1. Planting: When planting Variegated Privet Trees, find a location that receives full to partial sun. These can adopt to any soil type as long as it’s moist and well draining.

Dig your hole three times the width and slightly shallower than the root ball. Use your fingers to separate the roots of your variegated privet and gently position downward in the hole. The top of the root flare (where the roots end and the trunk begins) should be about an inch above the surrounding soil. Hold the tree straight as you begin to back fill the site, tamping down the soil as you go.

When finished, apply water to settle the soil and remove any air pockets that may have formed.

2. Watering: Most Privets prefer constantly moist soil conditions, as long as the roots aren’t sitting in standing water. Apply water when the top 2 inches of the soil is dried out a bit. When watering your shrub, use enough to moisten the soil down to a depth of 24 inches. This encourages the shrub to grow roots deeper, which helps improve drought tolerance, overall vigor and health of your hedge.

3. Fertilizing: Privets normally do not require fertilization the way that other shrubs would. If needed, you can apply fertilizer once a year in the spring when new growth begins. If you notice the edges on your privet looking pale in color, or if you want to speed up its growth rate, provide a 15-5-10 formula. Just be sure to follow the application instructions on the bag.

4. Pruning: Variegated privets don’t really need much pruning. Leaving it unpruned allows the shrubs to take on a natural shape. Remove dead and injured branches for a healthier tree in late winter or early spring before new growth appears.