Boxwood: frost resistance, whether it is necessary to cover, care in autumn and winter

The autumn-winter period is an extremely important time for any grower, since many plants require increased attention just before the onset of cold weather. This is true for a wide variety of crops, including boxwood, which is sensitive to frost. Therefore, it will be useful for everyone who has the pleasure of growing this wonderful plant on their site to find out what caring for boxwood in the fall is and how to properly prepare it for winter.

Features of caring for boxwood in the fall and preparing for winter

Although boxwood is not a whimsical crop in the summer, there is a fairly large amount of work associated with this plant during the autumn months. After all, it will depend on quality care in the fall whether boxwood can quickly recover from winter with the arrival of heat. When growing this plant on your site, it is worth remembering a few important points:

1. Boxwood leaves contain toxic compounds that can cause chemical burns. Therefore, the care of the plant must be carried out with rubber gloves, a bathrobe and a face mask, which must be washed with gardening tools after each use.
2. All care procedures, including pruning, watering and mulching, should be carried out before the arrival of frosty days.
3. 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 northeast and northwest sides.
4. In the spring, shelter from the bush is not removed immediately. First, the trunk circle is slightly opened 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 trunk circle so that the soil warms up faster.

Boxwood care in autumn

Caring for a 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 facilitate the wintering of boxwood and help maintain the health of the bush.

Watering and feeding

To recharge the plant with energy before the upcoming winter months will help abundant watering. It is necessary for the boxwood to nourish its cells with the liquid that it will need in a snowless winter with withering frosts and strong winds. Under such conditions, the bush rapidly 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 irrigation, 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 boxwood.

As for fertilizing, potash and phosphorus fertilizers will also saturate the plant in the best possible way before the winter months and accelerate the growth of green mass in the spring. However, it is worth feeding boxwood for the last time in a season no later than mid-September, otherwise, instead of falling into a dormant state, the culture will start new shoots. The best time for final feeding is the end of August, and in warm regions – the first days of September.

Mulching

When caring for boxwood, the importance of such a procedure as mulching should not be underestimated. Properly carried out action can, no less, save the bush from freezing on harsh winter days, as well as from flooding during snowmelt, since the mulch provides optimal water and heat exchange in the roots of the plant. As a rule, boxwood is mulched 2-3 days after water-charging watering. Peat, rotted needles or crushed pine bark are often used as mulch. A 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 the care of boxwood is pruning. In summer, the plant is pruned mainly to maintain the decorative appearance of the bush with a frequency of once every 1 – 2 months. 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 shoots of boxwood during the spring growing season. As a rule, during this procedure, damaged and old branches are completely disposed of, 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 from cold weather.

Protection against diseases and pests

Since toxic substances are present in the foliage of the plant, this makes the culture very resistant to a variety of pests and diseases. However, there are also insects that attack boxwood, despite its protective functions.

For example, the box fly, which feeds on the pulp of leaves, gnaws tunnels in them, is distinguished not only by gluttony, but also by resistance to low temperatures. The larvae of this parasite successfully survive the winter and devour the plant with a vengeance in the spring.

Boxwood felter does no less harm to boxwood, eating its branches and leaves. In addition, he, like the fly, is not afraid of the cold, so he can suddenly remind himself of himself during the growing season of the plant in the spring, when, it would seem, the plant got rid of this scourge.

With both pests, the treatment of the bush with insecticides, carried out in late April – May, will cope. In autumn, certain actions can also be taken to combat them: for example, the timely removal of injured branches and leaves and their burning. Whitewashing of tall plants will also help against the encroachments of parasites.

Transfer

Boxwood care may include the need to transplant the plant, which, like the initial planting, is carried out before winter. For successful development, the place of growth of the bush is changed at intervals of 3 – 4 years until it grows large enough. The best time for this is the period from late July to early November, depending on the region of cultivation. When choosing a day for transplanting, it should be borne in mind that the bush needs at least 1 month for successful rooting, so it is advisable to organize it before the 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, however, on fertile loose soil, the plant will get stronger much faster. At the same time, they are guided by 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:

1. 24 hours before the procedure, the plant is generously watered to make it easier to extract the roots with an earthy clod.
2. A landing hole is dug 3 times larger than an earthen coma.
3. A drainage layer of perlite or other absorbent material 2–3 cm thick is laid out at the bottom of it.
4. Then perlite is mixed with soils in a ratio of 1: 1 and poured over the drainage so that subsequently the upper part of the earth clod with roots is flush with the surface. The empty space around the roots is also covered with a mixture and the soil is lightly tamped.
5. At the end of the procedure, boxwood is intensively watered with rain or settled water.

Preparation of 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, however, at stable low temperatures below -10 ° C, it begins to freeze slightly. Prolonged frosts can completely destroy the bush, if no additional measures are taken. However, some varieties of boxwood are more hardy than others. So, hardy varieties of plants include:

• «Blue Heinz»;
• «Handsworthiensis»;
• «Herrenhausen»;
• “Buxus Sempervirens”.

Do I need to cover boxwood for the winter

The decision on whether to shelter a plant for the winter or not should be made based on the characteristics of the region in which boxwood grows. In the southern regions, bushes up to 1 m high successfully winter under the snow, but in colder regions, including in the middle lane, care must be taken to protect the plant. This is necessary not only to prevent freezing, but also to hide the culture from the sun during thaws, since even a small amount of light can awaken the boxwood from hibernation and start photosynthesis in the foliage. Due to the 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 insulate boxwood for the winter correctly, the following recommendations may come in handy:

1. 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 sag under the protective material.
2. Standard plants and undersized bushes are pre-tied up, attached to a support with a rope so that they do not break off under the weight of snow.
3. Low bushes do not need a garter if wooden boxes with holes for ventilation are used for shelter.
4. Instead of tying plants up to 1 m in height, you can build wire frames above them. Such structures are covered with a protective layer, which is fixed near the ground with the help of a load.
5. Tall varieties are covered with burlap, tightly wrapping the bush. In some cases, two U-shaped structures are used for them, installed crosswise above the plant.
6. Boxwood, which is part of the hedge, is carefully tied with a rope, dividing the plants into groups in several copies. Additionally, you can overlay the near-stem circles with spruce branches tied in bunches.
7. In case boxwood bushes grow side by side with roses, it is possible to make a common frame shelter.
8. The fabric should be breathable and dark in color. Light material is not suitable, as it attracts heat, which can make the plant sweat.
9. For the same reason, polyethylene film should not be used for coating.

How boxwood winters

The climate in central Our Country is characterized by the fact that cultures that belong to the 4th winter hardiness zone and below feel quite comfortable in it in winter. However, most varieties of boxwood are classified as zone 6: this means that such plants must be protected from the cold, and often with several layers of covering material. This approach to care will help maintain the health of the bush without losing its decorative effect.

Conclusion

Caring for boxwood in the fall cannot be called a troublesome business, as the culture has many features. However, the implementation of all 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 sheltering this crop for the winter will help to consolidate the newfound skills in caring for boxwood.