How to Grow a Boxwood (Huangyang) Downhill Stump? Latest Care Methods Explained in Detail

Boxwood likes light, because proper lighting can better promote photosynthesis; boxwood likes water, because its root system is not well developed and it is naturally relatively difficult for it to absorb water, so water supply needs to be ensured through external watering; boxwood is cold-resistant, because wild plants mostly grow at high altitudes; boxwood fears wind, because water transpiration is very fast under the action of wind.

From the above growth factors, it is not difficult to find that in order to help a boxwood downhill stump survive quickly, the above habits need to be grasped well. Only by carrying out care according to its living habits can the downhill stump be ensured to survive smoothly and grow normally. Therefore, for the cultivation of a boxwood downhill stump, it should be placed in a place that can receive sunlight but also needs shelter from wind for care, and water replenishment should be done well in normal times.

But replenishing water for a boxwood downhill stump is also a skill. The water replenishment method needs to be carried out by combining misting and watering, avoiding the practice of pouring water into the pot. Because the root system of boxwood itself is not well developed, it cannot transport a large amount of water to all parts of the branches and leaves through the roots, so it can be made more scientific and reasonable by frequently misting the stump landscape and then combining this with appropriate watering.

For water replenishment of a boxwood stump landscape, it is recommended to frequently spray the leaf surface evenly with water while also watering appropriately, so that water is supplied from both the branches and leaves and the root system at the same time, which can better meet the plant's water needs. It is recommended to spray the leaf surface with water several more times each day. With this method, there is no need to worry about the plant suffering water damage, and not until half a year to a year later, when the boxwood sprouts new buds and they reach more than 2-3 cm, can the frequency of misting be appropriately reduced later.

In addition to watering, fertilizing is also an important measure to promote plant growth, but natural fertilizer is not recommended, because this type of fertilizer is inconvenient to ferment and store, and the content of nutrient elements in the fertilizer is not uniform. Therefore, it is recommended to use urea and potassium fertilizer mixed evenly with water for spraying.

From Grain Rain to midsummer is the vigorous growth period of boxwood. In order to promote the plant to sprout tender buds, topdressing should mainly be urea liquid fertilizer, supplemented by potassium liquid fertilizer. After summer, the new tender leaves of boxwood need to become semi-lignified so they can pass through winter smoothly, so at this time it should shift to mainly potassium liquid fertilizer, supplemented by urea liquid fertilizer. Spray dilute liquid fertilizer about once every 2 weeks, and it is advisable to adopt the method of applying thin fertilizer frequently.

For the pruning of a boxwood stump, branches can be trained and shaped according to your own creative ideas. First, the old, weak, diseased and disabled branches, slender branches, and branches not conducive to shaping need to be cut off. Then, just like a barber cutting hair, the branches and leaves need to be pulled into a bunch, and then about 2-3 cm of the tips of the branches and leaves should be cut off, making the crown into a spherical shape.

For those branches and leaves that have not grown into place, metal wire can be used for bending and tying and pulling and hanging, and then a wooden stick can be used as support below. However, because the branches and trunk of boxwood have thin bark and brittle branches, it cannot be done in one step and needs to be stretched multiple times to avoid injuring the branches. During the process of bending, tying, and pulling branches, it is recommended to place a moistened cotton cloth under the metal wire to avoid injuring the branches.

Boxwood can be pruned twice every year, preferably in June and August. Coupled with repeated bud forcing many times, after about 5 years the stump will shift from the vigorous growth period into a stable growth period. At this time, it can be found that the branches and leaves on the stump are already relatively lush and have grown into many old branches. In this case, we need to carry out carving and hollowing treatment on the stump to complete the bonsai creation. And as time goes by, the cut openings on the stump will gradually weather naturally and form old branches.

After a boxwood downhill stump has been planted for 7 years, repotting can be carried out, because the first 3 years are basically the period for keeping the boxwood alive. During this period, the stump may die or live, and smoothly getting through the first 3 years means the stump has successfully survived; the following 4 years are basically the vigorous growth period of the stump. During this period, as long as care is proper and fertilizing is reasonable, the stump will grow with luxuriant branches and leaves, and it will also lay a good foundation for shaping later.