Boxwood Shrubs Care-Tips And Ideas

You need to know about proper boxwood shrubs care if you already have boxwoods planted in your yard or garden or if you are still thinking of planning these shrubs in your property. Boxwoods are evergreen plants that are cultivated for their dense foliage. They serve as natural fences or borders, topiaries, and landscaping plants because it is easy to trim their leaves according to your preferred shape. I want to grow boxwood plants in my garden which I can use to create a small maze that my kids will surely love. I think this is a major project so for the meantime, I am still doing my research about boxwood shrubs.

Caring for boxwood shrubs is not so difficult. In fact, they are some of the plants that require low maintenance. However, for them to provide you the kind of foliage that you are looking for, you need to know how to properly care for your boxwood shrubs. Check out the following tips that I have collected on how to care for your boxwood shrubs.

Boxwood Shrubs Care Tip—Water Your Boxwood Properly

Boxwoods can tolerate hot temperature and even dry land but only up to a point. If you leave them for several months without watering, you will observe browning of leaves caused by lack of water. What you can do is to water them enough just to keep the soil from drying up. Do not pour too much water that will make the soil soggy because this can damage the root system and will cause them to die.

Boxwood Shrubs Care Tip—Inspect The Leaves

Inspecting the leaves will give you an idea whether your boxwood plants are infested by insects and parasites. For example, stippling in the leaves could mean that your boxwood is infested with mites while holes on the leaves are symptoms of leafminer infestation. If the leaves are browning, it could mean that the plant lacks water or nourishment from the soil or sunlight.

Boxwood Plant Care Tip—Fertilize The Soil

You should also fertilize the soil using granular fertilizer with a 10-6-4 nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus ratio. It is also important to do this at the end of fall season. I have very little idea about fertilizers which is why I often get whatever the owner of the fertilizer store tells me to buy.

Boxwood Plant Care Tip—Control Pests

Once you have identified the pests, you need to control the infestation using insecticides for heavy infestations. To prevent mites and other leaf pests, you should apply a thin layer of horticultural oil on the surface of the leaves that will prevent them from boring holes into the leaves. If you have no idea about insecticides, you should always consult your local garden center for help.

Final Thoughts

These are just some basic things that you can do to protect your boxwood plants. They are simple and easy to do, perfect for beginners like me. I also advise you to always consult an expert about gardens or boxwoods to get some more advanced tips about boxwood shrubs care.