| Plant of the Month |
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Boxwood have beautiful
evergreen foliage. |
This old-fashioned favorite is a shrub
with many "uses"
Boxwood has been described as
"Man's Oldest Garden Ornament". It was introduced to North America from Europe in the 17th century and has been an important part of many American gardens ever since. This elegant and long-lived evergreen shrub with its small leaves and fine texture has many different uses in the landscape. It is commonly used in formal hedges, as an edging plant, in foundation plantings, and even as an impressive accent plant. Boxwoods are also one of the best shrubs for use in creating magnificent topiaries.
Many Different Forms
Although there are more than 150 different boxwood cultivars, two types, American Boxwood, Buxus sempervirens and English boxwood, Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa', are the most commonly grown boxwood in American gardens. English boxwood is considered the "true edging" boxwood and this low-growing form is often used in more formal landscape designs. Buxus sempervirens also includes many of the taller cultivars that are seen around many older homes, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Newer cultivars have been selected for a variety of different growth forms and also for increased winter hardiness. Buxus microphylla (Littleleaf boxwood) is a lower growing species that includes the very slow growing Japanese boxwood which grows from 3 to 6 feet tall. This species also includes the smallest cultivar, 'Compacta' which grows only to about 12" tall!
Culture
Boxwood is considered a fairly low-maintenance shrub. Most cultivars prefer full sun or part shade, however, in colder regions, they perform better if they are planted in a less exposed area where they are protected from winter winds and full sun exposure. Spraying with an anti-desiccant like Bonide Wilt Stop in the late fall and again in mid-winter can help prevent winter burn and sun scald.
Well-drained soil is essential to avoid problems with root rot. If you are planting in heavy clay soil, add gypsum or Espoma Soil Perfector and good organic matter to improve drainage. Be very careful if you have an automatic sprinkling system as this often keeps the soil too wet for boxwood.
Fertilizing Boxwood At planting time, amend the soil with an organic fertilizer like Espoma Plant-tone or Holly-tone,
and
rock phosphate according to the Viette recommendations. After the first year, fertilize with Plant-tone or Holly-tone in the early spring and again in the fall. Avoid fertilizing with chemical or quick release fertilizers late in the summer or fall as this can lead to a burst of tender new growth that will be subject to winter injury.
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Tip of the Month
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| Pruning Boxwood Pruning of boxwoods is done mainly to control size and shape, and to improve the health of the shrub. Annual thinning with hand shears is recognized as one of the best pruning methods for maintaining the health of the shrub. Happily, you can do this type of thinning in early winter when the trimmings can be used for holiday decorating!
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| Boxwood balls are a festive holiday favorite! |
Pruning for Holiday greens
Boxwood is one of the best of the broadleaf evergreens to use for holiday decorating because the leaves hold their rich green color well and remain fresh for a long time. In outside arrangements, the cool temperatures keep them fresh even without water! To cut boxwood greens for decorating, follow the procedures outlined below for annual thinning. Annual thinning with hand shears is recommended to open up the plant and bring air, light, and water to the interior of the shrub. This type of pruning not only reduces the incidence of disease by increasing air circulation, it also rejuvenates the plant by stimulating the production of basal buds and new interior growth.
- Always use good quality hand shears that are sharp.
- Reach about 6-12 inches into the interior of the shrub and prune off a branch.
- Continue thinning but remove no more than about 10% of the outer branches.
- When you are finished, your boxwood will still be about the same size and shape, just not as dense!
Shearing boxwood is not recommended because it stimulates growth only at the ends of the branches. Continual shearing causes the exterior of the shrub to become very dense and reduces the amount of light and air that reaches the interior of the shrub. This growth pattern is unhealthy for the plant as a whole because the lack of light and air circulation causes inner leaves to die and can also lead to an increase in disease. If you do shear your boxwood, be sure to also do some thinning afterwards to keep it from becoming too dense.
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This boxwood hedge filled out nicely just 2 years after a severe pruning.
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Severe pruning of overgrown boxwood should only be done in late winter or early spring when the boxwood is dormant. They can be pruned heavily until just bare branches remain or you can even cut them back to one to two feet above the ground. The boxwood hedge in this photo taken in early April of 2009 had been cut back to about 15" from the ground in March of 2007. This type of severe pruning is not always 100% successful but a very high percentage do come back with beautiful new growth!
After severe pruning, fertilize your shrubs with Espoma Plant-tone and rock phosphate according to the Viette's recommendations.
Watch Mark Viette's video tips on pruning boxwood. |
Books Make Wonderful Gifts!
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Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just new to the wonderful world of gardening, these great books, written by the Viettes, are an invaluable resource.
Andre's Newest Book ...
Mid-Atlantic Getting Started Garden Guide
The mid-Atlantic region is huge and overflowing with great plants that you can grow - but perhaps you don't know which ones to select or how to grow them. Andre and Mark Viette, together with Jacqui Heriteau share their many years of gardening experience to help you choose the best plants for your garden and teach you how to keep them healthy. Whether you are a beginning gardener, a newcomer to the area, or an old hand who's looking for some new ideas, this is the book for you. $24.99
Featuring ...
More great gardening books by the Viettes ...
The Mid-Atlantic Gardener's Guide
This book will guide you through through the selection, planting, maintenance, and landscape use of the most beautiful, trouble-free annuals, bulbs, ground covers, perennials, shrubs, trees, and more. It is the "best of the best" for the Mid-Atlantic region. $24.99
Month-By-Month Gardening in the Mid-Atlantic
 A revised edition of one of Andre's most popular books, this book is the definitive "when to . . ." that every gardener should have! It is filled with information, advice, gardening hints and projects to guide you through the gardening year - 'Month-by-Month'.
Mid-Atlantic Edition - $24.95
Special New York Edition
for northern gardeners - $19.99
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Did You Know?
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This Korean boxwood has become bronzed from wind and sun exposure. |
Boxwood Bronzing
If exposed to full sun and frequent frost and wind, the foliage of boxwood can become orange or bronze in the winter. This is especially common in certain boxwood varieties such as the small-leaved Korean Boxwood (
Buxus microphylla var.
koreana).
Protect your Evergreens
There are certain things you can do to help protect boxwood and other evergreens from sunburn and winter winds that might cause discoloration of the foliage.
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Korean boxwood in winter. |
Most important is to
keep them watered during the winter especially when the ground is not frozen. Gardeners often forget that evergreens continue to function physiologically (albeit at a reduced rate) throughout the winter. Cold winter winds can suck moisture from the leaves and if this water is not replaced through uptake by the roots, winter injury can occur. This is why it is important to water your evergreens deeply in the late fall before the ground freezes. During dry winter weather when the ground is not frozen, be sure to check your evergreen trees and shrubs and water deeply if necessary. This is especially important in a mild winter.
Feed your boxwood in the spring and fall with a slow release organic fertilizer like Espoma Holly-tone or Plant-tone to keep them healthy and vigorous.
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Winter dieback on boxwood is very different from bronzing. |
Spray your susceptible evergreens with an anti-desiccant like Bonide Wilt Stop to help protect them from winter injury by forming a soft, clear flexible film over the leaves. In colder areas, the more tender broadleaf evergreens like Camellias and some varieties of boxwood and hollies should be sprayed with Wilt Stop and then carefully wrapped in burlap for additional protection from sun and wind.
Keep in mind that for some boxwood like the Korean boxwood, this color change is normal during the winter months. The good news is, though many consider it unattractive, this bronzing will not kill the boxwood and they should green up again once temperatures warm up in the spring.
It is important to note that the overall bronzing of the foliage that I am talking about here is a seasonal discoloration, not winter kill. Winter kill is permanent and must be pruned out in the spring.
Read more about boxwood bronzing
on my blog, Viette's Views.
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From the Viette's Views Blog Archives
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11-22-2013
