Transplanting a box tree can be necessary for various reasons. Be it because the garden is to be redesigned or the previous location has turned out to be unsuitable. To ensure that the wood survives the procedure undamaged, you should proceed with great care - and prepare the plant several months in advance.
Box trees are often sensitive to transplanting
preparation
Simply digging up the boxwood and putting it back in its new location usually has unsightly consequences: the leaves turn yellow and the bush can die. Transplanting always means massive stress for a plant, but this can be reduced to a minimum with the right measures. So proceed carefully and prepare the book slowly:
- In the fall, dig a ditch about 60 centimeters deep around the box.
- This should form a circle around the plant.
- Ideal diameter is the approximate height of the socket times two.
- Fill the trench with mature compost.
- Water the box more frequently over the next three weeks.
- Keep the plant moist but not wet.
As a result of this measure, the boxwood will develop a compact root ball over the next few months, the fine roots of which are closer to the plant. This means you damage fewer roots when you dig them up afterwards, reducing the stress.
Implement boxwood - step by step
From about the end of March you can now move the boxwood. Choose a frost-free day with an overcast sky. Proceed as follows:
- Dig the trench again, but this time a little deeper.
- Hold the spade at a slight angle.
- Loosen the root ball in the soil with a digging fork.
- Lift out the book.
- Place the plant in a bucket of water and let it soak up moisture.
- At the new location, dig a new planting hole about twice the size of the root ball.
- Mix the excavation with compost and, if necessary, sand.
- With heavy soil, ensure good drainage to avoid waterlogging.
- Plant the plant, taking care not to crush the roots.
- Gently press down the soil.
- Water the box well and make sure it is sufficiently watered for the next few weeks.
- Mulch the box with compost and horn shavings.(32.93€)
- Cut back the above-ground parts of the plant by a third.
Larger specimens should also be planted together with a plant stake, to which they are tied and thus fixed until they are finally rooted.
Boxwood gets yellow leaves - what's the reason?
If the transplanted box tree suddenly turns yellow after a few days or weeks, the existing roots are no longer sufficient to supply the plant. In this case, you would have to cut back the box by at least a third, water it vigorously and, if not already done during the transplanting, fertilize it with compost and horn shavings.
tips
Be sure to place the box in an airy and not too warm location - pests such as spider mites quickly nest here.