HEDGING > BOX > FEEDING

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BOXWOOD GUIDES

a green-leaved buxus that has been pruned into a hedge being sprayed with a liquid fertiliser

Box BlightFeedingPruning

genus Buxus , or box as it is usually lie with , is often used for topiary and hedging .

This evergreen is straight and dense yr - round and look lovely when clipped into more formal forms or when left to grow more naturally .

close-up of the ovate leaves from a Buxus sempervirens shrub growing in a natural form

Unfortunately , this bush can be prostrate to a bit of pest and disease issues , so it is important to make trusted that box is preserve in effective condition , as healthy plant are able to better withstand any take that come their elbow room .

It is therefore important to ensure that our box tree get the nutrients they need to stay healthy ; feed Buxus well can help with this .

When it comes to feeding box , here are the fundamental things to remember :

young boxwood plants growing in a trough container hanging from a balcony

We come up to each of these key component below , with advice from our expert contributor .

Soil Requirements For Box Trees

Whenever we are think about feeding any plant life , we always need to remember the fundamentals .

Everything amount back to the grease since , of course , it is through that metier that the roots of the plant can get the nutrients they involve .

Therefore , the first step when feeding a box tree is to think about where you are growing it and whether the soil or uprise mass medium in that localization is optimal for the health of the potpourri you are growing .

Buxus sempervirens hedges in a lawn that have been pruned into large circular shapes and grown in close proximity to each other

To learn the result to this question , you also need to sympathize the filth essential for box and what it needs to remain as felicitous and healthy as possible .

Buxus needs soil that is moist yet loose - draining or free - draining .

These shrub can not tolerate remain in a waterlogged situation and this is one of the most of import factors in determining where they will grow well .

a small boxwood tree growing in a garden border and mulched with pine bark

Box shrubs thrive when in achromatic to very gently acidulous dirt , though they can be broad of a range of pH levels and can be grown successfully in many unlike soils .

“ The optimum soil pH should be 6.8 - 7.5 , ” divvy up Darren Lerigo , a Topiary Artist from the European Boxwood and Topiary Society .

“ The soil should also let the plants absorb food easily and be innocent - debilitate so that the plant ’s ascendent are n’t sit in moist soil for too long .

a wheelbarrow full of well-rotted organic compost ready for mulching the buxus hedge shown behind

“ If plants are in the dry land and nutrients are demand , apply a balanced fertiliser in the autumn to provide take up through the etymon during the winter which will give innate increment in the spring .

“ plant in sess will need regular low - level nutrient to replace those washed out due to watering : a fluent seaweed feed work well . ”

Before planting box in your garden , it is of import to verify you have amended the grime with sight of constitutive matter to improve drainage and soil social system .

common box shrub pruned into a globular shape growing in a large pot outside a home

This is specially significant when the soil is a heavier one with wretched drainage , but add organic matter is always a good estimate to better the health of loge flora and to ensure that they get the nutrient they require .

Providing The Right Mulch For Buxus

You should not only add plenty of organic matter to the planting area , but you should also fill again the mulch around boxful each fountain for maintain grunge health and keep your box growing strong , as Bill Irving from Boxtrees Nursery Ltd explains :

“ You should always water during wry charm and mulch to conserve wet and suppress weeds . ”

In addition tothis annual mulching , it is also a beneficial idea to tot up more constituent matter around your box whenever it is pruned or when work due to illness or plague has been undertake .

Mulch add food to the land as it break down that can be take up by the roots of your plants .

It also creates something of a barrier between the lowest leave on your box and the soil , which may help to cut back the spread of problems like blight .

Mulch also helps conserve grease moisture in juiceless conditions and can suppress weed growth to a arcdegree .

There are a act of different types of mulch that you might use around Buxus , admit homemade compost , leaf mouldand well - rotted manure .

“ For mulching Box , I use woodwind potato chip , ” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly .

“ This conk out down to provide organic matter , preserve grime wet and prevents the spread of fungal spore from piss splashing . ”

All of these choices extend a good nutritionary profile and dense - release plant food for these plants .

Keep in mind that feed box trees too much , specially with high-pitched - N feeds , can be detrimental .

An constitutional approach is always best and you may not need to do any more than mulching when growing box trees in the ground .

If growth is misfortunate , you may feed with an constituent plant food such as blood , fish and bone in bounce – however , this is often unnecessary and organic mulch will be sufficient to keep works healthy and well - fed , provided your box is originate in moderately healthy filth .

Feeding Box Grown In Containers

Box trees growing in containers require feed a little more often and are fed other than from those acquire in the ground .

Of course , as with growing corner Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the ground , the growing medium should be your first concern .

When growing Buxus in container , a peat - free medium should be used .

think of , like good dirt for boxwood , a good potting mixture should be moist yet loose - draining and should contain a fair balance of organic matter , make it moderately ample and fat in its report .

In gain to ensuring a good potting commixture , which should be replenished regularly , box grow in container is also good fed with a liquid industrial plant feed every calendar month or so during the summertime .

Make certain you use a fairly gentle provender that is not too high in nitrogen .

A good quality compost teamay be ideal .

As you’re able to see from the above , feeding box trees is a simple process that differs when growing in the ground compare with container finish .

It is easy to choose constituent options for mulch and other feeds when grow these evergreen shrubs in your garden .