Buxus sempervirens. Maybe not with this name, but surely more than once you have seen a boxwood, a boxwood or a hedge walking in certain streets. It is one of the bushes that serves to divide spaces. But also to create “green” figurines But what care does Buxus sempervirens need?
If it has caught your eye and you have thought of putting it in your garden as a wall, or if you want it to grow to form figures that you have seen in films or series, this will surely be useful to you. to find out what you need to pay attention to.
Contents
How is Buxus sempervirens?
Buxus sempervirens, boxwood or hedge, is a shrub that can easily reach 5 meters in height. It is native to Europe, but is also found in Africa, Asia and America. Especially the latter attracts our attention in films and series because it is used to create imposing animal figures. One of the films that comes to mind is Eduardo Scissorhands, where in his garden you had these characters.
It is characterized by very small, but abundant leaves of green color and oval or oblong shape. These, being so small and the branches very rigid, allow us to create different shapes between them, pruning what stands out and being able to give this bush the shape we want.
Something few people know is that boxwood gives flowers. They are very, very small, in clusters, and the truth is that, although they give off a very pleasant smell (sometimes quite the opposite of boxwood), they generally do not attract attention. Along with the flowers you also have the fruits, these are more striking, round with a few spikes.
Of course, you should know that everything in the plant is poisonous, so you should take care that neither animals nor babies or children come near.
Buxus sempervirens: the most important treatments
We assume that Buxus sempervirens is a very hardy shrub. It is difficult for him to die, and for this reason many use him for their gardens, especially in order to “tame” him and create shapes with them. It can be a ball, a rectangle, or something more elaborate like animal shapes or people.
Now, what care should you provide? They would be next.
Flash
Where to put the boxwood? Outside or inside the house? Well, the truth is, it’s an outdoor plant. It likes the sun, although you can also put it in partial shade. What it should have is plenty of light, direct or indirect, because that’s how it grows best.
Indeed, if you put it in the shade you will realize that each time the branches will lose fewer leaves and we could say that it remains “bald” because it does not have enough light to carry all the leaves. small leaves that it loses.
Temperature
As for the temperature, the truth is that this is an SUV. Regarding the care of Buxus sempervirens, the least you will have to pay attention to is the climate because the truth is that it tolerates both heat (maximum 35ºC) and cold.
In fact, frosts down to -10 degrees Celsius are doing quite well. Beyond that, you may need to shield it a bit.
earth
The boxwood substrate should be light, i.e. loose. This is achieved with a mixture of soil and drainage.
Our recommendation is to choose a substrate that is rich in lime, and which also has a neutral pH. In fact, it can be grown in any type of soil, but if you want to give it the ideal then this is the best.
In addition to the substrate, choose a drainage to make it more loose, such as vermiculite, perlite…
Irrigation
Watering buxus sempervirens is one of the most important precautions as this is what can kill the plant. Our recommendation is that they are frequent but in small quantities, because this way you make sure that there are no puddles and that you drink enough water to keep going.
Depending on the climate and the degree of dryness of the substrate, here is how to water. In other words, you need to water before the soil dries out completely. The simplest is the following:
In spring and summer, water between 2 and 4 times a week, more if it is very hot. But with little quantity. Enough for the earth to be a little soaked and nothing more. Next time you need to make sure the first layer of soil is dry to water again.
In autumn and winter, you will only pass once a week. As it will be cold, the humidity generated may be enough.
Pass
It is recommended, especially in the first years of growth, to add a little fertilizer in spring and summer.
The best and most recommended for him is organic fertilizer, such as humus. But if you don’t have that, you can opt for a green plant fertilizer as that also works well.
Plagues and diseases
Unfortunately the buxus, although it is very hardy and not usually seen succumbing to pests or diseases, it does suffer and care must be taken to pass them easily.
In general, on the pest side, you have to watch out for mealybugs and boxwood mosquitoes, which can be eliminated by spraying the boxwoods to avoid them.
As for illnesses, there are several. One of them occurs in older plants and is a serious disease. We speak of Roussian pseudometry. Other diseases can be white spots caused by the fungus mycosphaerella patouillardii; or yellow or brown spots, of the ascochyta fungus; or root rot.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that the buxus has a life expectancy of about 600 years, so it already tells you that it is able to survive pests and diseases, especially if it is helped.
Multiplication
Finally, if you want to reproduce your boxwood, then the best and easiest way is to do it by cuttings. They will need to be planted in a mixture of perlite (drainage) and peat and this is always done in the spring and summer for them to settle. This first winter you should take a little more care of it because it will be weak and if there is frost or severe cold it can get sick.
Now that you know how to take care of evergreen boxwoods, do you dare to have one in your home?