Boxwood (aka buxus) is an evergreen shrub plant that can ennoble any country or park site with its beautiful appearance.
This species is easily recognized by oval leathery, dark green top and almost yellow bottom leaves. Wild boxwood can reach a height of 15 m, cultivated - from 3 to 6 m.
Shrub blooms with yellowish-green small fragrant flowers. All parts of this
plant are poisonous.Boxwood tolerates a haircut, so often decorative shapes of various geometric shapes are formed from it: conical, ovoid, pyramidal. There is nothing better than creating an original
hedge or framing a flower bed with a boxwood bush. Planting, caring for this plant does not require serious effort. Therefore, it is so popular with gardeners.
Boxwood - planting, care of cuttings during propagation
It is advisable to plant this plant on a site with bright diffused light, but it does not like the direct rays of the sun at noon. Boxwood is planted in the natural shade of
higher plants and trees. The shrub should be planted in a fertile mixture of peat, turf land 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 between April and 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 reserved for boxwood is dug up in advance and then pits are formed so that they are slightly larger and wider than the earthen coma on the rhizome of the plant.
This beautiful shrub is propagated by seeds and cuttings, but the cuttings take root quite difficultly and for a long time. They are cut in August, while parts of plants with a semi-lignified base less than 7 cm long, with 2-3 internodes, are selected. For effective rooting, soil heating in the 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 and not dry out completely. Do not fill the plant, as it will suffer from this. Falling, yellowing, curling or drying out of the leaves of a plant may indicate a violation of watering or too dry, hot air. It is periodically advisable to spray boxwood with water. It should also be periodically cut every six weeks between May and August. It is necessary to feed the plant every two weeks, starting from March to August. To do this, you can purchase organic fertilizer. In spring, fertilize the plant with complex mixtures containing potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen. Mineral fertilizer is used only after the final rooting of 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 winters, including in central Russia, the plant grows rather slowly, is often stunted and requires mandatory shelter in the winter. Boxwood in the suburbs requires shelter in late autumn with burlap, spunbond or wrapping paper.