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| Thinking of giving Buxus the boot http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19235 |
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| Author: | bluesky [ 08 Nov 2021, 22:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
I have 5 box in pots and about 20 in a low hedge. They are all the northern type, they grow incredibly slowly. But in some ways it makes them easier to maintain, only prune once a year and repot once every 2 or 3 years depending on the size. They go red in late autumn if they don't get enough water in summer. None of mine have died despite my occasional clumsy mistakes. One I'm growing as a windswept nearly died about 4 years ago but patience and watering brought it slowly back. I think the key is to think of these as a 10 year project instead of 5 year projects that you might consider other species. One thing, I don't agree with HarryH's advice to defoliate the lower leaves only leaving the apical leaves. That just left dead shoots on mine. In my experience the box's behave more like a slow-growing juniper in the sense that you can get backbudding only when the foliage is really green and vigorous. If you do aggressive pruning, it keeps them to shape and slowly impoves ramification, but doesn't encourage backbudding. So once a year is enough. Or twice if you include removing the ugly 'flower' balls. |
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| Author: | Keith Hansell [ 13 Nov 2021, 00:21 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
Only the odd leaf has gone red (ish) in the time I have had them. Something that never happens with my box hedging in the garden. I agree they are a slow growing plant and even more so in a pot. I too have never defoliated. Nor have I done so on my privet, which is also recommended by some. |
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| Author: | Keith Hansell [ 21 Feb 2022, 17:38 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
Well placing it in a garden pot and putting by the side of the summerhouse has done it some good. Its had new light green growth for a few months now but I noticed this morning that it also has flowers appearing.  IMG_20220221_161647 by Keith Hansell, on Flickr
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| Author: | bluesky [ 22 Feb 2022, 10:54 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
Great recovery! You can safely pinch all those flowers off - they're not exactly pretty and so redirect all the energy to leaf and root growth instead of flowers. I do them once a year. Although it can be fiddly to pinch between the leaves without removing leaves... |
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| Author: | Keith Hansell [ 01 Mar 2022, 18:24 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
bluesky wrote: Great recovery! You can safely pinch all those flowers off - they're not exactly pretty and so redirect all the energy to leaf and root growth instead of flowers. I do them once a year. Although it can be fiddly to pinch between the leaves without removing leaves... Thanks. Something to keep me amused tomorrow morning. Good to see the Hawthorn buds showing plenty of green as I walked round the benches this morning. |
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| Author: | Keith Hansell [ 10 Apr 2022, 10:41 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
When i took up bonsai again, sadly the local bonsai club had disbanded. However I was able to visit one of its members who gave me some good starting advice, even though I had turned up with several sticks in pots. He also gave me a stack of old Bonsai Europe magazines, which from time to time I flick through. Yesterday was one of those days whilst sitting in the summerhouse and I came across an article on Buxus, in the September 2004 edition. Reading through it I am now not sure if I have the Southern Box or the Cultivar. I have always assumed the latter but looking at the illustrated leaves and bark I am not 100% sure. However most of the recommendations for each are the same. They like plenty of fertiliser Expose to the sun, although they can be placed in shade in very hot weather. Wire carefully in June. Grows well in draining soil with chalky gravels, a little sieved original soil and a little Akadama. (on mine most of the original soil must have gone by now and I don't use Akadama on any trees) Allow to grow freely each year, and then cut back to two leaves in June or September. |
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| Author: | Keith Hansell [ 14 Apr 2022, 09:20 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
bluesky wrote: Great recovery! You can safely pinch all those flowers off - they're not exactly pretty and so redirect all the energy to leaf and root growth instead of flowers. I do them once a year. Although it can be fiddly to pinch between the leaves without removing leaves... Just been looking at your YouTube video on pot size. How is the box doing in the shallow pot you used? |
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| Author: | bluesky [ 15 Apr 2022, 10:16 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
Hi Keith, that box is doing great, I will upload a photo when I get the time. No plans to repot it again until next year. |
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| Author: | Betula [ 15 Apr 2022, 10:59 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
For me Buxus is too slow and fussy to make it worth growing as Bonsai- life is just too short!! I much prefer Lonicera nitida which is similar in appearance, much more forgiving and almost bomb proof, and it roots very easily from large and small cuttings, like willow. |
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| Author: | Keith Hansell [ 16 Apr 2022, 09:12 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thinking of giving Buxus the boot |
bluesky wrote: Hi Keith, that box is doing great, I will upload a photo when I get the time. No plans to repot it again until next year. Thanks |
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