Why do boxwood leaves turn reddish-brown?

Q: I used brownish-yellow soil that had previously been used to grow tea plants to plant small boxwoods last spring. Several months have passed, and the small boxwoods have gradually withered and appear to be dying. What is the cause? How can they be saved?

A: In southern regions, tea plants are mostly grown in acidic yellow-brown soil. Whether growing large-leaf boxwood (Buxus megistophylla), melon-seed boxwood (Buxus sinica var. parvifolia), or sparrow-tongue boxwood, there is no problem of the soil being unsuitable. I estimate that what your unit planted is probably melon-seed boxwood. Because after autumn arrives the weather becomes dry, and combined with low winter temperatures and cold weather, some boxwood seedlings that have not yet developed a good root system, or some boxwood plants that have been cultivated for a number of years, show leaves changing from green to purplish-red. This is caused by changes in the pigments inside the leaves as they adapt to cold weather. When spring returns and the weather warms up, the leaves will lose their red color and return to green, recovering to their normal green color.

You can try using scissors to cut the leaves into pieces. If the leaf mesophyll tissue is still green, then gently scrape off the outer bark of the branches and stems. If the inner bark is still green, you can set your mind at ease. If the mesophyll no longer shows green and the inner bark of the branches and stems has already lost its green color, then it cannot be ruled out that root necrosis has caused the plant to dry up. But as long as its root system has not completely died, after heavily pruning the plant back hard, because its sprouting ability is especially strong, the plant can still slowly sprout new branches and leaves and grow into a new plant. However, to achieve a good landscaping effect, it will take until 2 years later. If the plant has completely died, then it cannot survive, and you can only replant it. When replanting, it is best to immediately prune the plant back hard after planting is completed, and at the same time strengthen water and fertilizer management. Only in this way will it be helped to survive safely.