrub in the Southeast due to its adaptability and tropical appearance along with good cold tolerance. Fatsia japonica is a versatile shrub with large, glossy hand-shaped plant leaves borne on stout, upright stems. This architectural shrub is surprisingly hardy and copes well with coastal conditions and shady areas of the home garden. These plants make an eye-catching feature in borders or large patio containers. Fatsia plant typically grows 6 to 10 feet tall by 6 to 10 feet wide. Old plants in ideal growing conditions could reach 15 feet tall. Fatsia plant grows at a moderate to fast rate (8 to 12 inches per year) depending on growing conditions. Growth will be very slow in full sun and dry soil, and faster in shade with rich, moist soil.

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Forsythia

Forsythia can add dramatic flair to a yard in the early spring. This striking fast-growing shrub has woody branches and profuse sunshine-yellow blossom in spring, borne before leaves appear in the summer season. Like currants, most Forsythia plant varieties will grow under any conditions as long as they are in a sunny location. They make for great hedging or feature plants and provide your garden real color punch when in bloom. Herald the arrival of spring with ‘Spring Glory’, which can burst into plentiful flowers alongside the daffodils in early spring.

Good care of forsythia plant requires that forsythia bushes should be pruned yearly. Without pruning, these fast-growing shrub plants can quickly get overgrown. The best time to prune forsythia shrubs is right after the forsythia plant has finished blooming.

Lavender

A well-loved lavender shrub, grown for its fragrant summer flowers and scented silver-green foliage. Flowering in shades of purple, pink, this hardy shrub is versatile; from edging to hedging and borders to patio containers every garden should have lavender. The flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies, and thanks to their Mediterranean origins lavender plants have good drought tolerance, coping well with light, sandy soils. Lavender plant is best planted in the spring as the soil is warming up. If planted in the fall, use bigger plants to ensure survival over the winter and plant lavender 2 to 3 feet apart. Plants typically reach 1 and 3 feet in height. It thrives in any poor or moderately fertile soil and if you have heavy or clay soil, add some organic matter to improve drainage.

Aucuba

Aucubas are very popular evergreen shrubs valued for their tolerance of full shade, dry soils, pollution, and salty coastal conditions. Plain-leaved varieties are obtainable, but the speckled yellow cultivars are the most popular and give rise to the common name ‘Spotted Laurel’. The leaves are normally quite large, leathery and glossy in appearance making them useful for achieving a tropical look. Grow Aucuba plant as specimen plants, for hedges or in difficult heavily-shaded corners of the garden to make a fine contrast to other foliage plants and flowers.

Camellia

Well, we all love to have this as one of the growing indoor shrubs. Camellias are very popular for their glossy deep green foliage and abundance of large, showy flowers early in the year. Their flowers can be single or double and come in colors from pink to red, through to yellow or white. Although naturally large shrubs, dwarf varieties are obtainable. They are elegant shrub plants, ideal for mixed planting schemes or as specimen shrubs in borders and woodland gardens with partial or dappled shade. Camellias are best planted in part sun or somewhere with afternoon shade. This is particularly true of young plants. As they age, camellia plants obtain more sun tolerantly. The plant leaves shade the roots keeping the soil cool.

Camellia plant likes rich, well-drained soil that stays moist, but not soggy. Plant camellia so water drains away from the trunk and camellias grows best in slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5. Add sulfur to the soil to lower the pH level, based on a soil test. Keep the Camellia plants well-watered the first few years. By year 3 camellias must be established enough to not need supplemental watering unless it’s very dry. Mulch around the base of the camellia plant. Camellia plants have shallow roots that can dry out and mulch helps preserve the soil moisture.

Euonymus

Euonymus plants can be grown as evergreen ground cover or trained to climb a wall, tolerate north-facing walls well. They will grow as hedges or free-standing shrubs in garden borders and containers. The shrubs are striking in the garden. The euonymus leaves are leathery to the touch and grow up to 3 inches long and the boldly variegated foliage is the star here. Most plant leaves are emerald green splashed liberally with buttercup yellow. Euonymous plant shrubs are not high maintenance. However, caring for euonymous shrubs requires more effort the year they are planted. They will need regular water up to twice a week until the root system has established.

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Mahonia

Mahonia plants are evergreen shrubs grown for their attractive dark green foliage and clusters of cheerful, bright golden-yellow flowers. They are valued for their late winter and spring flowers these are bright yellow and highly fragrant. These flowers are borne on long, elegant racemes or in clusters at the tips of branches, creating a distinctive and striking display when much of the garden is still dormant. Coping well with coastal conditions, clay soils and heavy shade Mahonia plant makes an unbeatable, low-maintenance addition to shrub borders and woodland gardens.

These slow-growing plants must be spaced 2 to 3 feet apart in the garden. They must be watered regularly until established; after that, these shrubs are drought tolerant. Mahonia plant spreads by a suckering root system, so be on the lookout for suckers if you don’t want your plant spreading. You can make a dense shrub by pruning back the tallest stems in early spring to encourage new growth at the base.

Firethorn

Firethorn is an evergreen shrub with unassuming cabbage-green plant leaves and corymbs of white flowers in the warmer months. It is often preferred for its magnificent displays of red, yellow or orange berries in autumn or winter, giving your garden real color ‘pop’ when other plants may be dying down.

Firethorn plant is a tall shrub or small tree at 6 to 16 feet tall and almost as wide. There is a variety of conditions appropriate for planting firethorn. This versatile and colorful shrub could be used as an espaliered specimen, in containers, as a hedge or just as a bright season-long addition to a border or bed. Consider the location of your Firethorn shrub carefully. Care of firethorn shrub is low-maintenance and they are prone to few pests and disease problems. Firethorn plants can even tolerate short periods of freezing and drought conditions once established with mulch around the root zone.

Holly

Holly plant is a family of low-maintenance evergreen and deciduous plants that range from 12-inch shrubs to trees measuring up to 50 feet. Holly plant is valued primarily for its glossy foliage and colorful berries. A well-known evergreen holly shrub, with glossy, dark green leaves, which can be either spiny or smooth. Best known for its classic dark green leaves and red berries at Christmas, several variegated forms of Holly make outstanding specimen plants in the garden or as part of a mixed border.

Dogwood

Dogwood is a fantastic fast-growing deciduous shrub that is versatile in the garden. It is generally grown for its vibrant displays of bare stems in vibrant yellow, orange or red during winter. It has pale green leaves throughout the summer season and flat white flower heads in spring. Happy under most conditions, Dogwood plant spurns only chalky, alkaline soils.

That’s all folks about growing indoor shrubs. Keep growing plants at home. You may be interested in Chicken Manure Composting Process.

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