How to make Buxus grow faster

It can take quite a while for buxus to grow into the flourishing hedge of our dreams. Buxus is a naturally slow-growing plant with about 10 to 15 cm of growth a year. Some species even take an entire year to grow just 1.27cm. There are ways, however, to help speed the growing process for a thicker, more luxuriant hedge.

 

Positioning

Make sure your buxus isn’t planted too deep in the soil and that about an inch of the top area of the roots are showing above ground. The buxus will be able to breathe better and avoid root rot. 

Also make sure individual buxus plants aren’t planted too close to each other or to anything like a fence or a wall. Buxus grows faster when given enough space; the bigger the species, the more space they will need. Larger buxus plants need about 1.5m of space all around, while smaller species need a little under 1m.

 

Watering 

Water your buxus every few days or twice a week during its first year. Keeping the soil moist makes it easier for the buxus to take in soil nutrients for growth. Take care not to give too much, as overwatering can slow the growth of your buxus by causing root rot or washing away the nutrients it needs to grow. Also water slowly to ensure saturation of shallow roots.

Make sure the soil has dried before you water your buxus again. If you can, install drip irrigation for the buxus, at least while it grows, because the soil doesn’t take long to dry. Once your buxus is full-grown, you may water it as usual or just once a week when its growing season comes round again. Take extra care when watering during the summer and winter.

 

Feeding

What you feed your buxus to help it grow depends on the kind of soil it’s in. If the soil is less than ideal, a general purpose fertiliser can help with growth during spring, especially when topped off with mulch. If the soil is on the alkaline side, use acidic fertiliser with ammonia and urea such as organic manure because buxus grows best in soil that is slightly acidic.

If you’re growing buxus in containers before transferring them to your garden, feeding them once a month with general purpose liquid fertiliser will be sufficient. Be sure to feed your buxus carefully because fertilisers do burn roots when not used correctly or consistently. If you are adding mulch, make sure it isn’t pushed up against and around the stem as this also causes root rot.

The two best buxus feeds are urea-based granules and liquid tomato feed, the latter because of its combination of the right amounts of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

 

Pruning

How to make buxus grow faster is to prune it as part of a healthy growth routine. When done correctly, it encourages air circulation and even distribution of light for a growing buxus plant. 

To prune your buxus for growth (rather than decorative purposes) choose mature outer branches while shaping it into a pyramid. Late winter, or about a month and a half after the last frost, is the best time for pruning because leaves are at their most mature. Hold your pruning shears parallel to the surface of the plant or hedge as you cut.

Make sure you do not prune new leaves unless they show signs of disease, and do not prune more than 1/3 of the entire plant. Also, never prune more than three times a year. Contrary to popular belief, pruning regularly or more often is not how to make buxus grow faster, but actually slows it down by doing away with new growth.

 

Protecting

Because plant disease hampers growth, you must provide protection from root rot and various other diseases and problems that commonly afflict buxus plants. One of these problems is box rust, where rust-coloured blisters appear on some of the leaves and which can be treated by pruning the affected leaves. 

Phytophthora is another problem which dulls branches and eventually turns them light brown. Protect healthy buxus plants from this by keeping them well away from areas where afflicted plants have grown.

Pests that plague buxus in particular include nematodes which are tiny worms that eat the roots, and which can be controlled by proper watering and feeding. 

Psyllids and leafminers prey on buxus by eating the sap and laying eggs in the leaves. These bugs can be controlled with insecticide in the soil around the buxus and by pruning damaged leaves. You can also protect your buxus against psyllids by spraying new grown leaves with soap or horticultural oil.

 

Spring Colours is a plant nursery located in Sydney’s Dural neighbourhood. With over 30 years of experience in garden landscaping and delivering high-quality plants to plant lovers at great prices, we are committed to making the world a greener place and adding new life to your home and garden.

Contact us to find out about our wholesale service delivery or visit our store in Dural to browse our collection of plants!