The boxwood can be found in almost every home garden. You can find out when, how and with what the best way to fertilize the boxwood here.
The boxwood (Buxus) is not one of the heavy consumers, but regular fertilization ensures particularly hardy, hardy plants with strong green leaves. For shaped trees in particular, balanced fertilization will help overcome the stress of pruning your boxwood and create an impenetrable green. You can also ensure a slightly alkaline soil pH with the right fertilization. The lime-loving plant needs this so that the given nutrients can be absorbed in the right amount.
Slow-growing shrubs like the boxwood are just as dependent on nutrients as their basis, as are more vigorous plants, but they need much less of it. This means that you should pay particular attention to the quantity when fertilizing, otherwise there is a risk of damage to the plant. It is therefore very important to be familiar with the needs of these beautifully malleable little plants. That's why we've gathered specialist knowledge to answer all the important questions about fertilizing a boxwood. In the following you will learn how boxwood is fertilized, when you should use fertilizer and what the nutrient composition of a suitable fertilizer is.
When to fertilize boxwood?
Not only the type of fertilizer is decisive for successful fertilization, but also the point in time, which we will discuss below.
Fertilize boxwood when planting
Box trees need permeable, humus-rich soil to be able to develop he althily. Therefore, a very sandy soil should be enriched with compost when planting your boxwood. It is particularly important to pay attention to the feel-good pH value of the boxwood. This is between 6.5 and 7.5. If the pH is too low, you can add some lime when planting. The next fertilization takes place at the beginning of June. If you don't have any compost available, you can also put a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer into the soil when plantingincorporate. This also provides your Buchs with optimal care for the first few weeks. A second fertilization after planting can then take place after about two months.
Fertilize existing box trees
In the following years, the time of fertilization depends on the growth cycle of the plant. Nitrogen (N) as one of the main building blocks of plants is required from the beginning of the growing season in April until the end of August. If you use a long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer, a single fertilization in April is usually sufficient. You should only use fertilizer a second time if your boxwood was planted as a hedge or in a very poor location. A deficiency is quickly noticeable when the leaves turn yellow.
Short-term mineral fertilizers should be avoided with frugal boxwood. You can only use liquid fertilizer every one to two weeks in the bucket. However, even when growing in pots, use an organic fertilizer if possible. Mineral fertilizers are too concentrated, especially for slow-growing plants such as boxwood, and quickly lead to over-fertilization. An additional plus of organic fertilizers, apart from their environmental compatibility, is their natural long-term effect. So it doesn't have to be fertilized nearly as often.
Summary: When is the right time to fertilize the boxwood?
- Plant fertilization on sandy soils with compost or primarily organic slow-release fertilizer
- Fertilizing with long-term fertilizers in April; fertilize if necessary in June
- Fertilization with mineral liquid fertilizer not recommended; if desired, then fertilize carefully every two weeks from April to August
The focus of autumn fertilization is on potassium. In August to September your boxwood is prepared for the winter with potash fertilizer. The young shoots mature due to the potassium and become harder, the leaves get a dense and firm structure and are therefore less sensitive to cold.
Boxwood fertiliser: How and with what to fertilize?
The boxwood grows slowly. Nevertheless, he needs regular - at least once a year - nutrients, a box in the pot more often. The two main nutrients nitrogen and potassium play the most important role. Nitrogen is the fuel of the growth phase. Potassium supports your boxwood in winter. Look for a balanced ratio of nitrogen to potassium and a slightly lower proportion of phosphate.
Yesnot only the nutrient composition plays a role, the concentration is also very important with frugal Buxus. Because this is quickly overwhelmed, you should rather rely on an organic than a mineral fertilizer. With organic fertilizers, the nutrients are present in a complex form that must first be broken down by microorganisms in the soil. In this way, your boxwood is cared for gently and over a long period of time. You also promote soil life and thus increase the soil quality. In addition to the many advantages of an organic fertilizer, our Plantura organic universal fertilizer offers the right composition of nutrients for your boxwood and many other green plants to thrive in the house and garden.
Fertilize boxwood organically
You can also use untreated natural products to fertilize your boxwood. In the spring and possibly a second time in the summer, work compost and a handful of horn shavings into the top layer of soil around the root area of the plant. You can also use fertilization with coffee grounds or nettle manure for your boxwood. In this case, fertilize every four weeks. When using coffee grounds, however, the pH-lowering properties must be balanced with additional lime. Organic fertilizers from specialist shops do not have such a great impact on the soil pH value, but are usually just as environmentally friendly as tried and tested old natural fertilizers. So you can use the ready-made fertilizer without hesitation. Organically certified products such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer are particularly harmless. This is how you meet the nutritional needs of your boxwood in a sustainable way.
Expert tip: If the pH of your soil is too low, i.e. below a value of 6.5, a fertilizer made from eggshells is an optimal source of lime. This will bring the pH back into the correct range.
Organic long-term fertilization: Application recommendation for boxwood
In order for the organic fertilization of your boxwood to be successful, we have given the following instructions for applying our Plantura organic universal fertilizer:
- Before planting, work 100 - 150 g/m² (well filled 0.2 liter glass) of our Plantura organic universal fertilizer into the top layer of soil
- Water the soil and freshly planted boxwood well so that the granulate can be easily loosened
- AtAfter maintenance fertilization in spring and summer, you should fertilize another 80 - 120 g/m² (0.2 liter glass) per plant
Note that box trees planted as hedges require more fertilizer than solitary plants because they have less soil volume available per plant. As a result, plants compete more for nutrients in the soil.
Fertilize boxwood with minerals
Blaukorn, as a mineral classic, offers a nutrient ratio that boxwood quite likes. The magnesium it contains can also benefit the evergreen front garden dweller. However, box trees can easily feel overwhelmed by the oversupply of nutrients in mineral fertilizers. You should therefore fertilize more often and in small doses. A potted box tree is supplied with commercial liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water once a week. In this way you can also keep the nutrient supply in the soil constant, because mineral fertilizers are usually available immediately, but only for a very short time in the soil. Unused nutrients are quickly flushed out and thus flow through the earth into the groundwater. It is therefore better to choose an organic fertilizer, except in the case of deficiency symptoms. In this way you avoid over-fertilization, treat the environment more carefully and still have less work to do with fertilization.
Fertilize boxwood with Epsom s alt
Epsom s alt is a mineral fertilizer and consists solely of magnesium sulphate, i.e. magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. Magnesium plays a decisive role in the supply of your boxwood. This is involved in the formation of chlorophyll and thus also in the green coloring of the leaves and photosynthesis. As an evergreen garden dweller, unlike deciduous plants, your boxwood keeps its foliage upright even in winter. Ultimately, this means that the magnesium requirement should be set higher. However, if a slightly alkaline soil pH is maintained, a magnesium deficiency should not be a problem in box trees planted out.
In a pot or planted on sandy soil, however, the addition of magnesium may be necessary. A rough guideline is the annual dose of 50 grams of Epsom s alt per square meter in spring. If there is a magnesium deficiency, you can apply 30 grams of Epsom s alt per square meter up to three times a year. You can recognize a lack of magnesium in the boxwood by the fact that the older leaves slowly turn completely yellow. If yoursIf you decorate the garden with evergreen conifers - such as conifers or a thuja - you should take care of them right away.
Fertilize boxwood with algae lime
Algae lime has recently been traded as a true "box tree savior". Algae lime is a plant strengthener obtained from red algae deposits on the French or Icelandic Atlantic coast. The algae lime consists of calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and trace elements. It mildly improves the growth conditions for the box, which prefers calcareous soils. It should be dosed carefully, since limed soil can quickly have a negative impact on the nutrient structure. For example, iron absorption is prevented if the calcium content is too high.
We go into more detail about the positive effect of algae lime on boxwood diseases in our special article.