Two years ago, Linda C. Askey, a columnist for Southern Living Magazine, wrote an article on the care of boxwoods. She shared a maintenance calendar and a fertilizer mixture given to her by Atlanta landscape architect Diane Dunaway. If you have English or American boxwoods, or you are planning to include this classic shrub in your garden, follow these easy suggestions:
* March 1 - Feed with cottonseed meal at the rate of 2 cups for a shrub about 5 feet across, and 1 cup for a shrub 3 feet across. Broadcast meal evenly inside of the plant.
* March 22 to April 7 - Spray once with Cygon as directed on the label to control leaf miners. Reapply again in two weeks, following spring growth.
* Mid-April - Six weeks after applying cottonseed meal, apply this fertilizer recipe: 8 cups cottonseed meal, 8 cups cow manure, ½ cup Epsom salts. Sprinkle 2 cups mix around a large boxwood, 1 cup for small boxwood.
* June 1 - After six weeks following the recipe, come back with an application of 10-10-10 around the drip line of the shrubs. A light sprinkling is fine because boxwoods are shallow- rooted and burn easily.
* Summer - Give the boxwoods an inch of water every ten days during the hot summer months.
* November - Every other year, after the leaves on the trees have fallen, dust the soil underneath with lime. Mulch with pine straw each year.
* December - Cut several 8-10 inch branches of boxwood for holiday decorations. Removing them does not hurt their appearance, and the pruning opens the plant to light and air circulation. New growth continues to grow from the center.
Understanding when to prune, spray, and feed your boxwoods will keep your plants growing and remaining healthy.
All of us at the Extension Office are interested in helping with your yard and garden. Please e-mail me or call us with your questions.
Kathy Seals
Horticulture Program Assistant/ Master Gardener Coordinator
Georgia Extension Office - Hall County
(770) 535-8292
[email protected]
Tuesday
November 5th, 2024
7:35AM
