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The Buxus sempervirens "Suffruticosa" plants on sale start life as stem-tip, semi-
ripe cuttings, taken in late summer or autumn from our stock plants.
They are trimmed to just below a node to leave a cutting about 3-4"
(7-10cm) in length, and some of the leaves are removed to prevent excess transpiration.
The base of each cutting is dipped in a hormone rooting compound and then inserted into
a large tray containing cuttings compost. After 12-18 months, the cuttings have rooted
well, and are ready for planting out.
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Plants corresponding
to the sizes detailed in the Price Guide are demonstrated here,
with each colour band on the marker stick being 2" (5cm) wide.
The cuttings are planted out directly into beds, and typically
grow about 2" (5cm) per year, quickly developing an extensive
root system.
Soil and Environment:
Plants put under stress do not perform well. Whilst it is unlikely
that any garden will offer all plants their perfect environments,
here's some indicators of what box like best.
Soil Type:
The ideal is the fabled "free-draining yet moisture retentive
loamy soil". If the soil is sandy, insufficient water is retained
during dry spells, but if it's too heavy, the cold and wet during
winter can kill the plants.
Soil pH:
The box plants prefer a neutral soil, pH 6.5-7.0.
Site Selection:
Box prefers partial or light shade, but is also happy in full
sun. Exposure to either full sun or strong winds in the winter
may cause the leaves to turn a coppery colour (which box does
if for any reason it's unhappy with life).
Mulches:
Mulching is beneficial, since a good mulch will moderate temperature
fluctuations, restrict evaporation and water loss from the root
zone, suppress weeds.
Planting:
As a rule of thumb, box grows roots in winter and greenery in
the summer. The good time to plant bare-rooted box bushes is
therefore autumn, when the plants are at the start of their
"dormancy". Mid-winter is not ideal, but possible in the UK
during a mild spell - the other potential planting season is
early spring, before signs of leaf bud development are seen.
Fertilisers:
Trials here with similar rows of box planted into soil containing
a variety of supplementary fertilisers, including one control
where no fertiliser was added, suggests that there is no discernable
impact on growth from these fertilisers. Providing your soil
is well drained and meets the criteria described above, then
you could use the saved cost from not using an additional fertiliser
to buy a celebratory drink once the plants are planted.
Further Reading:
For the boxwood enthusiast, who really needs extensive information
on the practicalities of how "to identify, propagate and care
for boxwoods", we can strongly recommend the following publication:
"Boxwood Handbook. A practical guide to Knowing and Growing
Boxwood"
By Lynn R Batdorf of the American Boxwood Society and the US
National Arboretum in Washington D.C.
ISBN 1-886833-00-1 |
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