Few trees allow as many design options as Buxus sempervirens. Neither imagination nor implementation knows any limits, and beginners are guaranteed to find joy in the art of bonsai if they start with a boxwood. This allows artistic animal shapes or simple geometric shapes.
Boxwood tolerates pruning very well and is therefore a good bonsai
shaping bonsai
The boxwood proves to be fully compatible with pruning and also tolerates intensive pruning down to the old wood. For this reason, the species is popular for bonsai design, because it forgives beginners incorrect pruning interventions.
topiary
Box trees are considered strong-growing. They drive out continuously and become bushy. Once you have gotten the bonsai in shape, regular pruning is necessary during the growing season from May to September. The interventions in which you remove the fresh shoots are carried out every six to eight weeks. Roots are only trimmed during repotting, creating a balanced relationship between crown and root ball.
wire
Buxus sempervirens develops comparatively hard wood, which is why it is only conditionally suitable for shaping with wires. Wired branches tend to break off quickly. However, careful framing is possible if you want to correct individual branches.
Expectations
The goal in bonsai art is growth that is as slow as possible, in which the plants develop shapely and vigorously. Nevertheless, like their normal-sized relatives, the mini trees have basic needs that you have to meet with the right care.
location
Boxwood bonsai are suitable for outdoor use. In daylight, the trees develop energy that they need to maintain their functions and healthy growth. Outdoor conditions ensure good growth in thickness, resulting in a strong trunk. Rain and wind harden the leaves. This makes them more robust against pathogens and pests.
water
The water requirement for a boxwood bonsai is above average and its roots must not lie dry. They die off quickly if the drought persists. It is therefore important that you keep the substrate evenly moist. Downpours temporarily increase humidity and ensure that dust is washed from the leaves. If it doesn't rain for a long time, you can create the perfect conditions with the right watering.
The optimal irrigation:
- Pour water over the entire plant
- use a fine spray so that the substrate is not washed away
- Continue watering until soil is completely saturated
tips
If the tree has dried out, you can place the bowl in a water bath. When no more air bubbles rise, the root ball is completely saturated with water.
nutrient
From spring to autumn, box trees require regular fertilization with spherical organic products. Alternatively, spread or liquid fertilizers are recommended, which are administered according to the information on the packaging. If the trees are in bloom, stop the nutrient supply. With freshly repotted trees, you can do without fertilizing until next spring.