Boxwood, planting and care. Planting and caring for evergreen boxwood at home

Evergreen boxwood (Buxus) can grow indoors and outdoors. However, in the Moscow region, rarely anyone successfully grows it in the open. I have not seen in our country and hedges of boxwood bushes. Another thing is the tub option, in which pots with boxwood are exposed to fresh air in the spring, and transferred indoors for the winter.

evergreen boxwood

Description of boxwood

Two types are popular: boxwood, or evergreen, (B. sempervirens) And small-leaved (B. microphylla), both from the Boxwood family. There are other types of boxwood. Colchis boxwood (B. colchica) is listed in the Red Book of several countries. Buxus thrives in Southern Europe and Southeast Asia. It is hard to imagine the Mediterranean without this evergreen plant. He is comfortable in Transcaucasia and the Caucasus. In the south of Russia, a small boxwood grove remained near the Khosta River. There used to be real boxwood forests. In Sochi, buxus bushes are planted in many parks and near houses.

Boxwood is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or tree up to 8 meters high, rarely higher. There are undersized species and varieties ( dwarf variety « compacta"). The bark is grayish-yellow, with small depressions and cracks. The yellowish wood is heavy and super-dense, which is the reason for the name of the plant (Greek "buxe" - "dense"). Forms for engravings are cut out of it. The wood is so hard that it used to be used to make bearings.

Leaves 2-3 cm long are opposite. They are leathery, dark green with a light green tint underneath. Small female and male flowers bloom early in spring. The fruits are small pods. Seeds are black, ripen in early October. When describing boxwood, it is impossible not to recall its special aroma. The smell intensifies after watering and cutting the bushes. You can feel it if you stretch the leaf with your fingers. This is one of my favorite tart flavors, but a lot of people don't like it.

Boxwood - poisonous plant. This must be taken into account when choosing a place for it. You can not plant bushes on playgrounds, decorate playrooms with them.

Planting and growing boxwood in open ground

My advice : buy seedlings or grown plants only in containers, i.e. with a closed root system. They should be bushy green leaves and runaways. At risk are seedlings with yellowed leaves and bare shoots.

Spring is the most good time for planting boxwood on the site. The pit should be twice as large as the clod of earth with the roots of the seedling. To the bottom landing pit or trenches, it is advisable to put compost in a layer of 10-15 cm, then mix it with earth, sand and water. Boxwood does not like acidic soils, so it is advisable to add to the soil mixture.

It is not worth straightening the roots of a plant taken out of a pot. Another thing is a seedling whose roots with earth are wrapped in a film before being sold. They need to be straightened, inspected and lowered into a bucket of water. A root stimulator is preliminarily dissolved in it (strictly according to the instructions) or clay is stirred.

Boxwood as a houseplant

In the flower departments of the shops, boxwood is sold in flower pots. It can be grown at home. In the garden center, I was advised to bury a pot of boxwood in the spring, and late autumn move it to a cool room. For example, in the basement of a house with an upper window, a glazed balcony, a veranda, etc. I remembered engravings and photographs of boxwood, which in the old days was often grown in tubs. In the spring they were exhibited at the main entrance, and in the winter they were kept in winter gardens.

A few years ago, I saw a perfectly shaped boxwood growing in a large flower pot for sale. I could not pass by and became the owner of two such plants at once.

When growing indoors, I ran into some problems. First of all, boxwood turned out to be a more moisture-loving plant than I expected. It has to be not only regularly watered, but also sprayed with a crown. Even short-term drying of the soil leads to drying and loss of leaves.

There are no problems with top dressing, because. loose soil in a pot promotes the absorption of complex fertilizers for evergreens. Suitable fertilizer for ficuses.

Our two boxwood trees winter on the loggia

A pot with boxwood should not be kept without shading on the windowsill on the south side of the house. In winter, I keep boxwood on a glazed loggia, where the air temperature at night does not drop below plus 12 ° C.

Reproduction boxwood

In nature, buxus reproduces by seeds. For us, the easiest option is rooting cuttings. The rooting rate is about 80%. Suitable cuttings 10 - 15 cm long, cut in summer ( end - middle) and autumn ( end - beginning). They leave a few upper leaves, all the lower ones are removed. It is better if the cut is oblique. Immediately stick into a moist soil mixture of peat and sand or other light substrate. You can use root stimulants. Then they are sprayed and covered with a jar or a transparent bag so that the leaves do not touch the polyethylene. Under such a shelter, with regular soil moistening and spraying, roots appear on average after a month. After two months, the seedling is ready for transplanting into a school or permanent place. They cover it for the winter.

Cuttings that began to root at other times may form roots worse. autumn cuttings better rooted in flower pots and keep in the house in winter.

Boxwood in landscape design

Boxwood, like yew, is ideal for curly haircuts. A variety of shapes are obtained from it: balls, cubes, cones and spirals. Strong pruning is carried out in mid-June. You can adjust the shape at any time, with the exception of autumn and winter. - the best month for the first pruning of the year. The last haircut is best done in mid-August, so that the plant has time to prepare for winter. A few cut branches can be placed under the pillow to enjoy a pleasant sleep.

Large pots with boxwood look good at the entrance to the house. Balls of evergreen buxus growing near the porch look spectacular. They are considered a talisman against envious people and evil spirits.

Boxwood is an ideal plant for hedges. But in middle lane this is a risky option that requires regular "repairs". Part of the dried or bald bushes will have to be replaced with new ones from time to time. For low evergreen hedges, landscape designers also recommend boxwood with a vertically growing crown (for example, Suffruticosa). Slow-growing frost-resistant "Blauer Heinz" with bluish leaves is used for lively patterns, ornaments and borders.

Some figures (balls, hemispheres, cubes, etc.) are easier to grow from several seedlings planted side by side.

Green boxwood cones

Boxwood is a slow-growing plant, but it has species and varieties that give annual growths of more or less than 8 cm.

Among boxwoods there are "giants" and "dwarfs". You can choose fast-growing or slow-growing varieties. Interesting variegated forms have been bred (variety " elegans"). It is worth paying attention to fast-growing (" Winter Gem micropholia" And " Sempea”) plants on which you can hone the art of creating green figures. Wu " B. Faulkner microphylia» natural spherical crown, the shape of which can only occasionally be corrected. For growing bonsai, it is best to choose boxwood " Harlandii Hance" And " Curly Locks» with curved stems.

Boxwood - evergreen, which fits perfectly into landscaping. Today it is quite often used in the design of the landscape of the territory. The advantage of the plant easy care, fast growing and attractive appearance. Its crown is powerful, dense and easily shaped. The topic of this article is boxwood: planting and care in the Moscow region. From it we will learn how to grow a plant in the Russian climate, and what kind of care it needs.

Boxwood: planting and care in the Moscow region

Boxwood - a beautiful shrub in your yard

Despite the fact that this plant is thermophilic, it easily tolerates frosts, and if the planting and care technology is followed correctly, the shrub is able to delight in beauty for many years. Thanks to the luxurious crown, boxwood can be given any shape. The wood is quite dense, and the height of the shrub can exceed 20 meters.

Today, more than 40 types of boxwood are known. Evergreen boxwood is considered the most popular in our area. The shrub grows slowly, but if it is not cut, it can grow very large. The leaves of the plant are green and shiny. The flowers are small, the fruit is presented in the form of a round box with outgrowths. The plant is quite resistant to climatic surprises and rarely succumbs to attack by pests and various diseases.

Boxwood - planting and care

What is needed to plant a plant? First of all, quality planting material, which can be used as purchased seedlings or grown from cuttings. You can plant boxwood at any warm time. Mostly March-November. If seedlings are planted in the summer, then they need to be watered more often - so they will better take root and prepare for winter.

Saplings that were bought in November cannot be planted; they need to be dug in the garden in the shade. Do not bury seedlings in a hole, as this will destroy the plant. Boxwood is bought with the land in which it grew. Roots must be untangled. If this is not done, then the plant may not take root in a new place.

Landing is carried out in several stages:

Stage 1.

Stage 2.

Stage 3.

Stage 4. After completing the landing, you need to water abundantly. The first two weeks it is necessary to water daily, especially if the weather is hot.

After watering, the ground must be mulched using bark or peat. Three weeks is enough for the plant to take root. Then you can trim it.

An important point is the application of fertilizer. As additional nutrition, complex compositions containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus can be used. They are introduced in the spring. In the fall, fertilizers are applied without nitrogen. All fertilizers are applied dry, by spreading around the bush.

Propagation is done by cuttings. For this, material is being prepared at the end of June, beginning of July. It is necessary to select young shoots. The cuttings should have internodes, several leaves. Finished cuttings are lowered into the peat mixture, to the level of the leaves. Then cover with a jar or film on top. Watering the cuttings is necessary daily. A week later, you can plant in separate pots.

In autumn, the bush is already placed in open ground. Before winter, he will have time to take root. For the winter, plants are covered with material so that they do not die during frost.

So, boxwood, landing and care in Moscow region behind which is simple, will be an excellent decoration for your summer cottage. Even if you are a novice gardener, you can easily cope with growing this beautiful bush. We hope that our tips will be useful to you.

Boxwood is a durable plant that proper care for a long time will keep an impeccable appearance and decorate the garden plot.

Its main advantage is the ability to keep its shape after a haircut. It grows leaves evenly and around the entire perimeter.

It is one of the most popular plants for topiary (trimming trees or shrubs), and. It can be grown as a houseplant.

With proper care of boxwood from a plant, you can create a topiary

plant varieties

There are more than thirty types of boxwood, among them there are frost-resistant varieties, which are especially appreciated by gardeners.

The shrub grows very slowly and lives for a long time, up to 500 years.

In our country, there are several of the most common varieties of boxwood that tolerate winter well. Varieties are quite different in height, leaf color and growth intensity.

Buxus sempervirens

Boxwood evergreen or ordinary is small tree with a crooked trunk or tall shrub. It blooms in small unremarkable inflorescences, similar to brushes in March or April.

The shrub of this species is frost-resistant and shade-tolerant. He loves moisture, but he also tolerates drought well, is not afraid of the wind and feels great in urban environments.

Pictured boxwood evergreen

Popular varieties of this plant are:

1. Angustifolia. A plant with long, narrow bluish leaves, used for topiary.
2. Myrtifolia. low shrub with yellow leaves. Feels good in the shade, suitable for the formation of hedges.
3. Suffruticosa. Boxwood border, with small rounded lemon-colored leaves.
4. bullata. It can reach four meters, it is distinguished by oval dark green leaves.
5. marginata. A plant with oblong leaves. Feels good in urban environments.

Buxus microphylla

Small-leaved boxwood is a shrub whose height does not exceed one and a half meters. The leaves of this plant are small round or ellipsoid.

It blooms with small fragrant flowers, and its fruits are boxes that, when ripe, scatter black seeds.

It tolerates shade well and is a moisture-loving plant. During periods of intense heat, it needs regular watering. It is resistant to diseases, but can die in severe frosts.

Popular varieties:

1. Microphulla. Shrub growing up to one and a half meters, with leathery rounded leaves.
2. Faukner. A low winter-hardy shrub with small leaves that is ideal for forming balls.
3. Winter Gem. One of the fastest growing species, tolerates severe frosts, and will retain bright green color leaves even in winter.

Preparing the soil for planting

The boxwood plant is quite unpretentious, so choosing a place for planting is quite easy.

Feels best in the shade or partial shade. Boxwood can also grow in open sunny places, but needs watering, and in winter in early spring needs shading.

It is not particularly demanding on the soil, but prefers breathable slightly alkaline or calcareous. If the soil is poor, boxwood gives a short increase, while improving crown density. This is an advantage in preserving geometric shapes.

When on site ground water close to the surface of the earth, then boxwood is best grown in pots.

planting plants better in spring , because in conditions not too favorable climate, it is important that the boxwood is well rooted by winter. If the plant is grown in a flowerpot, it can be transplanted at any time, for this it must be well watered and planted with big ball earth.

Planting process

1. The hole for planting the plant should be dug three times deeper and wider than the container in which the bush grows.
2. At the bottom of the hole you need to put a drainage layer of at least ten centimeters. It should consist of crushed stone and sand and serves to remove from the roots excess moisture, then covered with a small layer of earth.
3. The plant is taken out of the flowerpot, the roots are straightened and placed in a hole, covered with earth without deepening the root neck.
4. The soil is lightly compacted by hand and watered. A seedling up to twenty centimeters will need 3 liters of water. It is best to use rain water or let it settle beforehand.
5. After watering, the soil will settle and it must be added to the hole. The trunk of the boxwood should stand upright. After planting, it is best to mulch the soil around the trunk, not reaching the stem of the plant, five centimeters. To do this, you can use special materials, peat chips, compost or fallen leaves. This will help keep the soil moist and protect the soil surface from erosion.

How should a plant be cared for?

Caring for boxwood after planting is a standard set of procedures for ornamental shrubs.

When to fertilize?

After the plant is transplanted into the ground, it should not be fertilized for a month. In spring and autumn, when the soil is dug up, organic fertilizers should be applied.

IN spring period minerals can be used complex fertilizers, which include potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. In order for the shoots of the plant to ripen well before the arrival of winter, you need to finish feeding mineral fertilizers until the end of July.

If necessary, in autumn period You can use fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen.

Watering - at least once a week

If there is no rain for a week, the boxwood needs to be watered. If the soil dries up under it and weeds appear, then the leaves of the plant turn yellow.

How to build - instructions for choosing the right structure and two master classes with detailed plans and photos of construction.

Chic geyhery: planting and caring for a plant requires a special approach. What features you can find out by studying ours.

plant pruning

It is necessary to cut the boxwood shrub after it is fully rooted, usually in the second year after planting.

When planting a stunted plant, it is possible to cut off the top by no more than ten centimeters in the second week after planting. Shrubs that grow freely can be cut once a year in June, this will help to achieve a dense crown.

If from a plant formed geometric figures, then three haircuts are needed to maintain them: the first in April, then in early June and at the end of August.

Pruning a plant is the basis of care

Cutting thick plants is best done on a cloudy day. Young plants with sparse shoots can be pruned in any weather.

Weeds should be removed by regular traditional weeding. If the leaves of the plant turn bronze or red, then it does not have enough nitrogen.

Features of planting and caring for boxwood are discussed in the video below:

Preparing for winter

In order to prepare boxwood for winter, you need to water it thoroughly so that the plant is saturated with moisture. The root zone must be covered with peat, leaves or rotted needles.

If boxwood grows in an open sunny place, it must be shaded so that the bright light of the sun does not dry out the shoots of the plant. This can happen because the root system is at rest.

With the onset of cold weather, shrubs should be covered with wooden or plastic shields. In no case is metal used, this can cause the death of plants. For small bushes, you can use burlap.

Plant propagation

Boxwood is propagated using cuttings.

When the young shoots become a little stiff at the base, they are cut off, about two or three knots, this is 10 cm. The upper leaves are left on them, and the lower ones are removed.

You can harvest cuttings from late June to mid-July, and from late August to mid-September.

Seedling ready for planting

Cuttings are planted in the shade and sprayed regularly, keeping the soil moist. They take root within a month.

In order to quickly propagate the plant and make a hedge, you need to tilt the desired shoot and sprinkle it with earth. In autumn, the plant should be planted a month before the onset of cold weather so that it has time to take root.

bush enemies

First among diseases defeat by insects of the order Diptera. The female lays eggs on young leaves, and the larvae penetrate the leaf tissue, forming swellings. In May, adult insects appear from them. In this case, the plant loses leaves.

Also, boxwood leaves can affect spider mite, because of which they become sticky and fall off. In order to get rid of pests, it is necessary to carry out a chemical treatment with a fungicide.

IN official medicine boxwood is not used, since all parts of the plant are poisonous, containing alkaloids. IN folk medicine boxwood tincture is used as an antiseptic and analgesic, in most cases for external use.

Growing boxwood is quite easy and an exciting activity, while it looks great and will become a decoration of the yard, the plant is an ideal plant for the design of the territory.

In the fall, I rooted several boxwood cuttings borrowed from a neighbor - I really liked her hedge, I wanted one for myself. And one variety was specially purchased in a store for a closed winter garden. Tell me how to transplant boxwood correctly? What soil does he like?

Evergreen boxwood on summer cottages is no longer a rare occurrence. Thanks to the beautiful decorative look and ease of care, the plant has become very popular not only in urban landscaping of parks, but also in private areas. In addition, it can be successfully grown in room conditions, forming a variety of figures or bonsai.

The shrub propagates easily - by cuttings or layering. At proper fit seedlings, they usually take root well and immediately. How to transplant young boxwoods to a permanent place and what must be taken into account so that the plants perfectly endure the transplant process and actively develop?

Transfer time

So that young bushes have time to take root and get stronger before the onset of winter, experienced gardeners It is recommended to transplant them in the spring. This is especially true for boxwood grown in open ground. Relatively indoor plants there are no strict restrictions. They can be transplanted in the fall.

Soil preparation

Boxwoods are very fond of neutral soils, while not very loose, otherwise the bushes will be unstable. Most suitable option potting mix for transplanting:

• 2 parts of sand and humus;
• 1 part of sod land;
• some crushed charcoal.

A small amount of clay should also be added to the loose soil mixture for indoor boxwood. It will help keep the bush upright, especially since frequent transplant such boxwoods are not exposed.

At the bottom of the pot or planting pit, it is necessary to lay a drainage layer of gravel or expanded clay.

Transplantation of indoor boxwood purchased at the store

Purchased seedlings often have a highly developed root system and individual roots braid drainage holes, growing through them. In this case, they must be carefully trimmed, and the bush itself must be removed from the pot along with the ground.

Lay the drainage in the prepared flowerpot and sprinkle it with earth. Put a seedling on top (with an earthen clod) and add soil to required quantity. In other words, boxwood should be transferred from an old small pot to a new, more spacious one.

Transplanting boxwood in open ground

In order not to damage the seedling in the process of removing it from the pot, it should be well watered the day before planting. Prepare the planting hole:

• dig a recess three times the height of the boxwood root system in depth and width;
• lay a layer of expanded clay or perlite on the bottom about 2 cm.

Place the seedling in the hole, straightening the roots, and cover with earth. compact a little upper layer soil and water the transplanted boxwood with 3 liters of water. If the soil sags after watering, add a little more.

By diameter trunk circle build a small shaft of earth to retain moisture during irrigation.

Growing boxwood - video

Boxwood (buxus, boxwood, stone tree) is known as decorative evergreen shrub a long time ago. This is one of best plants for landscaping areas and creating hedges. It is plastic, easily tolerates a shaping haircut, and even in winter it can boast of its impeccable appearance.

Boxwood belongs to the genus evergreens. It has almost 100 various kinds. In the wild, the box grows in the Mediterranean, East Africa, Asia Minor, Central America, and the Caucasus.

Buxus is a shrub that in nature grows tall up to 15 meters, in culture, it often happens no higher than 6 meters. The dense crown of the bush is covered with shiny, leathery, fragrant oval-shaped leaves. The upper part of the leaves is colored dark green, the bottom leaves are yellow-green.

Buxus rarely blooms in our climate. Small, fragrant yellow-green flowers appear in March-April.

Types of boxwood

The most common species in our country are:

• evergreen or ordinary;
• small-leaved;
• Colchis or Caucasian;
• Balearic.

Evergreen boxwood is found in the southern regions of the country both as an ornamental and wild plant(in the Caucasus). cultivation possible in partial shade and in the sun.

motherland small-leaved boxwood are Japan and Korea. Therefore, this species is more resistant to winter cold and even without shelter is able to withstand frosts down to minus 30 degrees. boxwood is listed in the Red Book. It is a long-liver and specimens are known that have lived to almost 600 years. It grows up to 20 meters in height with a trunk diameter of 30 cm.

Boxwood is the most close-up view. Its leaves are up to 4 cm long and 3 cm wide. Differs in fast growth, high decorative qualities. Wintering is possible only at positive temperatures.

Planting boxwood evergreen

Choose a landing site in advance: bright, but without direct sunlight.

Buxus grows on almost any type of soil, but soil ideal for planting:

• loamy;
• having a neutral acidity;
• well drained.

Particular attention should be paid to drainage. This shrub is just will not grow in an area where water stagnates. In this case, it is better to grow it in large flowerpots.

The best time for planting young seedlings in the Moscow or Leningrad region is autumn. It will take about a month to root the box. Therefore, the planting time must be calculated so that the seedling takes root before the onset of the first frost. Plants older than 3 years can be planted at any time of the year, except for winter.

When buying seedlings, carefully inspect them: foliage and shoots should be lush and green. Leaves with yellow spots indicate that the bush will die soon.

Landing is carried out after sunset or on a cloudy day. Dig a hole to size about three times the size of an earthen clod seedling. A trench is dug to plant a hedge. A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom. If the soil is poor, then fertile soil or compost can be added on top of the drainage.

Taking the plant out of the container gently straighten all the roots. The quality and timing of its rooting depend on this. To make the soil more loose, breathable, you can add perlite to the ground. Place the seedling in the hole, fill it with earth, lightly tamp and water.

Rules for care and cultivation

During the growing season, care is quite simple. The first feeding is carried out a month after planting. In the future, top dressing is repeated 1-2 times a month during the entire growing season. In the spring they bring in, rich in nitrogen, in summer and autumn - phosphorus - potassium.

When watering, they are guided by weather conditions. If there is no rain, then water once every 1 - 2 weeks.

Before the onset of cold weather, the buxus is watered abundantly, the soil around the trunk is mulched. Despite the fact that boxwood evergreen tolerates quite well sub-zero temperatures, long severe frosts can kill the plant. Small bushes are covered with boxes with ventilation holes. The hedge is covered with a specially designed non-woven material.

In the spring, do not delay cleaning the shelter in order to avoid the possible damping of the axle box or the development of fungal diseases.

To maintain the shape of boxwood new growth needs to be pruned. To get curvy beautiful bushes, a haircut should be done once every 4 weeks.

reproduction

Boxwood can be propagated:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• layering.

seeds

Buxus seeds are propagated rarely. This is due to the fact that its seeds quickly lose their germination.

IN warm water dissolve the growth stimulant(Zircon or Epin) and fresh ripened seeds are soaked in this solution for a day. After that, they are laid out between wet wipes or cotton pads. Within 2-3 weeks, white sprouts hatch.

The seeds will be placed in a container filled with a mixture of peat and sand in equal proportions. In this case, the sprouts must be sent to the soil. Cover the container on top with a film or glass and put it in a warm place at home, shaded from direct sunlight.

After the appearance of green sprouts, the glass or film is removed. It can be planted in open ground in the spring after How will the frost threat pass?.

cuttings

The most common way to propagate bush is spring cuttings. From an adult plant cut at an angle young non-lignified shoots about 15 cm long.

Leaves are removed from the lower part of the cutting, the lower tip is dipped in and buried in a light, nutritious soil for a third of the length. Top with a plastic bottle.

Necessary ventilate daily plants. Water the cuttings by spraying them with water from a spray bottle. The first roots appear in about a month.

layering

For propagation by layering in the spring shoot bend to the ground and dig. During the summer period, the buried shoot is watered and fed along with the mother bush. After the shoots grow, they are separated and planted.

Diseases and pests

Most buxus diseases occur due to improper care behind it or due to damage to the plant by pests.

The most common diseases are:

• root rot;
• loss of foliage and shoots;
• late blight;
• white leaf spot;
• cytosporosis;
• drying of branches and leaves.

The most dangerous for this plant are the following pests:

• boxwood moth;
• gall midge;
• boxwood blotch;
• spider mite;
• sucker;
• boxwood felt;
• scab;
• worms.

Use in landscape design

Slow growth, plasticity, easy care, unpretentiousness, the presence of foliage in the winter - all these qualities inherent in buxus open up endless possibilities for landscape designers to use this plant.

Separately planted bushes with the help of a haircut give the most various forms: from simple geometric to complex shapes. Low-growing and slow-growing species are used to frame flower beds and lawns, to create borders. From strong and high-growing varieties, a dense living fence is obtained that protects from noise, wind and prying eyes.

This shrub is also used to hide unsightly objects on site: garbage cans, compost heaps. In flower beds, boxwood is often used as a backdrop for other flowering plants.

A dense hedge or beautiful green figures will decorate any site, you just need to spend a little effort on the simple care of this wonderful plant.