Most recently, boxwood blight has become a significant problem. Still, despite its reputation for low maintenance (some specimens have lived for over 400 years), boxwood is saddled with its own set of pests and diseases. This will prevent any moisture build-up that might encourage root rot. Most importantly, make sure to leave six inches between the trunk and mulch circle. (He recommends pine bark over hardwood because it is less likely to suffocate the roots.) Keep the soil cool and protect the roots by spreading a 1 to 2-inch layer of pine bark mulch around the base of the plant. To encourage healthy growth, Batdorf recommends feeding your boxwood in early spring with a balanced fertilizer high in nitrogen. This looks nice, but is actually not good for your boxwood. If you must plant in a boxwood’s vicinity, Batdorf suggests planting bulbs, which cause only minimal root disturbance. And though it’s a common practice, it’s best not to site shrubs adjacent to impermeable materials like walls or pathways, which inhibit their growth. If you want your boxwood to thrive, avoid planting anything directly underneath. As a result, it’s important to give the shrubs lots of room to grow. However, on the surface, they can travel many feet. Even on the largest plants, roots typically extend down no more than a foot. He likens the shrub’s rootball to a pancake. Arboretum’s National Boxwood Collection, boxwood care is all about the roots. If you ask Lynn Batdorf, former curator of the U.S. These shrubs prefer a lower pH of between 4.5 to 6.0.īoxwood and azaleas have different pH requirements. This is why experts generally recommend that you avoid planting boxwood close to acid-loving shrubs like azaleas and rhododendrons. These are boxwood’s preferred conditions. That said, ff you want your shrubs to really flourish, your soil needs to be on the alkaline side, or a pH of 7.1 or higher. Heavy or compacted soils, however, can kill healthy plants by depriving them of oxygen, which can end up asphyxiating their roots. Given well-drained soil, most varieties thrive in both sun and part shade. Typically low maintenance, it’s slow-growing and relatively drought-tolerant. There’s a reason why boxwood has survived for centuries. And boxwood topiary, a practice that began in Roman times, still plays a prominent role in gardens across the world, including France’s Jardin d’Eyrignac and Prague’s lovely Vrtba Garden.īoxwood edging at Paris’ Luxembourg Gardens GROWING BOXWOOD Today, it is also a common foundation planting. Even so, the species most familiar to Westerners is common box, or Buxus sempervirens.īoxwood fleur-de-lys at George Washington’s Mount Vernonīoxwood has served as hedging since the 16th century. Most of us know boxwood as a shrub, but it might surprise you to know that the broader family ( Buxaceae) includes trees, herbs and around 247 flowering species. There’s just one problem: boxwood is often plagued by a host of pests and diseases. For those of us on the East Coast, the fact that deer won’t eat it only heightens its appeal. Not only does it add structure to outdoor spaces, but its dense, evergreen foliage can be sheared into almost any shape imaginable. Boxwood has been a garden staple for centuries.
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