Planting itself is done quickly. But everything can be done right or things can go wrong. If the location is not chosen carefully or the shrub has entered the garden soil at the wrong time, the rest of its existence will be influenced by it. With our information you will ensure a good starting position.
How should you plant chasteberry?
To plant chasteberry successfully, you need a sunny, wind-protected location with enough space (up to 3m high and wide) and loose, well-drained, alkaline soil. Ideally, plant the shrub in spring, water it well and cut it back vigorously.
Getting a good young plant
Are you excited about the flower of the monk's pepper or would you like to enjoy its healing ingredients? Then you are welcome to grow the plant that comes from the Mediterranean region in this country too. There are different varieties of monk's pepper available on the market. Most interested parties decide based on the flower color. But you should also pay attention to other properties.
Also consider propagating chasteberry yourself from seeds or cuttings.
Is a suitable location available?
Offer a piece of your garden to Vitex agnus-castus, the botanical name for chaste tree. If you don't have one, it can also be a large bucket. What will never be tolerated, however, is a shadowy existence. The optimal location is:
- very sunny and warm
- sheltered from the wind
- A place close to a wall is ideal
The available space is both sunny and sheltered from the wind? Fine! But is it big enough for this shrub? Monk's pepper can grow up to 3 m high and just as wide. Its growth power is only somewhat slowed down in the pot.
Tip
If you want to plant several chaste trees next to each other, allow about one square meter per specimen.
Check and improve soil quality
Chasteberry likes loose, well-drained soils with a pH value in the alkaline range. Increase the pH of acidic soil by adding lime. You can improve clayey soil by mixing the excavated material with sand. Also add a layer of sand or even coarser material to the planting hole or pot so that excess water can drain away easily.
Wait until the ideal planting time
Shrubs are planted in autumn or spring. Since autumn is now very unstable in our latitudes, we recommend that you plant chasteberry peppers in spring if possible.
Water the plant well and cut it back vigorously immediately after planting so that it sprouts more compactly. In the first few years, the shrub, which is hardy in itself, should be given a protective layer of leaves in autumn if it overwinters outside.
