Did you know that boxwood propagation by cuttings at home is quite affordable even for a beginner in floriculture? Cuttings of this spectacular evergreen plant will allow you to create a beautiful border or hedge on your site without extra costs.
Once planting a boxwood bush in your area, you will not resist the temptation to fill the garden with exquisite evergreens, which are very easy to care for.
Boxwood: plant description
Boxwood belongs to the genus of slowly growing evergreen shrubs and trees of the boxwood family. In nature, according to the latest updated data, there are about a hundred species of this plant. They grow in natural conditions in East Asia, the Mediterranean countries, the West Indies. The Latin name Buxus was given to the plant by the Greeks.
In the world there are three large areas of boxwood - Central American, Euro-Asian and African. In the culture, boxwood is considered one of the oldest ornamental plants that is grown as a garden and potted culture. In warm regions, shrubs are used not only as borders and hedges. Picturesque-cut boxwood bushes adorn lawns and gardens.
At home, boxwood is very popular for bonsai, as the plant grows well in a small capacity, actively grows, has small leaves and tolerates pruning. Boxwood can be grown in containers. In this case, very nice balls are formed from the bushes.
However, as we have said, this plant grows very slowly. The annual growth of shoots is only a few centimeters, therefore, admirers of this beautiful plant acquire several seedlings at once. And you can save a little by using boxwood propagation by cuttings. How to do it? Where to begin?
There are two ways to reproduce boxwood: cuttings in water and in the ground. The first method is long and less effective, since shoots in water often rot. The second method is very popular, so we will talk about it in more detail.
When to cut the cuttings?
During the planned cutting of plantings (for example, in parks), you can collect the amount of planting material you need, from which you can grow several seedlings in a year. Cuttings can be harvested in the second half of September or in the first days of October, but it will not be possible to plant the plants in the ground in the same year.
If cuttings are carried out in June-July, rooted seedlings planted in open ground have time to take root. Do not deal with the propagation of evergreen boxwood cuttings in the period from April to June. At this time, the shrub is actively growing, its young shoots are very soft and tender. They should be handled delicately, protected from direct sunlight. With insufficient care, they simply die. And cuttings, cut from July to March, take root almost without the help of a gardener.
How to cut the cuttings?
You need green cuttings that are still not lignified, but well ripened, to breed boxwood. They are cut with a very sharp garden knife from ten to fifteen centimeters long. The bottom cut is done at an angle. After this, the stalk is freed from the lower leaves, leaving no more than five leaves on the top.
When to breed boxwood?
You can do this in spring and autumn, but the first option is preferable, since you do not need to look for a room for storing seedlings in winter. But in this case, one nuance should be taken into account. We have already said that for reproduction strong, young, but not lignified shoots are needed. In April, there may or may not be any at all or very few. But there is an advantage in the propagation of boxwood by cuttings in spring - the plant takes root faster and easier, has a sufficient margin of time before winter for acclimatization.
But let’s dwell on the fact that you managed to collect the right amount of shoots, and you cut from them cuttings of the desired length. The longer and smoother the oblique cut, the more likely the cuttings to take root. To stimulate root growth, the shoots, previously cleaned from the lower leaves, should be soaked for 24 hours in the root-forming agent. After this, the cuttings are thoroughly washed with water and planted in open ground.
For the quickest formation of a bush, cuttings are tied into bundles of several pieces and root them together. The soil for boxwood requires fertile and light. An ideal combination would be a mixture consisting of equal parts of leafy soil, sand and compost or humus that has been rotted for several years.
Cuttings are buried to the height of a leaf-free sprig and watered abundantly. It is necessary to create a microclimate with high humidity over the seedlings. Therefore, until completely rooted, they are covered with transparent materials - glass or plastic bottles, polyethylene.
But we must not forget about the regular ventilation and watering of plants, so you need to think about the top hole in your greenhouse in advance. Most gardeners use five-liter plastic bottles for this purpose: they cut the bottom and cover it with a handle. For frequent watering and ventilation, simply unscrew the lid.
Watering a young plant is necessary so that all the leaves are moistened - for example, from a spray bottle. It is not necessary to fill the soil, it is just necessary to maintain constant humidity. The seedlings will start up the first roots in a month, it will completely take root in two. At this time, you can remove the shelter and, if necessary, transplant.
In the very first winter, young plants should be covered with leaves or spruce spruce branches. This is how boxwood propagates by cuttings in the spring. It's time to familiarize yourself with the features of autumn rooting.
Breeding in the fall
What is the difference between boxwood propagation by cuttings in the fall? Just because planting material is planted in containers or flower pots, which are also covered with polyethylene, and during the first frosts they are transferred to the room.
Tank preparation
First of all, prepare containers in which the shoots will take root. To do this, flower pots or small plastic buckets are suitable, compact, but at the same time deep. You will need a soil mixture for planting: light fertile soil and sand in equal proportions. Rooting cuttings carried out without drainage.
Fill the selected containers with soil, tamp it a little and make small indentations. In a medium-sized pot (about twenty centimeters), five cuttings can be planted at once, evenly distributing them around, closer to the sides.
Features of autumn planting
After planting, cut the water well and place containers with them in the shade. If you grow plants in winter, put the cuttings in an unheated greenhouse or an illuminated basement.
How long do cuttings take root?
The process is quite lengthy. Cuttings root for several months. Some are faster, others are slower. This is due to many factors. The same cuttings, which are in the same conditions, may have a different root system. Plants ready for transplantation usually form not only roots, but also young light-green shoots.
As you can see, the propagation of boxwood by cuttings is not at all difficult, especially if it is possible to cut shoots from a three-year bush. And the result of your work will surely please you and your loved ones.