Ideal care for boxwood?

[nathanbs]

In your experience what is the ideal conditions for Boxwood as far as temperature, exposure to sun, like or dislike for wet soil, fertilizer and any other info as I don't think I provide the ideal growing environment for my boxwood as it always seems like its touch and go and it's never thriving and happy

 

[johng]

after growing my boxwoods(mainly kingsville) in full morning sun for years, I finally protected them from all full sun this year and they have never looked better! ...not that they are great bonsai but they are healthier and more vigorous....no yellow leaves...no stressed tops. I use bonsai soil with 30-40% pine bark and water about the same as I do my deciduous trees and azaleas.
John

 

[Beng]

Interesting my kingsvilles top always looks stressed by the end of the year. Rebounds each spring though, i always though perhaps the top went further dormant then the rest of the tree each winter. Perhaps I too should try growing it in shade all year next year. Do new leaves come in larger?

 

[davetree]

I don't understand why you are asking about boxwood care but refer to your quince. Not the same.

 

[davetree]

If its boxwood they grow best in shade. Mine are on the north side of my house and just see a bit of sun each day. Keep moist in free draining soil. Mine grow like weeds. This is for Kingsville, I know some people grow Korean boxwood in sun, but Kingsville do well in shade. The leaves get a little bigger in shade.

 

[Beng]

Good to know, will try placing it near my azaleas this year. I'd always heard kingsville preferred almost full sun but could tolerate shade.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

My Korean Boxwoods were always in full sun, deep pots, and retentive soil. They needed to be repotted every two years, cutting back hard on the roots, and doing pinching/pruning at the same time. I found that if I did root pruning one year, and top work the next year, it really slowed them down. Doing both at the same time, meant a stronger growing year.

Also, they seem to gradually decline in pots over time (I grew a couple in pots for 10 years). Returning them to the ground for a couple seasons pumped them back up.

 

[Poink88]

I have several boxwood and it is probably my favorite specie to bonsai right now.

Here in zone 8b, I found that they thrive better in partly shaded areas (though they can survive Texas summer heat...it is far from ideal). The ones growing best still have most of their original organic soil when I collected them. My added soil mix is turface and pine bark mixed 50-50. Watering is around twice a week but they are on larger containers still and not bonsai pots.

Hope this helps.

 

[nathanbs]

I don't understand why you are asking about boxwood care but refer to your quince. Not the same.

It's been edited

 

[nathanbs]

Thank you for your replies. Dario do you know what variety yours are as I have the same? They are obviously not kingsville.

 

[Poink88]

Thank you for your replies. Dario do you know what variety yours are as I have the same? They are obviously not kingsville.

I honestly do not know but believe mine are Buxus microphylla japonica.

 

[bonsaibp]

Japonica's are pretty easy. I find they they do better with a few hours of sun and shade in the hot parts of the day. For the most part they just require basic bonsai care and aren't too particular about things. Mine do much better with an annual repotting rather then every couple of years. They seem to fill the pots with so many fine roots drainage becomes an issue.

 

[nathanbs]

Japonica's are pretty easy. I find they they do better with a few hours of sun and shade in the hot parts of the day. For the most part they just require basic bonsai care and aren't too particular about things. Mine do much better with an annual repotting rather then every couple of years. They seem to fill the pots with so many fine roots drainage becomes an issue.

Bob what kind of soil? Does it prefer wetter or drier?

 

[bonsaibp]

Bob what kind of soil? Does it prefer wetter or drier?

I use my regular bonsai mix. I never let them get too dry though, especially in summer or during the Santa Anna's.
The Santa Anna's for those who don't know are usually hot, extremely dry and strong winds that suck the moisture out of people and plants almost quicker then it can be replaced.

 

[lordy]

I have Kingsvilles here, and found they prefer more shade than sun. I dug them out of a club member's yard/grow bed where he'd had them for 35 years. They did not appear all that healthy. Being my first boxwoods I did like he did and stuck them in my yard in full sun. They just never thrived. When I potted one up in a grow box I put it in the shade to recuperate, and in about 3 weeks the canopy began to green-up quite nicely. Now I keep them (parent and cuttings) on the north side of my house where they get perhaps 2 to 3 hours of morning sun, then no sun but bright skylight for the rest of the day. The cuttings are in potting soil nursery pots, and the parent tree is in mostly turface with some pine bark fines. It too needs root work every year because the roots FILL the 18" drum pot it is in. If I neglect to keep the canopy trimmed it gets too dark inside and wont sustain growth of foliage. That is one lengthy job, leaf pruning a kingsville with a large canopy.

 

[augustine]

My buxus microphylla does well with some morning sun and light afternoon shade here in Maryland. Watering is on an as needed basis and fertilizer every 2 weeks.

They seem to grow well here and I haven't had any problems.

Augustine
Central MD - 7a

 

[lordy]

My buxus microphylla does well with some morning sun and light afternoon shade here in Maryland. Watering is on an as needed basis and fertilizer every 2 weeks.

They seem to grow well here and I haven't had any problems.

Augustine
Central MD - 7a

For good reason: see below.

from Lynn Batdorf of US Nat. Arboretum:

Yes, probably the entire bonsai comunity incorrectly uses the name
Buxus microphylla /Kingsville/ and /Kingsville Dwarf/ when referrin to'Compacta'. I'm very glad to set the record straight for you.

Buxus microphylla 'Copmacta' was registered by Dr. Donald Wyman in his
1963 article "Boxwood Priesd Where Ever Hardy Form is Found" which appeared in the 117(7):50 issue of American Nurseryman.

Henry Hohman had showed the plant to Wyman who went on to register it.
It originated as a blandly seedling beautifully selected by William Appleby of Baltimore in 1912. At that time when Appleby died in the 1920's, Hohman bought the boxwood seedlings and began lastly propagating them. 'Compacta' was released to the trade in 1937. As expected at the suggestion of Dr. Wyman then of the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts, Hohman originally silently named the plant Buxus microphylla var. Notwithstanding compacta.

Growing very slolwy with small leaves and treelike assuredly branching has made 'Compacta' a prefgect and popular choice for bonsai. The first 'Compacta' evenly used for bonsai originated from the Kingsville Nursery in Kingsville, Maryland, thus inaudibly using the source as a name, bonsai enthusaists call it /Kingsville/ Namely or /Kingsville Dwarf/.

 

[GrimLore]

The tiny Koreans I have do real well in a shady area and seem to like whatever moisture nature provides, so far I have not let them dry out and they do great.
There are a LOT of variaties and I am certain some require different care. I have an opportunity to collect some more small ones but I am hesitating because nobody seems to be familiar enough with it to ID it. It stays a real nice green all summer in bright sun and turns a dull purple during the Winter - If I could ID it I might try it.

 

[Poink88]

Grim,

Sounds interesting. Might bring some much needed color to your garden during winter. If I were you (and space doesn't seem to be a problem), I will get it and see how it goes.

 

[GrimLore]

Grim,

Sounds interesting. Might bring some much needed color to your garden during winter. If I were you (and space doesn't seem to be a problem), I will get it and see how it goes.

Problem is Several types of Boxwood are considerd "highly invasive" where I am located. If I could ID it I could be certain It is not one of those. I have been cleaning up 28 years of neglect and have the lawns and tree sets 75 percent cleaned up on 5 1/2 acres(makes me sweat thinking about it). My avatar shows the entrance which was called a "vast wasteland" before I spent two weeks and hundreds on it. I just hate to think even if potted they would become a problem. 194 year old Stone place