Boxwood Growing Methods and Precautions

Boxwood trees are not strict about soil requirements; sandy soil, loam, and brown soil can all be used for planting, but soil rich in organic matter is best. When preparing the ground, the terrain should be level. Before planting, apply basal fertilizer deeply by thoroughly mixing well-rotted organic fertilizer with soil and placing it at the bottom of the planting hole. When planting, remove the seedlings from their nursery pots, arrange them in the trench according to the spacing between plants so that the roots contact the soil, then fill in soil and firm it by treading. When firming the soil after covering, do not crush the root ball; step on the gap between the root ball and the planting hole instead.

Watering is the main measure to ensure seedling survival, especially in northern China where spring is dry with little rain and high evaporation; if water supply is insufficient, it will seriously affect the seedling survival rate. When straightening seedlings, first dig away the soil near the seedling roots, straighten the seedling, align the direction between rows and between plants, then replace the soil and firm it. Boxwood trees prefer water relatively well, so watering should follow the principle of "rather wet than dry." During the seedling stage, the root system is shallow and sensitive to water; generally, keep the surface soil moist, and irrigate with small amounts but more frequently. During the rapid growth period, the plants grow quickly and have high water demand, so irrigate heavily, allowing alternate wet and dry conditions, and water thoroughly.

Intertillage and weeding is a routine task in seedling management. Generally, intertillage and weeding are best done after rain or irrigation; when the soil is moist, pull out weeds with their roots, and the soil-loosening effect is also better. Not long after seedlings are planted, most of the soil surface is exposed to air, which not only makes the soil very easy to dry out but also makes weeds grow easily. During this period, carry out intertillage and weeding promptly to promote seedling root development.

Growing Methods for Potted Boxwood

Boxwood, also known as boxwood wood, small-leaved boxwood, common boxwood, etc., is a shrub or small tree of the genus Buxus in the family Buxaceae. It has an elegant tree form, small leaves like broad bean seeds, thick and glossy texture, and stays evergreen all year round. In gardens, it is often used as hedges, edging for large flower beds, pruned into spherical or other topiary forms, as accents among rocks, or made into bonsai. Now let us take a look at the growing methods for potted boxwood!

Growth Habits of Boxwood

Boxwood prefers fertile, loose loam soil; it can adapt to slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil, and can also grow in calcareous soil. For potting, use aged garden soil or leaf mold mixed with an appropriate amount of rice husk ash. It is shade-tolerant and light-loving, prefers moisture, and can withstand about one month of continuous rainy weather, but dislikes long-term waterlogging. It is drought-tolerant; as long as the surface soil or potting soil does not dry out completely, it shows no abnormal signs. It is heat-tolerant and cold-tolerant, able to withstand summer sun exposure and severe cold of about minus 20°C, but during hot and humid summers it should be given more ventilation and light. It has extremely strong tillering ability, tolerates pruning, and is easy to shape.

Seed Propagation of Boxwood

1. Sowing method: In early September, choose loose, fertile soil with good drainage as sandy loam for the sowing site, apply basal fertilizer (organic fertilizer) and mix in carbendazim and other insecticides and fungicides, then deep plow and level it to make a sowing bed. The sowing rate is 50-60 grams per square meter. Mix the seeds with an appropriate amount of sand, spread them evenly on the seedbed, cover with fine soil 1-1.5 mm deep, and cover with a layer of straw curtain to retain moisture.

2. Post-sowing management: After sowing, the seeds only grow radicles in the same year and do not germinate. To prevent freeze damage, before the soil freezes in mid-to-late November, cover the straw curtain with 5-8 cm of soil. In mid-to-late March of an average year, remove the straw curtain and covering soil, build a plastic arch tunnel over the seedbed, and control the temperature at 25-30°C. After about 20 days, the embryo buds grow out of the soil surface. After that, control the temperature inside the tunnel between 20-25°C and water appropriately. When the temperature stabilizes around late April, remove the plastic arch tunnel.

Cutting Propagation of Boxwood

1. Seedbed preparation: For the cutting seedbed, choose a plot with high terrain, deep soil layer, loose soil, and good drainage and irrigation. After removing grass roots and stones, make raised beds about 1-1.2 m wide, apply 10% imidacloprid at 1000 times plus 5% mancozeb at 1500 times to eliminate underground pests and harmful pathogens. After leveling the seedbed, pat it flat with a shovel, pour on 10% decomposed diluted human urine, then spread a layer of sieved burnt mud ash or yellow soil on the bed surface to a thickness of about 5 cm.

2. Cutting selection: For boxwood cuttings, select excellent current-year lignified or semi-lignified branches; the knife or scissors used for cuttings must be sharp. When cutting, for branches that have already grown small shoots at the nodes, cut off 0.5 cm above and below each node, then split the stem node into two halves according to the position where the small shoots grow, and insert them as two separate cuttings. For branches that have not grown small shoots, keep 2 nodes; cut the upper end into a flat cut surface 1 cm above the bud, and cut the lower end into a horse-ear shape or flat cut 0.5 cm from the bud.

3. Cutting method: Insert cuttings shallowly rather than deeply. For small-branch division cuttings, place the flat cut surface downward, with a depth of 1 cm into the soil for the mother plant being suitable. For large-branch cuttings, the depth is 1 cm with the next stem node inserted into the soil, and the cutting is tilted at about 45 degrees to the ground. Shallow insertion and slanted insertion help the cuttings root and survive earlier.

4. Post-cutting management: After boxwood cuttings are inserted, build a shade frame to reduce transpiration and direct sunlight on the seedbed. When cutting in early spring or late autumn, also add a plastic film cover to prevent winter damage. After cutting, water frequently to keep the seedbed soil moist, with the surface soil preferably not turning pale. Topdressing for cuttings can be done together with watering, or potassium dihydrogen phosphate plus urea can be sprayed on the leaves. Weeding must be done very carefully, without bumping the cuttings.

Growing Methods for Boxwood

1. Potting soil: Boxwood is glossy green all year round, so purple clay pottery pots are suitable, with purple or light yellow pot color being preferable. The pot shape depends on the styling form: for cascade style, use a deep cylindrical pot; for slanting or curved-trunk style, use an oval or rectangular pot. For bonsai soil, use aged garden soil or leaf mold mixed with an appropriate amount of rice husk ash as the growing medium; fertile, loose loam with good aeration and water permeability is best. When potting old stumps, it is best to keep the original soil around the roots.

2. Watering: Boxwood trees prefer water relatively well, so watering should follow the principle of "rather wet than dry." During the seedling stage, the root system is shallow and sensitive to water; generally, keep the surface soil moist. During the rapid growth period, the plants grow quickly and have high water demand, so irrigate heavily, allowing alternate wet and dry conditions, and water thoroughly.

3. Fertilizing: Boxwood needs relatively more phosphorus during the seedling stage, relatively more nitrogen during the peak growing season, and relatively more potassium when growth stops in autumn. After planting, spray the leaves with 0.4% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution; generally, spraying the leaves with potassium dihydrogen phosphate three to four times per month is sufficient. For newly transplanted boxwood seedlings, fertilize as early as possible in the early stage, but be careful not to make the fertilizer concentration too high, so as not to burn the new roots.

4. Shaping: Boxwood has strong sprouting ability. Before styling, the main trunk can be headed back to let new shoots sprout around or below the cut surface; then, according to the requirements of artistic styling, train and tie the branches and trunk, preferably using palm fiber in spring. It can also be roughly tied and finely pruned to form cloud-layer or steamed-bun shapes, or processed into a natural tree form. The main trunk follows its natural tendency and can be made into a slanting or prostrate style. Boxwood tolerates pruning very well and has strong sprouting ability; to maintain a beautiful tree shape, it must be processed and shaped regularly.

5. Repotting: During cultivation, boxwood trees are generally repotted once every 2-3 years, preferably before spring sprouting. When repotting, cut off some old roots and excessively long or dense roots, replace 1/2 of the old soil, and fill with fertile, loose growing medium to benefit root development.

6. Pests and diseases: The main pests of boxwood are scale insects and boxwood looper caterpillars. Scale insects can be killed by manual brushing or sprayed with 80% dichlorvos at 1500 times. Boxwood loopers can be sprayed with 80% trichlorfon wettable powder or with 40% omethoate at 1000-2000 times. The main disease is sooty mold, which causes leaf drop. The key to control is to remove scale insects and frequently spray water on the leaves to wash off dust so that the plants grow well.

Care and Management of Potted Boxwood: Growing Methods for Boxwood

Boxwood, also known as boxwood wood, small-leaved boxwood, common boxwood, etc., is a shrub or small tree of the genus Buxus in the family Buxaceae. It has an elegant tree form, small leaves like broad bean seeds, thick and glossy texture, and stays evergreen all year round. In gardens, it is often used as hedges, edging for large flower beds, pruned into spherical or other topiary forms, as accents among rocks, or made into bonsai. Now let us take a look at the growing methods for potted boxwood!

Growth Habits of Boxwood

Boxwood prefers fertile, loose loam soil; it can adapt to slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil, and can also grow in calcareous soil. For potting, use aged garden soil or leaf mold mixed with an appropriate amount of rice husk ash. It is shade-tolerant and light-loving, prefers moisture, and can withstand about one month of continuous rainy weather, but dislikes long-term waterlogging. It is drought-tolerant; as long as the surface soil or potting soil does not dry out completely, it shows no abnormal signs. It is heat-tolerant and cold-tolerant, able to withstand summer sun exposure and severe cold of about minus 20°C, but during hot and humid summers it should be given more ventilation and light. It has extremely strong tillering ability, tolerates pruning, and is easy to shape.

Seed Propagation of Boxwood

1. Sowing method: In early September, choose loose, fertile soil with good drainage as sandy loam for the sowing site, apply basal fertilizer (organic fertilizer) and mix in carbendazim and other insecticides and fungicides, then deep plow and level it to make a sowing bed. The sowing rate is 50-60 grams per square meter. Mix the seeds with an appropriate amount of sand, spread them evenly on the seedbed, cover with fine soil 1-1.5 mm deep, and cover with a layer of straw curtain to retain moisture.

2. Post-sowing management: After sowing, the seeds only grow radicles in the same year and do not germinate. To prevent freeze damage, before the soil freezes in mid-to-late November, cover the straw curtain with 5-8 cm of soil. In mid-to-late March of an average year, remove the straw curtain and covering soil, build a plastic arch tunnel over the seedbed, and control the temperature at 25-30°C. After about 20 days, the embryo buds grow out of the soil surface. After that, control the temperature inside the tunnel between 20-25°C and water appropriately. When the temperature stabilizes around late April, remove the plastic arch tunnel.

Cutting Propagation of Boxwood

1. Seedbed preparation: For the cutting seedbed, choose a plot with high terrain, deep soil layer, loose soil, and good drainage and irrigation. After removing grass roots and stones, make raised beds about 1-1.2 m wide, apply 10% imidacloprid at 1000 times plus 5% mancozeb at 1500 times to eliminate underground pests and harmful pathogens. After leveling the seedbed, pat it flat with a shovel, pour on 10% decomposed diluted human urine, then spread a layer of sieved burnt mud ash or yellow soil on the bed surface to a thickness of about 5 cm.

2. Cutting selection: For boxwood cuttings, select excellent current-year lignified or semi-lignified branches; the knife or scissors used for cuttings must be sharp. When cutting, for branches that have already grown small shoots at the nodes, cut off 0.5 cm above and below each node, then split the stem node into two halves according to the position where the small shoots grow, and insert them as two separate cuttings. For branches that have not grown small shoots, keep 2 nodes; cut the upper end into a flat cut surface 1 cm above the bud, and cut the lower end into a horse-ear shape or flat cut 0.5 cm from the bud.

3. Cutting method: Insert cuttings shallowly rather than deeply. For small-branch division cuttings, place the flat cut surface downward, with a depth of 1 cm into the soil for the mother plant being suitable. For large-branch cuttings, the depth is 1 cm with the next stem node inserted into the soil, and the cutting is tilted at about 45 degrees to the ground. Shallow insertion and slanted insertion help the cuttings root and survive earlier.

4. Post-cutting management: After boxwood cuttings are inserted, build a shade frame to reduce transpiration and direct sunlight on the seedbed. When cutting in early spring or late autumn, also add a plastic film cover to prevent winter damage. After cutting, water frequently to keep the seedbed soil moist, with the surface soil preferably not turning pale. Topdressing for cuttings can be done together with watering, or potassium dihydrogen phosphate plus urea can be sprayed on the leaves. Weeding must be done very carefully, without bumping the cuttings.

Growing Methods for Boxwood

1. Potting soil: Boxwood is glossy green all year round, so purple clay pottery pots are suitable, with purple or light yellow pot color being preferable. The pot shape depends on the styling form: for cascade style, use a deep cylindrical pot; for slanting or curved-trunk style, use an oval or rectangular pot. For bonsai soil, use aged garden soil or leaf mold mixed with an appropriate amount of rice husk ash as the growing medium; fertile, loose loam with good aeration and water permeability is best. When potting old stumps, it is best to keep the original soil around the roots.

2. Watering: Boxwood trees prefer water relatively well, so watering should follow the principle of "rather wet than dry." During the seedling stage, the root system is shallow and sensitive to water; generally, keep the surface soil moist. During the rapid growth period, the plants grow quickly and have high water demand, so irrigate heavily, allowing alternate wet and dry conditions, and water thoroughly.

3. Fertilizing: Boxwood needs relatively more phosphorus during the seedling stage, relatively more nitrogen during the peak growing season, and relatively more potassium when growth stops in autumn. After planting, spray the leaves with 0.4% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution; generally, spraying the leaves with potassium dihydrogen phosphate three to four times per month is sufficient. For newly transplanted boxwood seedlings, fertilize as early as possible in the early stage, but be careful not to make the fertilizer concentration too high, so as not to burn the new roots.

4. Shaping: Boxwood has strong sprouting ability. Before styling, the main trunk can be headed back to let new shoots sprout around or below the cut surface; then, according to the requirements of artistic styling, train and tie the branches and trunk, preferably using palm fiber in spring. It can also be roughly tied and finely pruned to form cloud-layer or steamed-bun shapes, or processed into a natural tree form. The main trunk follows its natural tendency and can be made into a slanting or prostrate style. Boxwood tolerates pruning very well and has strong sprouting ability; to maintain a beautiful tree shape, it must be processed and shaped regularly.

5. Repotting: During cultivation, boxwood trees are generally repotted once every 2-3 years, preferably before spring sprouting. When repotting, cut off some old roots and excessively long or dense roots, replace 1/2 of the old soil, and fill with fertile, loose growing medium to benefit root development.

6. Pests and diseases: The main pests of boxwood are scale insects and boxwood looper caterpillars. Scale insects can be killed by manual brushing or sprayed with 80% dichlorvos at 1500 times. Boxwood loopers can be sprayed with 80% trichlorfon wettable powder or with 40% omethoate at 1000-2000 times. The main disease is sooty mold, which causes leaf drop. The key to control is to remove scale insects and frequently spray water on the leaves to wash off dust so that the plants grow well.