Boxwood. Planting, growing, care. How to plant boxwood (buxus) and what care does it need

Boxwood is a durable plant that, with proper care, will retain its flawless appearance for a long time 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 that are especially valued 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

Evergreen or common boxwood is a 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:

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

Blooms 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:

Microphulla. Shrub growing up to one and a half meters, with leathery rounded leaves.
Faukner. Low winter-hardy shrub, with small leaves which is ideal for forming balls.
Winter Gem. One of the most fast growing species, transfers very coldy, and keep the bright green color of the 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 and 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 saving geometric shapes.

When the groundwater on the site comes close to the surface of the earth, it is better to grow boxwood in pots.

It is better to plant plants in the spring, because in a 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 a large clod of earth.

Planting process

The hole for planting the plant should be dug three times deeper and wider than the container in which the bush grows.
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.
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.
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.
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, you should make organic fertilizers.

In the spring, you can use mineral 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 fertilizing with mineral fertilizers before 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.

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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 geometric shapes are formed from the plant, 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.

AT official medicine boxwood is not used, since all parts of the plant are poisonous, containing alkaloids. AT traditional 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.

He can live 500-600 years! In nature, there are about 30 species of this plant, but in ornamental gardening, mainly only one species is successful.

A guest from the southern latitudes takes root well in the climate middle lane, however requires care. Particularly responsible periods are autumn and winter.

Boxwood: cuttings in autumn, planting and transplanting plants.

Since boxwood blooms in spring, autumn is best for planting. For sufficient rooting, the plant needs about a month.

Therefore, the landing time should be chosen so so that the roots have time to strengthen before the first frost. The nature of the soil does not really matter, the only difference is that on fertile soil shrub will grow faster.

Do not plant boxwood on places where groundwater is too high and tends to stagnate. Wetlands can kill the plant.

Planting boxwood in autumn

How to plant boxwood in autumn? One day before boarding, the seedling in the pot should be watered especially abundantly, this will make it easier and safer to extract earthen clod with roots. A landing hole is dug wider and deeper than an earthen clod, about 3 times.

The earth obtained from the hole is useful, so it must be carefully folded into a pile. So that the roots of the seedling do not suffer from stagnant moisture, at the bottom of the hole you need to make a drainage layer. Perlite is perfect for this, a layer of 2-3 cm will be sufficient.

Next, you need to mix the perlite with the excavated earth, in a ratio of 1: 1, and pour into the hole so much that the top of the seedling's earthen coma reaches the surface of the earth. After placing the seedling in the hole, fill the empty spaces around with the mixture. At the same time, to avoid voids around the roots, it is allowed to slightly compact the soil.

After landing the plant needs to be watered well. To do this, it is better to use rainwater, if only tap water is available, then it must be allowed to stand for at least a day.

The first feeding is carried out in a month, but if winter has come, then this procedure should be postponed until spring. During the growth period, the plant is fed once a week.

You can find out more about preparing boxwood for wintering.

Transfer

How to transplant boxwood in the fall? An adult boxwood tolerates a transplant well at any age, and a favorable time for its transplantation is considered July to November.

Immediately after transplanting boxwood in the fall, the plant needs enhanced watering.

Transplantation of an adult plant is carried out in the same way as the primary planting in open ground, that is, together with a clod of earth. After transplantation, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe root circle, it is necessary to make mulching pine bark.

Reproduction and cuttings

Reproduction of boxwood cuttings at home in the fall. Cutting for autumn planting prepared at the beginning of September.

It should be about 7-10 cm long and have 2-3 internodes. The lower leaves are removed, leaving only the upper ones.

Cuttings are planted in a mixture of earth and peat, in a ratio of 1: 1. At first it is useful to cover the seedlings glass jars or film. Successfully take root, as a rule, about 90% of the cuttings.

About in 3-4 weeks the cuttings will take root, and small leaves will appear on the trunk. It is time to transplant into a prepared place in the garden.

But if for some reason the seedlings did not have time to strengthen properly, it is better not to risk it and not plant it in open ground. It is better to let them overwinter in a pot, in room conditions, and postpone the landing until the next season.

Pruning bushes

Boxwood: pruning in the fall, is it necessary? Plant pruning is done to give a certain shape or just for decoration.

Circumcision is made on average once a month, but more often. You can do this from May to the end of September, during the period active growth.

Just before winter pruning doesn't make sense. After cutting, more abundant watering should be done so that the plant recovers better.

Boxwood in cages contains plant poison, the maximum concentration of which is in the leaves.

To avoid poisoning, when circumcising, you must remember the safety rules. Put on hands rubber gloves and thoroughly rinse the scissors after the procedure.

It is allowed to ennoble only bushes, over 2 years of age with fairly strong roots. It is undesirable to prune in hot weather, this leads to burns of the tips of the leaves. Immediately after pruning, the bush should be watered abundantly, and so that the water gets on the leaves. Fertilizer can be added to the water to stimulate growth.
Also from this plant you can create hedge(more details about the technology of creating a boxwood hedge, plant formation and cutting can be found)
Before wintering the plant needs careful watering, but fertilization after September is highly undesirable.

Boxwood is relatively frost-resistant, but in regions with harsh winters it is better to cover it with spruce branches or burlap. Small bushes can simply be covered with wooden boxes. This will allow the plant to successfully winter, and in the spring again please the eye with its unusual appearance.

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, the intricacies of growing, methods of propagating 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 territory 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. Bush from nature spherical shape, the leaves are green;

Sort Elegans

Buxus treelike - in shape resembles a large bush or a 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 fit is key good growth 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, measures should be taken to improve the soil structure in advance.

High level ground water adversely affect the development of the boxwood root system. Considering 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 keep growing winter period when they may experience a lack of moisture in deeply frozen soil, which is aggravated when plants are planted in sunny places. A dehydrated boxwood bush can lose most of its leaves and even die.

Boxwood seedlings

Usually planting buxus in the garden is carried out in the spring, decorating them alpine slides or rockeries. Particular attention should be paid 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, done correctly, in compliance with agrotechnical requirements, will allow you to grow a healthy plant that long years can decorate the garden.

Cultural care includes:

Periodic watering.
Soil loosening.
Timely removal of weeds.
Creating shading over plants from the scorching sun in 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 foliar feeding by 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, granulated organic and mineral fertilizers. 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 method 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 get inside 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.

Boxwood in landscape design: photo

Boxwood - real long-lived plant, with proper care can live 500-600 years! In nature, there are about 30 species of this plant, but in ornamental gardening, mainly only one species is successful.

A guest from the southern latitudes takes root well in the climate of the middle zone, but requires care. Particularly responsible periods are autumn and winter.

Boxwood: cuttings in autumn, planting and transplanting plants.

Since boxwood blooms in spring, autumn is best for planting. For sufficient rooting, the plant needs about a month.

Do not plant boxwood on places where groundwater is too high and tends to stagnate. Wetlands can kill the plant.

Planting boxwood in autumn

How to plant boxwood in autumn? One day before boarding, a seedling in a pot should be watered especially abundantly, this will make it easier and safer to remove an earthen ball with roots. A landing hole is dug wider and deeper than an earthen clod, about 3 times.

After landing the plant needs to be watered well. To do this, it is better to use rainwater, if only tap water is available, then it must be allowed to stand for at least a day.

The first feeding is carried out in a month, but if winter has come, then this procedure should be postponed until spring. During the growth period, the plant is fed once a week.

Transfer

How to transplant boxwood in the fall? An adult boxwood tolerates a transplant well at any age, and a favorable time for its transplantation is considered July to November.

Immediately after transplanting boxwood in the fall, the plant needs enhanced watering.

Reproduction and cuttings

Reproduction of boxwood cuttings at home in the fall. Cutting for autumn planting prepared at the beginning of September.

It should be about 7-10 cm long and have 2-3 internodes. The lower leaves are removed, leaving only the upper ones.

Cuttings are planted in a mixture of earth and peat, in a ratio of 1: 1. At first, it is useful to cover the seedlings with glass jars or film. Successfully take root, as a rule, about 90% of the cuttings.

About in 3-4 weeks the cuttings will take root, and small leaves will appear on the trunk. It is time to transplant into a prepared place in the garden.

But if for some reason the seedlings did not have time to strengthen properly, it is better not to risk it and not plant it in open ground. It is better to let them spend the winter in a pot, at room conditions, and postpone the landing until the next season.

Pruning bushes

Boxwood: pruning in the fall, is it necessary? Plant pruning is done to give a certain shape or just for decoration.

Circumcision is made on average once a month, but more often. You can do this from May to the end of September, during the period of active growth.

Just before winter pruning doesn't make sense. After cutting, more abundant watering should be done so that the plant recovers better.

Boxwood in cages contains plant poison, the maximum concentration of which is in the leaves.

To avoid poisoning, when circumcising, you must remember the safety rules. Wear rubber gloves on your hands, and rinse the scissors thoroughly after the procedure.

Before wintering the plant needs careful watering, but fertilization after September is highly undesirable.

Boxwood is a genus belonging to the Boxwood family, which includes almost a hundred species. These plants are native to East Asia and the Mediterranean. Boxwood is also called buxus - this name comes from ancient Greece.

The plant is grown both on the streets and as indoor flowers. It is a shrub or tree with opposite leathery oval foliage.

Boxwood is honey plant, but honey should not be eaten, as it is poisonous. Among the abundance of boxwood species, not so many are cultivated. In our gardens, you can mainly see the following species and varieties:

Varieties and types

Boxwood evergreen mainly grown as a tree, quite rarely found as a shrub. The stems are profusely covered with glossy matte foliage. Inflorescences are light green. Quite painfully related to frost. Varieties derived from this species: suffruticosis, Blauer Heinz, elegans other.

Small-leaved boxwood this species withstands lower temperatures better than evergreen buxus. We grow varieties Faulkner and Winter Jam.

Colchis boxwood a species that grows very slowly and can withstand very low temperatures, as well as a long lifespan.

Balearic boxwood the plant has rather large foliage, grows quickly, but does not tolerate frost.

Boxwood planting and care in the open field

Having decided to plant boxwood at home, you need to find out how best to do it and what conditions need to be prepared. The best time for planting is the beginning of autumn, because it is necessary that the plant has time to take root before the cold weather.

The lighting of the planting area should not be plentiful - this plant needs a shadow. The soil for planting is clayey, loose, including lime.

The day before planting, the material is placed in a container with water or the container with the plant is watered abundantly, so that later it will be easier to get it out of the soil.

A landing hole is needed three times the size of the previous earthen coma. A couple of centimeters of perlite are placed at the bottom of the pit as a drainage layer. The earth from the hole is also mixed with perlite.

The roots of the plant must be straightened and carefully lowered into the hole, filling it with a substrate, so that the layer is dense and there are no air cavities in it. After that, the box should be poured abundantly with rainwater. After watering, the soil will compact and settle, add a little more substrate to the top of the hole.

Make sure that the trunk of the axle box is placed exclusively vertically. Twenty centimeters from the tree, make a mound in a circle, and cover the area inside the shaft thin layer perlite. This is done so that all the liquid during watering goes to the tree.

Watering boxwood

In general, caring for boxwood is a simple matter, it follows the usual logic of caring for plants.

If it is hot outside and there is no rain, then water it once every seven days. You need to use about 10 liters per meter tree.

If the weather is very dry, then you do not need to increase watering, but you need to increase the amount of water. After watering, loosen the soil and remove weeds.

In May, when it is already quite warm, you need to cover the area with peat mulch, but do not let the peat and the tree stem come into contact.

Fertilizers for boxwood

Also important point is a fertilizer. The first time it needs to be done 30 days after planting (in the case of planting in the spring. If you planted buxus in the fall, then you do not need to carry out this top dressing).

And then it is necessary to feed the boxwood during the growing season. For this, organic fertilizers or complex mineral supplements are used. In autumn, when the site is dug up, the plant is fertilized with fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus, but without nitrogen.

Boxwood transplant

Transplanting boxwood should also not cause you any difficulties. It is best to perform the procedure in the spring, following the same steps as when planting. Adult plants must be moved to a new place along with an earthen clod.

In summer, the tree can also be replanted, but not too hot spring is better suited for this.

It is undesirable to start this procedure in the fall, because the plants after transplantation are quite sensitive, and they still need to take root and get used to a new growing place.

pruning boxwood

In the middle of spring, you need to cut the boxwood. The bush can be given the shape you want. Having given the crown a shape, in the future you will just need to correct it sometimes.

Pruning is painless for the tree and it begins to branch even more. But remember that frequent shearing will cause the boxwood to need to be fertilized more often so that it has enough nutrients that are synthesized in the trimmed foliage.

Boxwood shelter for the winter

A very difficult time for Buxus is winter and early spring. In winter, it is very cold, and with the advent of spring, it can burn out in the warm sun.

Therefore, in order to save the tree, even before the arrival of frost, it is necessary to well nourish the area with the plant with moisture, cover it with mulch (peat). It is impossible to cover the soil with dry leaves, as it can cause fungi in boxwood. When the temperature drops to -10ºC, you need to prepare a shelter from the cold.

If you have a standard tree, then they make a support for it so that the piercing winter wind does not damage the trunk, and wrap it with spruce branches. Bushy plants and those with a crown also need to be covered. For this, a non-woven material is used, with which a tree is wrapped a couple of times.

In order to avoid breaking branches under the weight of snow, they are tied. With the onset of spring, the shelter is immediately removed, as the buxus can rest. At the same time, one ball of shelter is left to protect the trees from burns by the warm spring sun.

Boxwood from seeds

For propagation of boxwood, the vegetative method is usually used, but the use of seeds is also sometimes found.

To grow buxus from seeds, you need to take only fresh seeds. They are flooded for the day warm water diluted with a growth promoter. Next, they need to be put between a pair of damp towels (but not wet). They will remain in this state for about thirty days. After 15-20 days, white sprouts will appear.

With the formation of sprouts, the seeds are sown in sand mixed with peat, while the sprouts should go deep into the substrate.

Containers with planted material are covered with foil and kept in a warm, shaded place. After about 15-20 days, the first shoots will appear. After that, the film must be removed and the container with boxwood should be moved to partial shade.

Young plants need to be watered from time to time and fertilized with a weak solution of dressings. The grown trees are planted in the soil when it becomes clear that frosts will not return.

Boxwood propagation by cuttings

In the spring, boxwood can be cut. To do this, use young stems up to 15 cm long, which have not yet fully lignified. The material must be cut at an angle. After that, a third of the leaves are torn off, and the cuttings are soaked for a day in a tool to enhance root formation.

After that, the branches need to be washed and can be planted in the soil. The main condition for the substrate is nutrition. The branches are lowered into the ground to the very foliage and covered with a jar. Air the plants every day and spray them. After a couple of months, the jar is removed, since by this time a rhizome has formed.

If you propagate buxus in the fall, then plant the cuttings in pots, because in open field they will not survive the winter, even under insulation. And in the spring you can transplant seedlings to an open area.

The use of layering is also practiced. According to the usual scheme, the branches are bent to the soil and added dropwise. Then they need to be watered and fertilized, and when a rhizome is formed, you can plant a new boxwood in another place.

Diseases and pests

Another cause of yellowing and drying of the leaves is the spider mite, which most often appears in hot weather.
Spots on the leaves and their drying may be associated with burns resulting from excess light.
Boxwood is also vulnerable to shoot necrosis, which manifests itself in spots on the foliage and the death of twigs.
Your plant will not grow well if it lacks nutrients.
Boxwood can also suffer from plant cancer. In the case of this disease, cut off all diseased areas, along with adjacent healthy parts.

There are 100 known species of both trees and shrubs belonging to the Boxwood family. From this family, I would like to highlight the boxwood buxus - Buxus. Its distribution areas include Mediterranean countries, West Indies east of the Asian part of the continent. Boxwood is a very ancient ornamental plant that has always been cultivated for as long as mankind can remember. The name of the plant (buxus) was mentioned in ancient Greek sources. But the etymology of the word has no Greek no relation. Where the Greeks borrowed it from, from what language, will remain a mystery.

At present, scientists have identified several natural habitats for the growth of boxwood - these are Eurasian, African, Central American. It is known both as a horticultural crop and as a home crop. In regions with a warm, humid climate, the plant acts as a hedge. Due to the pliability of the shrub to the picturesque design (pruning), it is very loved. landscape designers and are often used as an object for decorating park and garden area. For home plant lovers, boxwood is a great find for bonsai. He does not need tubs of earth, even a small pot is enough to grow a fluffy bush with small leaves, which can be pruned and get a work of art.

Description of boxwood

Boxwood in landscape design photo

Small, round or elliptical, boxwood leaves have a solid edge. They are located on the branch alternately, opposite each other, that is, opposite. Small flowers form an axillary inflorescence. They are unisexual. The fruit of boxwood is a three-celled box, which ripens and cracks. Black, shiny seeds scatter around.

The fragrant smell of boxwood attracts bees, but boxwood honey is poisonous, like the plant itself, so it is forbidden to eat.

Designers are attracted by the beauty of the plant, which lies in the dense elastic crown, the brilliance of each leaf. Experts appreciate the opportunity to work with the shape of the bush, to trim, according to the creative idea. For a simple gardener, boxwood, first of all, is an unpretentious ornamental plant that can grow in shady areas.

When and where to plant boxwood

Boxwood blooms in spring. And, like all spring-blooming plants, it should be planted in the fall at the optimal time, which falls on September and the first decade of October. In 1 month, the culture will take root well and will perfectly endure the winter cold.
Some gardeners manage to plant boxwood in the spring and summer. This is also possible if certain rules are followed. A prerequisite for planting a plant is that the soil under the boxwood is clayey, well-calcified, permeable and constantly moist.
When landing, you only need to choose shady places, since the leaves of the boxwood dry out from the strong sun.

How to plant boxwood correctly

Boxwood photo planting Boxwood shrub photo and care when to cut boxwood

If the acquired boxwood seedling has a closed root system, then approximately 24 hours before planting, it is necessary to moisten it strongly. This is done in order to facilitate the process of extracting the plant from the container and freeing the twisted roots. And if you manage to immediately after the purchase place the seedling in a container with settled water for a period of 12-16 hours, then you can get perfectly prepared material for planting.

The volume of the pit for planting should be 3 times greater than the volume of the root system of the seedling both in depth and in width.
Before placing the plant there, it is necessary to lay out a hole with a layer of drainage. To do this, use perlite, at least 2-3 cm thick. Also, the earth extracted from the pit is mixed with perlite in equal proportions.
After that, they take a seedling and straighten its roots. In this form, boxwood is placed in a prepared hole and densely sprinkled with earth with perlite.
When planting, you need to ensure that the trunk of the boxwood is upright, without tilting.
After planting, the soil is moistened.

It is good if it is rainwater, although settled water is also suitable. The amount of water for irrigation must be calculated. On average, a seedling up to 20-25 cm high will need 3 liters of water. After the first watering, the earth always sags. Its deficiency is made up for by the remaining earth with perlite. So that when watering, water is concentrated near the plant and does not spread, you can build a small earthen roller around, 20 cm from the trunk. If you sprinkle the resulting circle with perlite (a layer of no more than 2 cm), then you can minimize the loss of moisture during evaporation.

How to care for boxwood in the garden

There is certain rules for the care of boxwood, following which you can get a very good result. Yes, and intuition can come to the rescue in time. In the absence of rain, the first watering of the seedling should be carried out a week after planting.

The circle near the boxwood, bounded by a shaft, serves as a place for watering. For one plant 1 meter high, 8-10 liters of water are needed for a single watering. At sustainable drought watering is not worth it. It is only necessary to increase the volume of liquid poured under the plant. They recommend either morning or evening watering, after which the earth is loosened and weeds are removed. With the onset of stable heat, and this is the beginning or middle of May, the ground near the boxwood must be mulched. This is done with the help of peat, which is scattered in a circle so as not to touch the trunk with shoots. The thickness of the mulch can be up to 8 cm.

Boxwood needs to be fed regularly. After planting, in about a month, it will take root well and during this period the first portion of mineral nitrogen-containing additives and organics will be required. Exactly the same top dressing is necessary for the plant during the period of its intensive growth. Digging up the soil in the fall, prepare it for the winter. Therefore, fertilizers, which are based on elements such as phosphorus and potassium, will come in handy. Nitrogen-containing minerals are excluded at this time due to uselessness in the winter.

The best time to transplant boxwood

Spring is the best time to transplant boxwood. Over the summer, it will get stronger, take root and safely endure the winter. If the plant is an adult, then it is better to transplant it along with the ground. Younger bushes are transplanted in accordance with the principles that are followed during the initial planting of the plant. This procedure is completely painless for buksus, if all actions are carried out correctly.

Pruning boxwood When to cut boxwood

How to crop boxwood photo

Somewhere in late April and early May, boxwood is pruned.. You can form a geometric figure out of it. The most popular of them are the cone, ball and cube.

And you can specially grow boxwood, like a standard tree. To do this, leave the central shoot, which differs from the rest in that it is very strong, resilient and durable. The rest of the shoots are cut at the root. As a rule, a ball is formed from the apical young shoots of the bole by pruning. Moreover, the figure from the plant is cut out only once, then it is slightly corrected. This is explained by the fact that boxwood is not characterized by rapid growth. Only young shoots are corrected, the basis remains unchanged.

She is touched if the bush ceases to meet the requirements of visual beauty and attractiveness. Pruning is tolerated by boxwood easily and painlessly. The thicker it is, the more often you have to resort to secateurs and garden shears.

How often to prune boxwood? According to the recommendations of professionals, buxus needs to be cut every month in order to maintain an attractive and well-groomed appearance.
There is only one remark: frequent haircut requires no less frequent watering and feeding. This must be done in order to replenish the plant nutrients, which it does not receive due to pruning of young shoots.
It is they, young leaves and stems, that are the main suppliers of vital components.

How to cut boxwood, the video will tell:

How to deal with boxwood pests and its diseases

The main pest of boxwood is considered to be boxwood gall midge y. She begins her destructive activity by laying eggs on the leaves of young shoots in the month of June. The larvae that hatch from these eggs penetrate the tissue of the leaves, feed on its juices, and there turn into a chrysalis in order to safely overwinter. At the end of spring, an adult individual hatches from the pupa, which continues its genus in the same way as the ancestors.

The diseases that overcome this horticultural crop include shoot necrosis and cancer. With necrosis, dry spots appear on the leaves, the ends of the branches die off. For treatment, fungicides are repeatedly used. But the worst disease is cancer. If its symptoms are noticed, it is necessary to cut out the affected parts until healthy wood appears. Treat the cut points with "Fundazol".

Planting and caring for boxwood in the Moscow region

Propagation of boxwood in spring how to propagate boxwood with cuttings When to cut boxwood

The rules for planting and agrotechnical cultivation of boxwood in the Moscow region are identical to the agrotechnical cultivation of this plant in temperate latitudes.
The only thing you need to pay attention to is the winter period, when severe frosts can destroy plantings.
Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for the winter: cover the bushes and tie them up so that heavy snowfalls do not break branches, and frost does not destroy young shoots.
Read more about preparing for winter below.

Reproduction boxwood

There are 2 ways to propagate a crop: the main one is vegetative and, very rarely used, seed. Reason for unpopularity seed method reproduction lies in the seed itself, which does not have good germination. After collecting the seeds, the germination rate gets worse and worse every day and eventually reduces to zero. If you want to use boxwood seed to grow a crop, read the instructions on this issue in order to avoid gross mistakes.

Propagation of boxwood cuttings

Boxwood propagation by cuttings How to propagate boxwood

This is the most popular propagation method for boxwood. And it's best to do it in the spring.

For planting material, strong, without signs of lignification, young shoots are selected.
Their optimal length is 12-15 cm. The cut of the cutting should be oblique.
The leaves from the lower third of the shoot are removed and sent to the root solution for a period of 24 hours.
At the next stage, the cuttings are washed with water and the bare side of the cutting is planted in prepared soil, which should contain sand, leafy soil and humus in equal proportions. It is important for the soil to be nutritious and light.
The cuttings are deepened by 1/3, to the lower leaves. Each is covered with a plastic bottle prepared in a special way. The bottle must be at least 5 liters in volume. The bottom is cut off and, like a cap, cover the stalk. For watering and ventilation unscrew bottle cap and, through the hole, spray water or let air in.
You can also leave the cuttings in the water, and when the roots appear, plant them in growing pots.
After about 1 month, the roots of the cuttings planted in the ground begin to sprout, after 2 - a full-fledged root system will be ready. It is at this time that the bottle is removed, and the young boxwood begins to get used to the natural conditions of existence.
To create more loyal wintering conditions for young boxwood, cover it with spruce branches.

The video will tell about cuttings of boxwood:

If you use the autumn period of time for plant propagation, then cuttings should be planted not in open ground, but in a container or flower pot. An unrooted plant planted in the ground before winter will surely die even if it is carefully covered. In the cold season, the cuttings planted in a container are placed in a room in which the air temperature is kept at + 10 ° C. And only in the spring, after frost, this planting material should be planted on the garden plot.

Propagation of boxwood by layering

The method of layering is also very reliable.
This way vegetative propagation comes down to the fact that in the spring, the extreme shoots of boxwood are carefully bent to the ground and sprinkled, fixing with staples.
Thereafter, nothing special is done. Layers receive the same watering and top dressing as the mother plant.
Numerous sprouts will let you know that the layers have taken root, the new bush is subsequently separated for transplanting to a new place.

Growing boxwood from seeds

how to grow boxwood from seed how to propagate boxwood

Immediately after ripening, for a period of 24 hours, the seeds are placed in a growth stimulator solution. This may be a solution of the stimulant "Epin" or "Zircon". After a day, take 2 wet towels and place the seeds between them.

Since it takes a long time to hatch the seeds, the towels have to be moistened periodically. Only after a month you can see the first sprouts white color. If this does not happen, then it is worth conducting shock therapy. It consists in moving the seeds (right in towels) into the drawer of the vegetable section of the refrigerator. A few days later they are again transferred to a warm place and waiting for pecking.

How to plant boxwood seeds seedling photo

While waiting, you can take care of the soil for planting the plant. To do this, sand is combined with peat in equal proportions, and the mixture is moistened.
As soon as sprouts appear, the seeds are carefully planted one at a time in separate cups in the prepared soil. It is also possible in common containers at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. Planted in such a way as not to damage, the sprouts themselves should be directed towards the soil. It is best to spread the seeds on the surface and only lightly sprinkle with the substrate.
From above, the container for germination is covered with a film and cleaned in a comfortable warm
place. The first shoots should be expected in a couple of weeks.
With the germination of the first green shoots, the film is removed by removing the container in a shady place.
Before the seedlings get stronger, they are cared for, which consists in periodic watering and fertilization of the weakest concentration (half the norm).
Boxwood is planted in the garden when the threat of spring frosts disappears.

Wintering boxwood Autumn preparations of boxwood for winter

No wonder boxwood is common in those countries where the concept of "harsh winter" is completely absent. To cultivate a plant in a temperate climate, winter conditions must be prepared in advance. And evergreens hibernate during the cooling period. This is especially true of their root system, which is shackled by frozen soil even at a time when the first rays spring sun encourage the green crown of evergreens to come to life.

It is at that moment that leaves and branches need nutrition that the unawakened root cannot provide. For this reason, not only branches dry, but also entire shrubs. The only way out of this situation is to plant bushes in the most shaded place.

Somewhere in the beginning of November, before the upcoming frost, boxwood is watered to charge it with moisture for the entire winter period of time. Then to the area trunk circle peat or stale needles are introduced, but not dry leaves, which, in a rotted state, can cause fungal infections in boxwood.

How to properly cover boxwood for the winter

With a decrease in air temperature to a stable + 10 ° C, boxwood begins to cover. The stems are not only covered, but also tied up so that heavy snowfall does not cause the trunk of the bush to break. And only after that the plant is completely tied with spruce branches or wrapped in a warm non-woven fabric. You can still whitewash the trunk of adult plants, and then you will have to cover one crown. Do not forget about the live boxwood hedge and wrap it with burlap in 2-3 layers. Sprinkle the edges with earth.

Before covering any bush or hedge, you need to tie them up so that the branches do not break from a large amount of snow. The cuttings, as mentioned earlier, are covered with spruce branches, and the near-stem circle is mulched with warm peat. With the onset of spring, they begin to slowly remove the shelter, choosing a cloudy day for this, so as not to shock the boxwood with the bright sun. You can even change the shelter to a lighter one, use it as a kind of visor from the active spring sun. It is also impossible to delay the term for removing the protection, because the boxwood under the influence of heat will begin to rot and deteriorate.

Types and varieties of boxwood with photos and descriptions

The most attractive forms of boxwood are grown in garden plots. Here are some of them.

Evergreen boxwood Buxus sempervirens

Often found in natural areas Mediterranean and Caucasus. It lives in the undergrowth of mixed and purely deciduous forests. Prefers places with dense shade. evergreen boxwood is a tree (rarely a shrub), the height of which reaches 15 meters. Its straight shoots have a tetrahedral shape, they are densely covered with dark green foliage. The arrangement of the leaves is characterized by oppositeness, and in appearance they are smooth, shiny.

The upper side of the leaf plate is different in color from the bottom. If the upper one is bright, glossy, then the lower one is dull, faded light green with yellowness. The shape of the leaves is elongated-elliptical, 1.5 - 3.0 cm long. Greenish small flowers of boxwood are unisexual. The set fruit is a small spherical box with flaps. During the maturation of the seed, the valves open. Evergreen boxwood is a poisonous plant.

Its best varieties include:

Caring for outdoor boxwood Boxwood Blauer Heinz photo in the garden

Blauer Heinz. This hardy, squat shrub has bluish-green leaves. It is cold hardy and compact. It belongs to new varieties and is intended for making low, up to 20 cm, ornaments for carpets.

Plant boxwood planting and care Boxwood Dwarf Sufrutikoza photo in the garden

Sufructicosis- refers to evergreen shrubs that grow very slowly and reach only 1 meter in height. The original leaves are ovate or obovate, 2 cm long and arranged oppositely. dotted with small flowers. Just perfect for creating living fences, borders.

How often to prune boxwood Boxwood evergreen elegans photo

Variety elegans stands out from the rest with the color of the leaf plate (they are variegated with a white border). This is a very dense shrub that has spherical crown. Height is not great, up to 1 meter. But the shoots are straight, densely covered with foliage. Differs in drought resistance.

Small-leaved boxwood Buxus microphylla

This type of boxwood is a descendant of the Japanese-Korean species, it is frost-resistant. According to observations, it withstands and does not freeze out at minus 30. But it is afraid of the spring sun, therefore it requires shelter from it. Preference is given to the following varieties of small-leaved boxwood:

When to prune boxwood Boxwood small-leaved Winter Jam photo in the garden

winter jam. Easily pruned, although its crown is dense. The variety is frost-resistant and grows quickly, which is extremely rare in the boxwood family. Reaches a maximum height of 1.5 meters and is suitable for creating a topiary.

Boxwood small-leaved Faulkner Buxus microphylla ‘Faulkner’ photo

Faulkner. It grows very slowly, reaching 1.5 meters in height. They cut it, basically, under the ball, since the very shape of the bush suggests it. Colchis boxwood (lat.Buxus colchica). It is also called Caucasian boxwood. This is the most small-leaved and frost-resistant boxwood of all European species. Its life expectancy is 600 years. It grows slowly, rising only 15 - 20 meters with a trunk diameter of 30 cm in its lowest part. It is a relic of the Tertiary period.

Bolearic boxwood Buxus balearica

Bolearic boxwood Buxus balearica How boxwood blooms photo

Refers to the western view. Its ancestral origin is the territory of the Bolearic Islands, the south of Spain, as well as Portugal and the north of Morocco. It is distinguished by its large leaves among all species of the Euro-Asian region. The length of its sheet can reach up to 4 cm (width - 3 cm). Fantastically decorative, fast growing. But it cannot boast of such quality as winter hardiness. These are not all types of boxwood that have adapted to a temperate climate and that can be found in garden plots of summer residents. The rest are extremely rare.

With properly organized boxwood planting and caring for this plant, you can get a wonderful evergreen garden decoration. The unpretentious handsome man will perfectly complement the most sophisticated design solutions household plot.

plant description

Boxwood evergreen (buxus sempervirens) is a genus of evergreen shrubs and small trees from the Samshitov family. At favorable conditions the plant can live up to 600 years. Buxus grows slowly.

Medium-sized juicy leaves have the shape of an ellipse and a characteristic smell. Most species with green foliage, but there are also variegated varieties. Spikelets of greenish-yellow flowers appear in the axils of the leaves in March or April. They are inconspicuous and fragrant. In place of flowers, boxes with black seeds are formed. Over time, these fruits crack, and their contents are scattered around.

Variety of varieties

Boxwood is used for growing in open ground and in indoor floriculture. About 30 species of this plant grow in different regions. Numerous varieties differ in growth intensity and external data.

For the formation of small sheared figures and balls, slow-growing varieties Suffruticosa and Blauer Heinz are suitable. The second option has another important advantage - high frost resistance.
Buxus sempervirens is a wild species of evergreen boxwood for tall hedges.
For large landings the vigorous varieties Rotundifolia and Handsworthiensis are also suitable.
Elegantissima is a beautiful variegated variety sensitive to low temperatures. This variety is best planted in a site protected from the wind and carefully covered for the winter.
Some slow-growing varieties of boxwood make wonderful bonsai - indoor "trees in a pot." For these purposes, for example, Buxus harlandii Hance is used.

Buxus reproduction

Three methods are used to obtain new specimens of an evergreen plant.

Cuttings.

The simplest and affordable option breeding. The best time for such an operation is July or August. Young bushes planted during this period will have time to take root and grow stronger before frost. This will help them get through the winter easily. It is possible to carry out cuttings in September, but then the survival rate of the buxus decreases.

The beds for young plants are preliminarily dug up, weeds are removed and the soil is watered abundantly. The site should be in the shade or partial shade. The soil needs clay and loose, with a high content of humus.

Choose branches with a length of at least 20-30 cm. Cuttings are harvested by cutting at an angle with secateurs or sharp scissors one- or two-year-old shoots on boxwood immediately before rooting. Blanks should not be placed in water and dried in the sun. The shoots are shortened by removing the third part of the cutting. The leaves are left. Then planted in a place protected from the wind in partial shade. The interval between plants is about 8 cm, the row spacing is about 15-20 cm. Young plantings can not be covered with a film, the ground around them is slightly compacted.

In autumn, the bushes will reach a height of about 15 cm. They need to be covered with leaves for the winter, and in the spring they should be placed on permanent place cultivation.

When cuttings are carried out in autumn, rooted bushes can be transplanted into a container of a suitable size and transferred to wintering in a cool place until spring.

Reproduction by seeds.

The seed is pre-soaked for a day in water, it is advisable to add a growth stimulator to the liquid. The seeds are then placed on a damp cloth and kept in a warm place. Do not allow the material to dry out. After about a month, the first sprouts hatch. They are sown in soil equal parts peat and sand. Seeds are placed in the ground, directing the sprouts down. covered with glass or plastic wrap and clean in a warm place without access to the bright sun. Shoots appear in about 15-20 days. After that, the glass or film is removed and provided regular care: timely watering, loosening and top dressing with a very weak solution of fertilizers. Transplanted outdoors when there is no threat of return frosts.

layering.

In the spring, branches located near the surface of the soil are pressed to the ground. They need to be fixed and sprinkled with a little soil. Layers are watered all summer. It can be planted when the root system is formed and the "baby" begins to grow.

How to plant boxwood correctly?

It is believed that the best time for planting boxwood in open ground - from mid-September to early October. In this case, before the onset of frost, the plant has time to take root well. However, some gardeners plant buksus both in spring and summer. Pre-prepare the site: carefully dig and level the soil, remove weeds and, if necessary, make compost.

Small specimens of buxus are sold in containers with earth or with an open root system. Seedlings are previously placed in a bucket of water for a day. Planted after sunset or on a cloudy day. Large holes are prepared in which the roots will easily spread. Sand, leaf humus and soddy soil are placed at the bottom in a ratio of 1:4:2.

The interval between plants when planting will depend on the type of boxwood and how the bush is used. To form a border per square meter, about 10 young plants about 13 cm high are planted. The bushes are watered and shortened by a third.

Bushes for rooting need about a month. At this time, they should be watered weekly, the ground should be constantly moist. Gradually, the number of waterings is reduced, and at the beginning of summer they are fed for the first time with complex fertilizer.

Cultivation Secrets

Buxus is an unpretentious plant. In care, you should follow simple rules.

It is better to underfill than to overfill - this is a drought-resistant shrub. However, if boxwood grows outdoors in a pot, then in dry hot weather it will have to be watered almost daily. From time to time the plant is sprayed.
Buxus is resistant to cold, however, shelter will be required if the temperature in winter time drops below -20 degrees.
Need loose soil with good drainage and neutral acidity. Clay earth containing lime is best suited. Mature compost is additionally added to the depleted sandy soil. Soil with a high location of groundwater and areas where water stagnates for a long time after rains will not work. Excess moisture can lead to root rot.
The plant does not like straight lines. Sun rays and hot southern sections garden. In such a place, the leaves are quickly damaged, the buxus may even die. It is better to plant an evergreen handsome man in partial shade.
Pruning is an important part of boxwood care. It is carried out with sharp garden shears about once a month from April to September. The more often you trim an evergreen handsome man, the thicker and more magnificent his crown will be. As a result of shortening, the plant loses some of the nutrients that were located in the sheared branches. The more often the plant is reduced in size, the more moisture and nutrients it needs. Such specimens are watered and fertilized more than others.
In November, water-charging watering of the buxus is carried out. Before the onset of frost, the bushes are saturated with moisture before the long winter period.
In the spring, it is useful to apply nitrogen-based fertilizing under the boxwood, and organic fertilizers at the end of spring. To increase winter hardiness, potassium is fertilized in September - it accelerates the lignification of shoots, helping the plant to better survive the winter cold.

When choosing pinnate boxwood, you need to know that such varieties are more demanding on the conditions of detention. They are less resistant to low temperatures and other adverse factors.

Diseases and pests

When boxwood gall midge attacks, swellings appear on the lower part of the leaves with convex yellowish spots. The plant quickly loses its former beauty and may die if left untreated.
From the boxwood flea, the leaves become whitish and sticky.
Buxus can also damage felt and spider mites.
Boxwood moth likes to eat boxwood leaves. One caterpillar completely eats a medium-sized leaf in four hours.

Usually the development cycle of pests is longer than the time of action of the insecticide, therefore, two, and sometimes three treatments are carried out with an interval of 2-3 weeks.

The plant is sprayed on both sides, it is also necessary to wet the soil under plantings with pests. Work is best done in the evening after sunset: many chemicals at temperatures above +25 degrees are highly toxic to humans.
Boxwood branches are damaged by rust. The spores of this fungus can migrate to a plant from a pear, so it is not recommended to grow representatives of Pink and Boxwood nearby. Affected branches are removed. To prevent the disease, boxwood is sprayed with copper-containing agents, the diseased plant is treated with immunity-supporting drugs.

On the shoots of boxwood damaged by necrosis, the tops of the branches die off. This disease is controlled with fungicides. In case of cancer, areas with diseased wood are completely removed, and the wounds are treated with Fundazol.

Wintering

If in winter the temperature drops below 10 degrees below zero, it is advisable to throw a shelter of two layers of burlap on borders and boxwood hedges and fix it well.

Plants growing outdoors in a container should also be protected from the cold. It is convenient to use the "pot in a pot" method. The container in which the boxwood is located is placed in a container bigger size. The space between the pots is filled with fine bark. The plant itself is placed on a small wooden elevation.

In the Leningrad region, the boxwood transplantation period is shorter than in southern regions. It is held from the end of April to the beginning of October. In this region, the most crucial time for growing a plant is winter. Care must be taken to protect the bushing from low temperatures. It is advisable to mulch the land under plantings with needles of coniferous trees, and when the temperature drops to -10 degrees, insulate the trunk and branches. To do this, large specimens are covered with boxes made of plastic or wood, and small bushes are wrapped nonwoven fabric and fix it.
Over many decades, varieties have been created that can be grown in Siberia, on Far East and in the Urals. For example, Buxus Sempervirens can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees. To protect against cold winds and frost, boxwood in these regions is planted on the southern slopes. In winter, they bend it closer to the ground and cover it with spruce branches. Definitely covered in snow. Do this carefully so that the branches of the plant do not break.

Best for mulching pine needles or bark of coniferous trees. Leaves can cause rot.

Boxwood is easily shaped. To decorate southern parks and gardens, artists create amazing evergreen sculptures from this plant. It is ideal for forming borders and hedges. A dense crown with shiny leaves is shaped into various geometric shapes: a cube, a cone, a ball.

Boxwood can be grown as a standard tree, leaving only the central shoot of the plant.

Medicinal properties and contraindications

The chemical composition of all parts of evergreen boxwood contains a lot of tannins, alkaloids, bioflavonoids and resins. Preparations from the leaves and bark of the plant have been used since antiquity to treat coughs and indigestion.

Boxwood has a diuretic, diaphoretic, hypotensive and antiseptic effect. An infusion of the leaves gives an analgesic effect, a decoction can be washed with infected wounds and abrasions. In homeopathy, buxus is used to treat worm infestation and rheumatism.

Official medicine practically does not use boxwood for production medicines because it is a poisonous plant. In case of poisoning, convulsions, involuntary trembling of the limbs, skin hyperemia, breathing problems, vomiting and diarrhea are observed. If the victim is not given immediate medical care possible death from respiratory arrest.

The plant is credited with mystical powers. It is believed that a branch of boxwood under the pillow protects against evil forces and drives away nightmares. Buxus has a strong and heavy wood, which is used in carpentry.

Evergreen boxwood is the choice of lovers to enjoy greenery at any time of the year. It will become a bright spot in the garden even on the most cloudy gray days.

Boxwood, or Buxus - one of the most interesting evergreen trees used in landscape gardening. Thanks to the dense crown of shiny leathery leaves, the ability to easily tolerate a haircut and restrained growth, is a favorite plant for hedges and garden sculptures(topiary).

Buxus grows slowly, so it is often considered a shrub. However, the height of an adult tree can reach 15 meters.

Topiary from sheared boxwood.

Distribution of boxwood.

Eurasia (Europe, Mediterranean countries, Caucasus, China and Japan)
Africa
Central America

Most famous boxwood evergreen , which has a wide range of growth. There are many varieties of it, including variegated forms.

Even representatives of this type of boxwood have a hard time in the climate of central Russia. Harsh winters are detrimental to columnar and topiary plants, so these forms of boxwood are best grown in containers.

In a mild climate, boxwood becomes a decoration of the site and an interesting material for garden creativity.

Caution: It must be remembered that all parts of the plant are poisonous!

Planting boxwood.

Lighting.

Boxwood is undemanding to lighting conditions. Sometimes in the heat it needs shading from direct sunlight.

Preferring bright diffused light, it also feels good in the shaded corners of the site. However, in dense shade, the boxwood crown becomes sparse, less decorative.

When growing boxwood in a cold climate, you should choose a bright location.

The soil.

Boxwood grows well in almost any soil. if they contain enough lime. On breathable fertile soils, it develops much more actively and gives a powerful increase. Does not tolerate stagnant water.

In nature, boxwoods are able to grow on mountain slopes, sometimes devoid of a soil layer.

Boarding times.

For the climate of the middle zone, planting boxwood is best done in the spring. so that by the arrival of winter the plants take root, adapt to a new place and get stronger. From the moment of disembarkation to the first frost, at least a month should pass. Adult plants (over 3 years old) with a closed root system are planted throughout the summer.

Attention: When planting, do not bury the root neck of plants!

Planting plants in the ground.

Water the plants thoroughly before planting. seedlings with open roots it is better to soak in water for several hours.
For planting, a hole or trench (for a hedge) is dug, 2-3 times wider than an earthen clod, on the bottom of which a drainage layer of perlite or other suitable material can be poured.
If the plant is planted with an open root system, then it is necessary to carefully straighten the roots so that they do not bend inward.
The pit is filled with fertile soil, spilled, and compacted to avoid the formation of voids.
Planted plants are regularly watered. Top dressing with fertilizers begins no earlier than a month after planting.

Boxwood care.

Watering and fertilizing.

Boxwood is drought tolerant, but when grown in a pot culture, it needs regular watering. In summer, in hot weather, plants in tubs are watered daily. In winter, watering is reduced, but the earthen ball should also not dry out. Before the onset of cold weather, water-charging irrigation is arranged for plants.

about the lack of any chemical element in the soil, boxwood signals a change in leaf color. With a lack of nitrogen, the foliage acquires a bronze hue.

During the period of active growth, organic fertilizers. Spring use mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Top dressing at the end of summer with fertilizers containing potassium accelerates the ripening of shoots, preparing plants for wintering.

Attention: Nitrogen-containing fertilizers should not be applied in autumn!

Wintering difficulties.

Late autumn, winter and early spring are difficult times for boxwood. Proper care will help the plants to successfully overwinter.

The alternation of frosts and thaws is the most dangerous for evergreens. The roots in the frozen ground are not able to provide moisture to the plants warmed by the sun, which leads to the withering and death of part of the crown, and even the plant itself.

To reduce moisture loss, the soil around the plants is desirable mulch . For this, they often use rotten needles or peat.

In a harsh climate, it is desirable to cover boxwood plants. This should be done with the onset of a cold snap of -10 degrees C. As a material for shelter, spruce branches, wooden shields or boxes, covering material.

Plants on the trunk are tied to stakes and wrapped with covering material.

Small plants are covered with wooden boxes with air access. It is better not to use metal structures for shelters, as they cool in severe frosts and can quickly overheat in the sun.

A double layer of non-woven material is used to cover the hedges.

Plants that are under the snow cover perfectly tolerate winter.

Removal of winter shelters.

It is very important to remove the covering material in time in the spring, in order to avoid decay and plant overheating. They do it in cloudy (!) weather.

It is advisable to remove the shelter gradually, for example, leave one layer of material or remove part of the spruce branches so that the plants gradually get used to the sun. Usually a week for adaptation is enough, and the shelter is completely removed.

With the onset of spring heat, the remains of the snow cover are removed, raked from the plants. This will ensure that the soil warms up, which means that the roots will begin to supply moisture to the plants earlier.

Boxwood pruning.

Boxwood grows quite slowly, so usually the pruning process is reduced to shortening new growths and crown correction. Cutting plants in the first year after planting is not recommended. In the second year, pruning is carried out 1 time.

Pruning is done once a month during the period of active growth., until September. In a warm climate, they start cutting buxus already in April, in cold regions - not earlier than May or even June. Avoid cutting curly dense plants on a sunny day, which can lead to leaf burns.

Curly haircut boxwood.

In Europe and countries with a warm climate, various bizarre figures are created from boxwood. However, we can afford such garden delights only with plants grown in pots that do not overwinter in the open field.

The basic rule of decorative haircut - cut from the inside out and from top to bottom.

Shearing should be done evenly throughout the plant, in small portions, step by step. Do not immediately cut out a large area in one place, in order to avoid errors and violations of the form.

Boxwood ball.

It is possible to build for this purpose a semicircular template made of cardboard, which is fixed on the plant in such a way that its axis coincides with the axis of the crown of the tree.
Pruning is to remove branches that go beyond the boundaries of the template.
Move the template as needed.
On sale there are special templates for trimming boxwood.

Boxwood hedge trimming.

In order for the fence to have the same shape throughout, use templates or pull cords. When the hedge reaches the required height, it is cut close to the level of last year's pruning.

Frequent shearing enhances the growth of lateral branches. The hedge becomes thicker and more attractive.

Haircut tool.

Gardening scissors.
Brush cutter (cutting hedges and large volumes).
Special scissors for trimming boxwood (used for trimming curly plants) - in the photo.

Diseases and pests of boxwood.

Boxwood is rarely affected by pests, but sometimes it can be attacked by an insect such as gall midge. At the beginning of summer, females lay their eggs on young buxus leaves. The larvae hatching from the eggs penetrate the tissues of the leaves. Affected leaves become covered with spots and swellings, then dry out.

Pruning and treating plants with insecticides helps to fight this scourge.

Sometimes weakened plants undergo necrosis. As a result, the tips of the shoots dry up, the plants look messy. The use of fungicides solves the problem.

Reproduction of boxwood.

Boxwood reproduces by seeds, but the vegetative method is mainly used. For this purpose, cuttings cut in summer or autumn are suitable. Rooting cuttings high: over 80%.

For rooting, take slightly lignified cuttings (June-July) up to 10 cm long and containing at least 2 internodes. All lower leaves are removed.
Sometimes used long cuttings(up to 30 cm).
The acceleration of the appearance of roots will be facilitated by the treatment of cuttings with a root formation stimulator (heteroauxin or root).
Cuttings are planted in a loose substrate consisting of peat and fertile soil.
The rooting site is protected from direct sunlight.
Shelter with plastic wrap or cans will help maintain moisture. You can build a small greenhouse.
With sufficient humidity and in warm conditions, rooting occurs after 3 weeks.
Further care comes down to weeding and loosening the soil.
It will be difficult for young, late-rooted plants to overwinter in the climate of the middle lane, even under cover. For the winter, it is more favorable to dig them up and move them to a cool place, for example, to the basement, or place them at home on the windowsill.

Thus, having worked hard, you can independently provide yourself with the necessary planting material.

With careful observance of the rules of agricultural technology and caring care, you can achieve good results in the cultivation of this heat-loving handsome man.

A variety of boxwood figures in 41 photos:

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