Boxwood Care Guide

The Main Line has been graced with many 60+ degree days in the last few weeks. Cheery daffodils are popping up, Cherry and Magnolia trees are bursting with pink and our lawns are starting to turn green again. For those of us in the tree and landscape industry, this all means that the phone is ringing off the hook!

Many customers reach out about their Boxwood at this time of year. Concerned about unsightly, tan and cupped leaves, everyone wants to know what is going on with these prized, evergreen plantings.

Did you know that Boxwood is known as the “aristocrat of plants” and has been a treasured garden staple since 4000 B.C. when Egyptians trimmed them into formal hedges?

Boxwood Leafminer are the likely the culprit of your browning Boxwood leaves. Split open one of your damaged leaves and notice the tiny yellow fly larvae wiggling around inside. These larvae munch their way through your Boxwood leaves and destroy the vibrant foliage before they pupate and emerge as adult flies.

There is good news; an annual soil-injected insecticide treatment is all that is needed to control this annoying pest. At Champion Tree, we often combine this soil injection with an annual fertilization for your Boxwood to replenish the soil with nutrients for the spring season.

Mid-Spring is also a good time for you or your landscaper to prune your Boxwood. Boxwood should only be pruned once per year. Although you might be tempted to use a hedge trimmer to make quick work of shaping your boxwood, it is important to use hand pruners only. Try not and cut your Boxwood back too severely. Although a compact shape might feel tidy, Boxwood need good air circulation and light penetration to remain healthy. Harsh pruning will result in a more dense Boxwood that may harbor disease.

If you are only just starting to think about installing Boxwood in your landscape, take a look at some of my favorite examples of Boxwood in the landscape on Pinterest. Alex and I always recommend the ‘Winter Gem’ variety and have several of our own that have remained very healthy throughout the years. They add fantastic structure to the garden and winter interest.

When purchasing Boxwood, be sure to inspect them closely for signs of Boxwood Blight, a fungal disease that unfortunately cannot be cured. The easiest way to tell if a Boxwood has Blight is to look at the stems for dark lesions that run vertically. The leaves will also have dark-ringed spots and straw-colored foliage. If Boxwood Blight has been found on your property or at a neighbor’s, proactive fungicide treatments are recommended to make sure your plants are not infected.

Boxwood prefer full to partial sunlight and need regular watering. If you plan to have Boxwood planted in a spot that cannot be reached with your hose, you might consider a fertilizer with humectants, a substance that aids in water retention by attracting water particles to the plant’s roots.

Although Boxwood have a reputation of being a tricky plant to manage in the garden, with proactive annual care they can be kept healthy to enjoy for many years to come!