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The autumn-winter period is an extremely important time for any plant grower, since many plants require increased attention just before the onset of cold weather. This is true for a wide variety of crops, including frost-sensitive boxwood. Therefore, it will be useful for everyone who has the pleasure of growing this wonderful plant on their plot to know what it means to care for boxwood in the fall and how to properly prepare it for winter.
Features of caring for boxwood in the fall and preparing for winter
Although boxwood cannot be called a whimsical crop in the summer, the autumn months involve a fairly large amount of work associated with this plant. After all, it is quality care in the fall that will determine whether boxwood can quickly recover from winter with the arrival of warmth. When growing this plant on your site, it is worth remembering several important points:
- Boxwood leaves contain toxic compounds that can cause chemical burns.Therefore, caring for the plant must be done with rubber gloves, a robe and a face mask, which must be washed along with garden tools after each use.
- All care procedures, including pruning, watering and mulching, should be carried out before the arrival of frosty days.
- Since boxwood is very sensitive to the sun and begins to actively sprout at the slightest warming, it is worth planting it in the shade of large plants or near buildings on the north-eastern and north-western side.
- In spring, the cover from the bush is not immediately removed. First, the trunk circle is opened slightly at the very base of the plant, then after 7 - 10 days the protective layer is removed from the top of the boxwood. Snow and leaves are removed from the tree trunk circle so that the soil warms up faster.
Caring for boxwood in autumn
Caring for the plant in the fall is not too burdensome, but it requires sufficient attention and time. As in the summer, it comes down to watering, fertilizing, mulching and pruning. However, each of these procedures has its own nuances, following which will make it easier for the boxwood to winter and help maintain the health of the bush.
Watering and fertilizing
Deep watering will help energize the plant for the upcoming winter months. It is necessary for boxwood to nourish its cells with the liquid it will need in a snowless winter with drying frosts and strong winds. In such conditions, the bush quickly evaporates water, and its initial lack will lead to freezing of the boxwood and its death. Therefore, 1 - 2 weeks before the onset of frost, you should generously water the plant with settled water at room temperature.For watering, it is better to choose a dry, sunny day, and carry out the procedure itself in the morning or 3-4 hours before dusk, so as not to provoke the development of fungal diseases in the boxwood.
As for fertilizing, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers will also perfectly saturate the plant before the winter months and accelerate the growth of green mass in the spring. However, you should feed boxwood for the last time for the season no later than mid-September, otherwise, instead of going into a dormant state, the crop will sprout new shoots. The best time for final feeding is considered to be the end of August, and in warm regions - the first days of September.
Mulching
When caring for boxwood, one should not underestimate the importance of such a procedure as mulching. Correctly carried out action can, no less than, save the bush from freezing on harsh winter days, as well as from flooding during snow melting, since mulch ensures optimal water and heat exchange in the roots of the plant. As a rule, boxwood is mulched 2 - 3 days after water-recharging watering. Peat, rotted pine needles or crushed pine bark are often used as mulch. The layer of mulching material is made 5-10 cm thick, while at the base of the plant a free space with a diameter of 2-3 cm is left.
Trimming
An important procedure in caring for boxwood is pruning. In summer, the plant is pruned mainly to maintain the decorative appearance of the bush at intervals of once every 1 - 2 months.Pre-winter pruning, which is carried out at the end of October before frost, has other goals. It is aimed at stimulating the growth of young boxwood shoots during the spring growing season. As a rule, during this procedure, damaged and old branches are completely removed, and the remaining branches are shortened by 1.5 - 2 cm. Moreover, only bushes older than 2 years need pruning. Younger specimens with a less developed root system will be too weakened after the procedure and may not recover after the cold.
Protection from diseases and pests
Since the foliage of the plant contains toxic substances, this makes the crop very resistant to a variety of pests and diseases. However, there are also insects that attack boxwood, despite its protective functions.
For example, the boxwood fly, which feeds on the pulp of leaves, gnawing tunnels in them, is not only voracious, but also resistant to low temperatures. The larvae of this parasite successfully survive the winter and devour the plant with renewed vigor in the spring.
The boxwood felt borer causes just as much damage to boxwood by eating its branches and leaves. In addition, he, like the fly, is not afraid of the cold, so he can suddenly remind himself during the growing season of the plant in the spring, when, it would seem, the plant has gotten rid of this scourge.
Both pests can be controlled by treating the bush with insecticides in late April - May. In the fall, you can also take certain actions to combat them: for example, timely removal of injured branches and leaves and burning them. Whitewashing tall plants will also help against attacks by parasites.
Transfer
Caring for boxwood may include the need to replant the plant, which, like the initial planting, is carried out before winter. For successful development, the location of the bush is changed at intervals of 3 to 4 years until it grows large enough. The optimal time for this is considered to be the period from late July to early November, depending on the growing region. When choosing a day for replanting, it is worth considering that the bush needs at least 1 month for successful rooting, so it is advisable to organize it before cold weather sets in.
The location of the transplant is also of great importance. The quality of the soil is not very important when it comes to boxwood, but on fertile, loose soil the plant will grow stronger much faster. At the same time, they focus on moderately moist soil, and groundwater should not lie too close to the surface, otherwise the roots of the bush will begin to rot.
As a rule, when transplanting boxwood, plant growers are guided by the same algorithm of actions as when planting in open ground:
- 24 hours before the procedure, the plant is generously watered to make it easier to extract the roots with a lump of earth.
- The planting hole is dug 3 times larger than the earthen clod.
- A drainage layer of perlite or other absorbent material 2-3 cm thick is laid at the bottom.
- Then mix perlite from the soil in a 1:1 ratio and pour it over the drainage so that subsequently the upper part of the earth ball with roots is flush with the surface. The empty space around the roots is also filled with the mixture and the soil is lightly compacted.
- Upon completion of the procedure, the boxwood is intensively watered with rain or settled water.
Preparing boxwood for winter
When preparing a plant for winter, it is necessary to take into account the frost resistance of boxwood and, if necessary, think about whether it is worth building a shelter for it.
Winter hardiness of boxwood
This plant is quite capable of withstanding short-term cold snaps, but at stable low temperatures below -10°C it begins to freeze. Prolonged frosts can completely destroy the bush if no additional measures are taken. However, some boxwood varieties are more frost-hardy than others. So, hardy plant varieties include:
- "Blauer Heinz"
- "Handsworthiensis";
- "Herrenhausen";
- "Buxus Sempervirens".
Is it necessary to cover boxwood for the winter?
The decision about whether to cover the plant for the winter or not should be made based on the characteristics of the region in which the boxwood grows. In the southern regions, bushes up to 1 m high successfully winter under snow, but in colder regions, including the middle zone, care must be taken to protect the plant. This is necessary not only to prevent freezing, but also to hide the crop from the sun during thaws, since even a small amount of light can awaken boxwood from hibernation and start photosynthesis processes in the foliage. Due to frozen soil, nutrition will not be able to flow fully, and the plant will die very quickly.
How to cover boxwood for the winter
The construction of a winter shelter plays a key role in preparing the plant for the cold.To properly insulate boxwood for the winter, the following recommendations may be useful:
- The bushes should be covered after the temperature outside reaches a stable -10°C and the risk of possible warming has passed, otherwise the bush will dry out under the protective material.
- Standard plants and low-growing bushes are pre-tied, attached to the support with a rope so that they do not break off under the weight of snow.
- Low bushes do not need staking if wooden boxes with holes for ventilation are used for shelter.
- Instead of tying up plants up to 1 m in height, you can build wire frames over them. Such structures are covered with a protective layer, which is fixed to the ground using a weight.
- Tall varieties are covered with burlap, tightly wrapping the bush. In some cases, they use two U-shaped structures installed crosswise above the plant.
- The boxwood, which is part of the hedge, is carefully tied with a rope, dividing the plants into groups of several copies. Additionally, you can cover the tree trunk circles with spruce branches tied in bunches.
- If boxwood bushes grow side by side with roses, it is possible to make a common frame shelter.
- The fabric should be breathable and dark in color. Light-colored material is not suitable, as it attracts heat, which can cause the plant to dry out.
- For the same reason, plastic film should not be used for covering.
How boxwood overwinters
The climate in central Russia is characterized by the fact that in winter, crops that belong to the 4th winter hardiness zone and below feel quite comfortable there. However, most boxwood varieties are classified as zone 6: this means that such plants must be protected from the cold, often with several layers of covering material. This approach to care will help maintain the health of the bush without losing its decorative properties.
Conclusion
Caring for boxwood in the fall cannot be called a troublesome task, since the culture has many features. However, following all the recommendations and increased care will more than pay off in the spring, when the plant will delight the eye with its spectacular and well-groomed appearance. A video about covering this crop for the winter will help you consolidate your newfound skills in caring for boxwood.
