Buxus sempervirens. Perhaps not with that name, but surely more than once you have seen a buxus, boxwood or hedge walking through some streets. It is one of the bushes that is used to divide spaces. But also to create 'green' figures. But what kind of care does Buxus sempervirens need?
If it has caught your attention and you have thought about putting it in your garden as a wall, or you want it to grow to form figures that you have seen in movies or series, surely this will come in handy to know what you should pay attention to.
What is Buxus sempervirens like?
Buxus sempervirens, boxwood or hedge, is a shrub capable of easily reach 5 meters in height. It is native to Europe, but is also found in Africa, Asia and America. Especially the latter draws our attention in movies and series because it is used to create imposing animal figures. One of the films that comes to mind is that of Eduardo Scissorhands, where, in his garden, you had these figures.
It is characterized by having very small leaves, but with abundance of them, in green color and of form, well oval, well oblong. These, being so small, and the branches very rigid, allows us to create different shapes between them, trimming what stands out and being able to give this bush the shape we want.
Something that not many know is that the buxus 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 buxus), they do not usually attract attention. Along with the flowers, you also have the fruits, these are more striking, round with some spikes.
Of course, you should know that everything in the plant is poisonous, so you must take care that neither animals nor babies or children come close.
Buxus sempervirens: most important care
We start from the basis that Buxus sempervirens is a very resistant shrub. It is difficult for it to die, and for this reason, many use it for their gardens, especially with the intention of "taming" it and creating 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 the following.
Lighting design
Where to put the buxus? Outside or inside the house? Well, the truth is that it is an outdoor plant. It loves the sun, although you can also put it in semi-shade. What it should have is a lot of lighting, direct or indirect, because that is how it develops best.
In fact, if you put it in the shade you will realize that each time the branches will throw fewer leaves and we could say that it remains "bald" because it does not have enough light to carry out all the little leaves it throws.
Temperature
As for the temperature, the truth is that it 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 of up to -10 degrees centigrade do quite well. Beyond that you may have to protect him a bit.
Earth
The buxus substrate must be light in that it is loose. This is achieved with a mixture of soil and drainage.
The recommendation that we make is that you choose a substrate that is rich in lime, and that also has a neutral pH. Actually, it can be developed in any type of soil, but if you want to give it the ideal, then that is the best.
Along with the substrate, choose some drainage to make it looser, such as the vermiculite, perlite...
Irrigation
Watering buxus sempervirens is one of the most important precautions because it is what can kill the plant. Our recommendation is that they be frequent but in small quantities, since this way you make sure that there are no puddles and that you drink enough water to continue moving forward.
According to the climate and the level of drought of the substrate, this is how you should water. In other words, you have to water before the soil dries up completely. The easiest is the following:
- En spring and summer, water 2-4 times a weekespecially if it's very hot. But with little quantity. Enough so that the earth is soaked a little and nothing more. The next time you must make sure that the first layer of soil is dry to water again.
- En autumn and winter you will spend only once a week. As it will be cold, the humidity that is generated may be enough.
Fertilizer
It is recommended, especially the first years of growth, that you put a little fertilizer in the spring and summer months.
The best and most recommended for him is the organic compost, such as humus. But if you don't have this available, you can choose fertilizer for green plants since it is also doing well.
Plagues and diseases
Unfortunately the buxus, although it is very resistant and is not usually seen succumbing to pests or diseases, it does suffer from them and care must be taken so that it passes them easily.
In general, when it comes to pests, you should be careful with mealybugs and boxwood mosquitoes, that can be eliminated by spraying the buxus to avoid them.
As for diseases, there are several. One of them occurs in older plants, and is a serious disease. We talk about the Rousselian pseudometry. Other diseases can be white spots caused by the fungus mycosphaerella patouillardii; or yellow or brown spots, from the fungus ascochyta; or root rot.
Even so, keep in mind that the buxus has a life expectancy of about 600 years, so it already tells you that it is capable of surviving pests and diseases, even more so if you help it.
Multiplication
Lastly, if you want to reproduce your buxus, then the best and easiest way is to do it via cuttings. You will have to plant them in a mixture of perlite (drainage) and peat moss and it is always done in spring and summer so that they catch on. That first winter you should take care of it a little more because it will be weak and if there is frost or intense cold it can get sick.
Now that you know how to care for buxus sempervirens, do you dare to have one in your home?