Planting

• Before planting bittersweet, locate an area with full sun and rich soil. If planting both female and male plants, separate them by no more than 30 feet if you want the bittersweet to spread. You may even plant one male and one female in the same hole. For planting container-grown plants, plant anytime of the year as long as the soil can be prepared properly. For field-grown plants, spring or fall is the best time to plant.
  
  Take care in selecting a location for bittersweet, as the wide-growing plant will take over other plants. Out of the way, large areas are preferred. Consider letting the bittersweet vine grow along a fence where its growth can be contained. Generally, bittersweet plants do not bloom in their first year of growth.
  
  

Mulching

• Mulch bittersweet right after planting and occasionally throughout its growth. Add just a thin layer of mulch. Too much mulch provides an attractive bed for rodents. Mulch with almost anything material except a byproduct of the walnut species, and also avoid sawdust.
  
  

Fertilizer

• Avoid fertilizing when planting. If the soil needs fertilizer before planting, only use it at half-strength. Organic compost is best. Consider testing the soil's nitrogen levels, so you provide just the right amount in your fertilizer. Early spring is the best time to fertilize. Avoid fertilizing in the late summer, as growing vines may be damaged by frost.
  
  

Problems

• Except for a few hardy varieties, most bittersweet plants prefer full sun. Try not to over-fertilize. If your plants look healthy and are growing fast, there's no need to add fertilizer. If you over-prune, you may damage the next spring's flower buds. Prune with caution and let the main stems grow together, trimming only the minor stems. Pruning is preferred in the late spring after the first bloom, but you can prune throughout the year. Blooms may emerge early if warm weather comes earlier than expected. Be aware, however, that if a frost follows, those buds will die.