Planting boxwood and caring for evergreen shrubs. Planting and caring for evergreen boxwood at home

This evergreen shrub looks great even in winter. Take a look at the photo, its glossy bright green, rounded leaves confidently peek out from under the snowdrifts, symbolizing life. It is believed that evergreen boxwood is able to protect from evil spells and fulfill wishes. This article is all about the variety of varieties, planting, proper care, subtleties of cultivation, methods of propagation of buxus.

Varieties and varieties of evergreen boxwood

Three areas of growth of boxwood (buxus) in nature are known: on the African continent; northern Mexico and Cuba. The largest natural distribution area of buxus is the southern regions of the European continent, the foothills of the Caucasus, China and Japan.

Colchis boxwood

In Russia, buxus grows wild in the Krasnodar Territory, in Adygea, in the gorges of the Caucasus Mountains, where mountain rivers flow. The only species of boxwood found here is Colchis (Buxus colchica). Unfortunately, the natural habitat of boxwood in Russia is constantly declining, the reason for this is the barbaric deforestation of shrubs and the deterioration of the environmental situation: the culture is listed in the Red Book.

Only about 30 types of buxus are known, but only a few of them are widely used for ornamental gardening. Boxwoods are long-lived in the world of shrubs. The life expectancy of one bush can be 500 years.

For landscaping the territories of gardens and parks, the following varieties of evergreen buxus (Buxus semperv irens) are used:

Suffruticosis - characterized by a strictly vertical direction of growth;

Variety Suffruticosis

Blauer Heinz - rigid shoots are directed strictly upwards, grows very slowly, the color of the leaves is bluish;

Variety Blauer Heinz

Elegans - used in landscape design to form spherical garden forms. The bush is naturally spherical in shape, the leaves are green;

Sort Elegans

Buxus treelike - shaped like a large bush or small tree. The leaves are dark green. The tallest of all varieties;

Buxus arborescens

Winter Gem is a low growing, slow growing shrub with small leaves suitable for garden topiary and container growing.

Variety Winter Gem

Proper planting is the key to good growth of boxwood bushes

The place for landing the axle box must meet a number of requirements. The thing is that the culture grows well and develops on moderately moist soils. Ideal for planting areas with sandy or loamy soils. Heavy, acidic soil is not suitable for planting evergreen boxwood bushes, therefore, in such areas, preliminary measures should be taken to improve the soil structure.

High level ground water adversely affect the development of the boxwood root system. Given that the culture has been growing in one place for over 500 years, the site should be selected carefully, taking into account the existing topography, soil composition and groundwater level.

Soil composition is very important for boxwood

Boxwood has a special relationship to the effects of sunlight. The plant prefers to grow in partial shade. Of course, it is difficult to avoid plantings from the sun if boxwood bushes are used to create hedges. But, ideally, the plant grows well and develops in the presence of shading from direct sunlight.

Evergreens continue to grow in winter, when they can become dehydrated in deeply frozen soil, which is exacerbated when plants are planted in full sun. A dehydrated boxwood bush can lose most leaves and even die.

Boxwood seedlings

Usually, buxus is planted in the garden in the spring, decorating them or. Special attention should pay attention to the condition of the crown and root system of seedlings. The roots should not be dried and broken, and the crown should not have bare spots and yellow leaves.

For planting bushes, separate pits or trenches are made (when arranging hedges), the depth of the prepared pits should be twice the length of the roots of the seedlings.

Advice! The distance between planted boxwood bushes in a row should be at least 30 cm.

Young plantings of boxwood respond well to watering and spraying the bushes on the leaves.

Boxwood care: some subtleties of growing a crop

Planting and caring for the crop, performed correctly, in compliance with agrotechnical requirements, will allow you to grow a healthy plant that can decorate the garden for many years.

Cultural care includes:

Periodic watering.
Soil loosening.
Timely removal of weeds.
Creating shading over plants from the scorching sun during the summer months.
Regular top dressing, seasonal fertilization.

Boxwood requires regular care

Diseased plants that have been attacked by pests should be treated with special preparations. To prevent the development of diseases, it is necessary to periodically inspect the growing boxwood bushes.

Separately, it should be noted the rules for caring for boxwood when performing formative pruning of bushes and creating curly trees. It is allowed to carry out pruning in the warm season during the period of plant growth - from April to September. The cutting of the bushes is repeated at intervals of 4 weeks, while it is necessary to fertilize and feed the emerging plants.

Advice! In winter, in severe frosts, it is useful to snatch the bushes of wintering boxwood with special films that conduct light.

Fertilizer and top dressing of Buxus evergreen

From April to August, boxwood needs regular feeding. Best of all, plants absorb special fertilizers in liquid form, which are applied weekly under the root, or in the form of foliar top dressing on the leaves.

Boxwood needs to be fed several times a year.

The plant itself is able to signal a lack of nitrogen: its leaves acquire a reddish color with a hint of bronze.

When planting boxwood bushes, granular organic and mineral fertilizers are added to the planting pits. In autumn, it is useful to feed boxwood with potash fertilizers.

Boxwood breeding methods

If necessary, you can get young boxwood plants yourself. For this there is cutting method plants. Although the growth of the culture is not very fast, the boxwood stalk takes root and forms a young plant during the warm period.

Rooted cuttings of boxwood

Cuttings with a length of at least 20-30 cm should be harvested from healthy plants. It is best not to cut them off from the mother stem, but to break them out “with a heel”. Cuttings are planted in humus-rich soil in special boxes, which are located in a greenhouse or greenhouse. It is not necessary to cover the planted boxwood cuttings with foil.

seed way culture propagation is rarely used, given the slow growth.

Diseases and pests: how to properly protect boxwood

The presence of alkaloids in the leaves of the buxus greatly reduces the risk of damage to the plant by pests and the development of diseases on the shrub. However, some pests are so stubborn that they can harm the plant, despite its dense glossy leaves.

The mining boxwood fly (boxwood gall midge) causes great harm to the plant. Timely detection of a pest on the leaves of a plant and treatment with special preparations will save the plant from damage by these pests. The fly, remaining on the plant, reproduces rapidly, the larvae of this pest do not die even in winter. They penetrate inside the leaf blades, form swellings, hibernate, settling in the spring on unaffected leaves.

box fly

Boxwood felt is another crop pest that infects the crown of the plant, penetrating the leaves and young shoots. The affected parts of the bush are cut out and burned.
The spider mite colonizes the plant during the dry summer months. Systematic spraying of the plant on the leaves can prevent the appearance of the pest. Treatment - treatment with Fufanon, Actellik, Neoron, Fitoverm.

Advice! Spray plants more often in the summer.

Often shoots with dried tips appear on boxwood bushes. The disease is caused by the fungus Volutella buxi. Control measures - pruning and treatment with systemic fungicides.

Volutella buxi infestation

Boxwood is also sick with cancer, which develops on broken or old branches. Such shoots need to be cut to healthy wood.

Correct pruning of boxwood: video

Boxwood in landscape design: photo

Boxwood - sounds elegant. Let's look at Ozhegov's Dictionary of the Russian Language, where we read: “Boxwood is a small southern evergreen tree or shrub with very dense and heavy wood. So, residents and guests of the above-mentioned southern places are well acquainted with this predominantly shrub, with small dark green and hard leaves densely located on the branches, which gives the boxwood a decorative splendor.

We will visit another authoritative Encyclopedic Dictionary, from which we learn that there are about 50 species of shrubs in the boxwood family. The geography of their growth is quite extensive: the countries of the Mediterranean, the oceanic regions of Europe, the West Indies, Africa, the islands: Madagascar and Sokota. 2 relict species of boxwood grow in Transcaucasia, "in the undergrowth of the middle and lower mountain belts." Boxwood wood, due to its hardness and density, is used in the production of turning crafts.

But most of all, boxwood is valued for its decorative qualities and ease of care for it, even in the form of a shrub, even in the form of a tree - it all depends on your creative preferences. Boxwood can also grow in open ground, where it can be subjected to decorative shearing according to certain rules. And some of its varieties get along in conditions winter garden your home or just in a bright room in a tub.

How to choose boxwood bushes when buying?

You should know that boxwood can be propagated by ordinary cuttings or purchased at flower shop seedlings in special containers, which creates conditions for its painless rooting and fairly rapid growth.

When choosing a seedling, you need to prefer a healthy plant, with hard dark green and shiny leaves, a “stocky” look, with uniform branching. The slightest signs of a seedling being unhealthy: pale sluggish leaves or voids in its dense crown - can interfere with its normal development even with good care.

When is the best time to plant boxwood?

Boxwood is not very picky about the soil, although it still prefers loose and fertile ones. In any case, the most important thing is the correct subsequent care of the boxwood seedling, and you need to start by choosing a place for its further growth. The site should be illuminated, taking into account the winter-spring shading, because direct hot sunlight can cause leaf burns - they need to be adapted to them.

The best time for planting boxwood is spring, which will give it a fairly long period for vegetation and preparation for winter time, but it is also possible in early autumn, with an interval of a month before the onset of climatic frosts. If you take the risk of planting later, then the risk may be unsuccessful, and either a frail plant will get to spring, or it will completely die.

Boxwood planting rules

In the open field, boxwood is rooted in pits or trenches, much deeper than the length and volume of the rhizome of the seedling.

The bottom of the landing pit must first be lined with drainage material, with a layer thickness of at least 15 centimeters. The next layer of humus mixed with leaves is completed by compost and ordinary garden soil.

We place a boxwood sapling on this stratification, straightening the rhizome, and carefully pour the near-pit soil, slightly compacting along the backfill. As soon as the soil is laid and compacted from above, the sapling should be plentifully watered and the planting surface should be mulched with improvised material, and preferably with ripe humus or peat mixture.

If you plant several boxwood seedlings in a row, then the intervals between them should be at least 40 centimeters.

Where is the best place to plant boxwood bushes?

When choosing a site for planting boxwood, a sufficiently lit place should be preferred, with possible temporary shading during the hottest hours of the day.

Boxwood is afraid of drafts, and for this reason it will be more comfortable behind a wall or fence or in a poorly ventilated area of the site.

At the boxwood high level survival, but loves soil loose and nutritious. For this reason, it is necessary to include both river sand and ripe organic humus in the planting soil.

Properly rooted boxwood develops and grows quickly enough, and for its full development it is necessary to feed it with special complex fertilizer- in summer - after each watering. At indoor breeding in winter, it is enough to water and feed boxwood once a month.

At home, boxwood does not tolerate insufficient air humidity and needs periodic spraying with settled water at room temperature.

A grown plant with good developing roots requires annual transshipment, and the new pot should be 2 centimeters larger in diameter. It is necessary to handle the boxwood carefully, preserving the soil lump and not injuring its rhizome.

If you nevertheless decide to form the crown of a developed boxwood in a certain way and know how to do it masterfully, then there are no obstacles. But if you have never done this on your own, then it is better to resort to the help of a specialist or learn from the available sources of this knowledge and skills.

From the boxwood cuttings left after pruning, you can choose the best for rooting, that is, quite stiff and no more than 10 centimeters; remove the lower leaves, leaving 2-3 of them, and place in a moist substrate. Best of all in small pots with certified soil, which, together with the rooted cuttings of boxwood, put in a transparent plastic bag and tie it with an upper loose knot in order to periodically “walk” the seedling and monitor its constant humidity without overflow - the pan must be without water.

Errors in caring for boxwood can lead to disease ( root rot) and attack dangerous pests, which include spider mite, scale insect and mealybug.

How to properly care for boxwood

The basic rules for caring for boxwood go in two directions: to ensure the successful vegetation of the plant and prepare it in the best way for winter, with its icy winds, with numerous temperature drops that burn the sun's rays during the February windows, it is necessary autumn preparation for winter. In summer, root mulching is required with sawdust from coniferous trees, needles or peat mixture.

In late autumn, before frosts, good basal watering is required and the renewal of the mulch layer from summer to winter is required, from which dry leaves must be excluded, which can become a source of fungal diseases during their decay.

When the temperature drops to 10 cold degrees, boxwood needs to be insulated. Suitable for boxes with ventilation holes, which in the form of a cover cover the entire bush of the plant, are securely fixed so as not to fall during a strong wind and not damage it.

For winter protection of boxwood borders and its dwarf variants, it is better to use shelter nonwoven fabric, with its reliable fixation from the wind.

As a weather protection for boxwood in winter, burlap is used, from which a cover of a suitable volume is sewn. When packed in such a case, the branches of the tree are softly tied to the crown by spiral wrapping, so that they do not break off under the pressure of snowdrifts. In the southern regions of our country, zoned species of boxwood winter safely even without any shelter.

With the onset of early spring, the boxwood is released from the winter protective shelter, but this should happen gradually: first lift it from below and ventilate, then after a while open the tree on one side only, and after a while on the other. And the last step - the whole boxwood is free! It is preferable to choose cloudy weather for this release.

How to properly feed boxwood

Proper feeding of boxwood is the most important condition for obtaining an ideal plant. The exterior of the boxwood depends on it, its botanical health associated with frost resistance and resistance to diseases and pests in all seasons.

It is necessary to apply complex mineral and organic fertilizers from the very beginning of the boxwood growing season and do it regularly, according to the seasonal requirements and characteristics of the soil where this type of boxwood grows.

How to properly and beautifully cut boxwood

boxwood like evergreen the best time to cut and shape to your creative needs is between April and September. At correct pruning this pliable plant will delight you with its bright and lush crown, subject to important condition: after each haircut should be abundant watering and top dressing.

Young boxwood needs light corrective pruning to form a compact crown. Another, rejuvenating pruning, should be resorted to when working with adult boxwood specimens in order to cope with a chaotically developing crown.

Boxwood with a spherical crown looks optimally beautiful, to achieve which is a matter of several years of painstaking pruning, gradually forming a green ball and not by eye, but using a special template. The boxwood stem is formed by cutting the side shoots to the required length. The lower branches are either removed gradually to the base of the ball, or the lower branches are not removed from undersized boxwoods and the ball is made lying on the surface, which is also unusually beautiful, especially if they are, as it were, scattered across the lawn - pacifies!

How to properly propagate boxwood

Boxwood reproduces quite successfully by cuttings, of which there are many during shearing. It is enough to choose cuttings suitable for rooting with clear signs woodiness 5-10 centimeters long, remove all but the top two leaves - and planting material ready.
Prepare small pots with drainage and a nutritious loose substrate (a mixture of garden soil and peat), moisten so that there is no water left in the pan, root the cutting with two leaves, place the pot with the cutting in a transparent plastic bag and tie it with a soft knot - you get a mini greenhouse, which needs to be watered and aired from time to time. As soon as a new leaf has gone decisively on day 25, open the package and gradually adapt the seedling to the environment.
As the seedling grows, it is planted by transshipment (with a basal soil clod) into a larger container for its further growth, but in open ground- not earlier than spring according to all known rules.

No need to shade, deciding to start breeding boxwood. This is something even a novice gardener can do. And the gardener, subdued by the decorative possibilities of this accommodating plant, will achieve the desired results to the delight of himself and others.

For fashion now landscape design different in color leaves, dark green or light variegated, types of boxwood, prone to a spherical crown, are well suited:

Boxwood subspecies Blauer Heinz, with gray-blue foliage and slow growing shoots, which allows it to keep its shape given a haircut for a long time.
Boxwood subspecies of suffruticosis, with green leaves and vertically growing shoots, capable of holding the formed crown firmly enough.
Boxwood subspecies Elegans - leaves are green, bordered with white edges. The natural crown is spherical.

A plant that can ennoble with its beautiful appearance any suburban or park area.

This species is easily recognizable by its oval leathery, dark green above and almost yellow below leaves. Wild boxwood can reach a height of 15 m, cultivated - from 3 to 6 m. Yellowish-green small fragrant flowers. All parts of this

Boxwood tolerates a haircut well, therefore decorative figures of various geometric shapes are often formed from it: cone-shaped, ovoid, pyramidal. There is nothing better than creating an original or framing flower bed with the help of a boxwood shrub. Planting, caring for this plant does not require serious effort. That is why it is so popular with gardeners.

Boxwood - planting, caring for cuttings during reproduction

It is desirable to plant this plant in a site with bright diffused light, but it does not like the direct rays of the sun at noon. Planting boxwood is carried out in the natural shade of more and trees. The shrub should be planted in a fertile mixture of peat, soddy soil and sand. It is necessary to plant young bushes from mid-August to the end of November. Two- or three-year-old seedlings can be planted from April to mid-May (you need to choose a cloudy day). Before planting, it is necessary to place the roots of the plant in water for a day. The area allotted for boxwood is dug up in advance and then holes are formed so that they are slightly larger and wider than the earthen clod on the rhizome of the plant.

propagate this beautiful shrub seeds and cuttings, but cuttings take root rather difficult and long. They are cut in August, while choosing parts of plants with a semi-lignified base less than 7 cm long, with 2-3 internodes. For effective rooting, soil heating in a greenhouse and phytohormones ("Heteroauxin" or "Kornevin") are used. The capacity for planting should not be taken too large, otherwise the seedling will slow down in growth.

Boxwood: planting, care. Features of watering and top dressing

Watering the plant in summer should be plentiful, in winter - more scarce. The soil should dry out, not dry out completely. Do not flood the plant, as it will suffer from this. Falling, yellowing, twisting or drying of the leaves of the plant may indicate a violation of watering or too dry, hot air. Periodically, it is advisable to spray the boxwood with water. It also needs to be clipped periodically every six weeks between May and August. It is also necessary to feed the plant every two weeks, from March to August. For this you can buy organic fertilizer. In the spring, the plant is fertilized with complex mixtures containing potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. mineral fertilizer applied only after the final rooting of the boxwood.

Boxwood: planting, care. Features of wintering in cold climates

Boxwood is a heat-loving plant, it is afraid of severe frosts and can easily die at a temperature of -20 ° C. In countries with harsh winter, including the plant grows rather slowly, is often undersized and requires mandatory shelter in the winter. Boxwood in the Moscow region requires shelter late autumn using burlap, spunbond or wrapping paper.

Its natural distribution area is Mediterranean and Southeast Asian countries, some regions of Africa and Central America.

Boxwood in the wild can also be found in the Caucasus, although quite rarely.

Boxwood grows in the form of an evergreen bush or tree, from 2 to 13 m high. Some plant varieties can reach 15 m. The leaves are round or elliptical, oppositely arranged, 2-3 cm long. The upper side of the leaves is dark green, the lower side is lighter.

IN decorative species Leaf color may vary.

golden;
motley;
bordered.

blooms small flowers greenish tint, collected in axillary inflorescences. They emit fragrance and are unisexual, that is, each flower has either only pistils or only stamens.

The fruit is a box with three nests, from which shiny black seeds fall out after ripening.

IMPORTANT! The plant is poisonous, especially high content toxic substances in the leaves.

To your attention the boxwood shrub in the photo:

Boxwood shrub: planting and care at home

Buxus does not require a special light regime, feeling behave equally good both in the sun and in a shaded place. For breeding boxwood at home is quite suitable room temperature, but a place for a pot better fit window on the south side.

IN winter time, when biorhythms slow down, a temperature drop of up to 15ºC is acceptable. Only a few frost-resistant varieties are suitable for breeding boxwood and caring for it on the street, and even those are recommended to be covered in winter.

Watering

In summer, boxwood should be watered abundantly enough, as the soil dries up. In autumn, with a decrease in air temperature, watering is reduced to moderate.

ATTENTION! Excessive waterlogging leads to stagnation of moisture in the root system and putrefactive processes.

Humidity

For boxwood, moderately humid air is most favorable.

If the plant lives in flower pot, then its leaves need to be sprayed from time to time.

These measures will prevent drying and curling of the leaves, and will also become a preventive measure against the appearance of some pests.

Transplant and soil

Due to slow growth, buxus is rarely transplanted, once every few years. Transplant better in spring, in March or April. For transplanting boxwood, a flowerpot of a slightly larger volume is used than the previous one.

As a rule, the plant easily tolerates a transplant, if you remember to do drainage layer at the bottom of the tank. Otherwise, moisture will stagnate at the roots and the plant will hurt.

Boxwood prefers structured, nutritious soil. The necessary composition can be purchased at a specialized store or made by yourself by mixing leafy, soddy soil with coarse sand.

sod land - 4 parts;
leaf land - 2 parts;
coarse sand - 1 part.

IMPORTANT! If the plant was purchased, then it is better to transplant it, since the transport soil is not nutritious and dries quickly.

But this should be done carefully, trying not to damage the roots. The day before transplanting, boxwood seedlings should be watered abundantly, this will allow the earthen room to relax as much as possible.

reproduction

How to propagate boxwood? Reproduction of boxwood at home both cuttings and seeds happens as follows.

Cuttings are cut only from sufficiently developed plants, in April or May.

The entire growth of the previous year is taken with a small capture of the year before last. Usually this The cutting has a length of 15-20 cm.

The shoot is placed in the ground with the addition of a root formation stimulator, for the first time the plant should be covered, creating something like a greenhouse.

When propagating boxwood cuttings the first roots appear in a month, and by autumn the plant takes root completely.

When growing boxwood from seeds that must be stratified for 2 months before sowing, thereby increasing germination. After that, you can land in open ground or in a pot, but in both cases be sure to cover.

The soil for planting boxwood should be nutritious. When seedlings appear, plants can be transplanted into separate flowerpots. Minus propagation of boxwood seeds in that in this case the plant will grow and develop more slowly.

For more information about cutting boxwood, see the video:

Flowering and crown formation

It is possible to trim indoor boxwood within all year round, as needed. For this purpose, you need to use sharp garden shears. pruned branches become later thicker and more lush.

Boxwood does not please with its flowers every year, but if this happens, then in the spring. The flowers are inconspicuous in appearance: small, greenish-yellow. But when flowering, the room is filled with a special aroma.

Watch the following video about pruning boxwood:

Diseases and pests

scab;
spider mite;
gallicia boxwood.

To exterminate pests insecticides are applied.

It should be remembered that most pests infect weakened plants, therefore, compliance with the general norms for growing boxwood is some kind of prevention against infection.

One of the common ailments affecting boxwood is psyllium disease. Its signs are a significant retardation of growth, deformation of the leaves and the appearance of sticky wax formations.

Affected parts of the plant should be removed and destroyed. With too much watering or insufficient drainage, brown spots appear on the leaves.

Why does boxwood turn yellow?

Insufficient moisture or too dry climate lead to twisting, drying and yellowing of the leaves.

Growing boxwood at home not only adds to the interior of the room, but also has a positive effect on health. Due to the volatile substances released by the plant (phytoncides), harmful bacteria are neutralized in the indoor air. In addition, during flowering, boxwood gives off a pleasant smell.

From our article, you learned how to properly care for buxus, how fast boxwood grows, how it reproduces at home, how to grow boxwood and how to plant a plant.

To grow a beautiful one in the country evergreen boxwood, you need to know not only how to plant it, but also the features of caring for it.

Boxwood, like no other plant, is suitable for creating figures and compositions from coniferous plants, is considered a classic in the use of topiary art.

He is not particularly whimsical in care, so even an amateur gardener will be able to grow him.

Let's start with planting boxwood.

Place and soil

Choose a site not with direct sunlight, in winter such a site will become death. Plant boxwood only in partial shade.

The soil should be nutritious, loam with deep groundwater, drained so that the water does not stagnate, not acidic. If necessary, liming should be carried out to raise the pH level. Ready-made compost is added to sandy soil. If there are no conditions for planting boxwood, do not worry, it can be grown in tubs.

Landing

You can plant boxwood in spring and autumn. Rooting takes from 1 month, in the fall it should be taken into account so that the first frosts do not destroy the plant. Water the boxwood generously the day before planting so that the plant comes out of the pot without problems. Dig up landing pit 3-3.5 times larger and deeper than the earthy coma of the plant. Lay drainage at the bottom of the pit with a layer of 2-3 cm, perlite is well suited for this. Mix the excavated soil with perlite in a ratio of 1:1. Set the shrub up, spreading the roots so they don't bend, and gradually backfill the hole to the surface, deepening the plant to growing height in the container. Compact the soil with your hands so that there are no voids left inside. Pour rain or settled water during the day. Calculate the required volume of water based on the height of the seedling (for 15-20 cm - 3 liters of water). The soil will begin to sag, then add mixed soil with perlite, but without compaction. Not far from the bush, at a distance of 20-30 cm, make an earthen mound in a circle so that the water does not spread when watering.

Keep the distance depending on the goal:

between individual species 3-4 m, in the case of a hedge or creating a composition, it is reduced to 25 cm,
but to frame the flower beds, seedlings 10-15 cm high are planted every 10 cm (after planting, cut by 1/3).

Care

Boxwood is unpretentious, it is not damaged by diseases and pests, since the plant itself is poisonous. However, despite such fearlessness, winter is still dangerous for an evergreen shrub with its withering winds, temperature changes, thaws and the possibility of getting a sunburn. During this time, boxwood can die from frostbite, excessive moisture, or vice versa from dried soil. To prevent this, before the expected frosts, water the plant well and mulch with peat. Do not use dry leaves as mulch for the winter, as they can rot, which will cause a fungal disease.

In stable frosty weather -10 ° C, insulate the boxwood (spherical) with a wooden box, making holes for ventilation. Undersized varieties can be covered with non-woven fabric. Be sure to tie the bushes to the support so that the thickness of the snow does not break off the branches. Cover tall varieties of boxwood with burlap close to the bush. In early spring remove the shelter (first free the lower part, after 5-7 days the entire bush), shovel the snow near the plant so that the soil begins to warm up faster. Adult shrubs can. You can increase winter hardiness with potash fertilizer, which will lead to faster lignification of the shoots.

From winter-hardy varieties boxwood is worth highlighting "Blauer Heinz", "Handsworthiensis", "Herrenhausen", "Buxus Sempervirens".

Top dressing to make in phase active growth(April-September) weekly, during the dormant period it is pointless to do this, as well as pruning. For this, fertilizer "Baikal EM-1" and a solution are suitable.

Adult plants (3-8 years old) easily tolerate transplanting at any time of the year, except for winter.

Caring for boxwood in tubs. In dry and hot weather, the potted soil dries out quickly, so water the plant daily. Starting in April, carry out regular liquid feeding, which can be combined with watering. Reddening of the leaves is a sure sign of a lack of nitrogen. For the winter, place the pot of boxwood in an even larger container, filling the voids with crushed bark. In this form, place the plant on 2 wooden blocks to avoid direct contact with the soil.

pruning boxwood

Trim these evergreens monthly between April and September, and they will thank you with their lush, dense foliage. Do not forget that the more often a haircut, the more watering and fertilizing is required to replenish. vitality. For trimming, it is convenient to use scissors with short blades.

Pruning is carried out in April-May, depending on weather and climatic conditions.

Boxwood grows slowly, so at first do only shaping (corrective) pruning. Anti-aging is carried out only for adult shapeless specimens.

To form a spherical shape of boxwood, it is convenient to use a template that is sold in stores or cut out half the diameter of the ball from cardboard, attach it to a bush and cut off all branches protruding beyond the template.

It will take years to form a boxwood ball on a trunk, but it's worth it.

To do this, cut all side shoots to the desired height, and shorten the rest for better branching.

Remove young growths at the bottom of the trunk to form a beautiful lollipop.

reproduction

Boxwood is propagated by cuttings:

Cuttings are taken either at the end of June or at the beginning of September. Each should have 2-3 internodes, i.e. approximately 10 cm long.
Remove the lower leaves, leaving only the top 2, dip the ends into a growth stimulator and plant in a container with a substrate (peat and garden soil at a ratio of 1: 1).
Cover with glass jar.
You can also plant cuttings in a cold greenhouse, maintaining high humidity.
Water every other day, moderately.
After 3-4 weeks, the cuttings will take root, and by autumn they can be transplanted to permanent place. H
and winter must be covered with spruce branches.