Boxwoods

Common Names: Boxwoods, fastigiate and shearing type.
Latin Name: Buxus 'Shadow Sentinel', Buxus 'Winter Gem'

General Info

We have two types. One is the fastigiate 'Shadow Sentinel', which is meant to go taller and more upright, conical in form. We can form it into various shapes. The other is a smaller thing that's less ornamental and we basically just use it as a hedge.

Pest is leaf miner. Manifest in squiggly lines on leaves.

Soil Requirements

pH between 6.5 and 7.

Water Requirements

After it's established, don't even worry about it unless it's a period of hot, dry weather. Boxwood roots are near the surface and the plant is easily drowned by watering too frequently.

Fertilization

Fertilize once, in the spring before new growth. The ideal fertilizer for boxwood is a 10-6-4 urea fertilizer in granular form. Apply fertilizer over mulch in the recommended dosage, taking care not to allow it to come in contact with the shallow roots of the boxwood -- direct contact can damage roots, cause foliage to brown and trigger the death of branches.

Pruning

Just prune every now and then. Any time of year, but late fall is worst for disease.

We can either just go right at em with big shears and give them a haircut, or do even better and do selective pruning to give them a more natural look, where we trim one branch at a time at varying lengths. With the former, we end up with a huge cluster at the tip that lets no light through and then the middle of the bush ends up being all dead with no leaves.

Seasonal View

Early Spring

Fertilize before new growth.