Reproduction of boxwood cuttings at home

Did you know that the breeding of boxwood with cuttings at home is quite affordable even for a beginner in floriculture? Cuttings of this spectacular evergreen plant will allow you to create a beautiful curb or hedge on your site without extra costs.

Once planted a bush of boxwood on your site, you can not resist the temptation to fill the garden with exquisite evergreen plants, which are very easy to take care of.

Boxwood: description of the plant

Boxwood belongs to the genus of slowly growing evergreen bushes and trees of the Samshitov family. In nature, according to the latest updated data, there are about one hundred species of this plant. They grow in natural conditions in East Asia, the countries of the Mediterranean, the West Indies. The Latin name Buxus was given to the plant by the Greeks.

In the world there are three large areas of boxwood - Central American, Euro-Asian and African. In culture, the tree is considered one of the oldest ornamental plants, which is grown as a garden and pot culture. In warm regions, the shrub is used not only as curbs and hedges. Paintedly bushes of boxwood decorate lawns and gardens.

At home, the boxwood is very popular for bonsai, as the plant grows well in a small container, actively bushes, has small leaves and perfectly tolerates pruning. Boxwood can be grown in containers. In this case, very attractive balls form from the bushes.

However, as we have already said, this plant grows very slowly. The annual growth of shoots is only a few centimeters, so admirers of this beautiful plant acquire several seedlings at once. And you can save a little by using the breeding of boxwood cuttings. How to do it? Where to begin?

There are two ways to multiply boxwood: cuttings in water and in the ground. The first method is long and less effective, as shoots in the water are often rotten. The second method is very popular, so we will tell more about it.

When to cut cuttings?

During planned cutting of plantations (for example, in parks), you can collect the amount of planting material you need, from which you can grow a few seedlings in a year. Cuttings can be harvested in the second half of September or in the early days of October, but in the soil of the plant to be planted in the same year will not succeed.

If the cuttings are carried out in June-July, rooted seedlings planted in open ground, manage to settle down. It is not necessary to propagate the evergreen boxwood with cuttings between April and June. At this time, the bush is actively growing, its young shoots are very soft and tender. They should be handled delicately, covered from direct sun rays. With insufficient care, they will simply perish. And cuttings, cut from July to March, take root practically without the help of a gardener.

How to cut cuttings correctly?

You need green shoots for propagation of boxwood, which are still non-aged, but well ripened. A very sharp garden knife they cut into a length of ten to fifteen centimeters. The bottom cut is made at an angle. After this, the stem is released from the lower leaves, leaving no more than five leaves at the top.

When to multiply boxwood?

This can be done in spring and autumn, but the first option is preferable, since you do not need to look for a storage space for winter seedlings. But in this case one should take into account one nuance. We have already talked about the need for strong, young, but neodrevesnevshie completely shoots for reproduction. In April, these may or may not be at all, or they are very few. But there is also an advantage in breeding boxwood cuttings in spring - the plant is faster and easier to take root, has a sufficient supply of time before winter for acclimatization.

But we will stop on that you managed to collect the necessary quantity of shoots, and you cut cuttings of the necessary length from them. The longer and more even the oblique cut, the more likely the cuttings to take root. To stimulate root growth, shoots, previously peeled from the lower leaves, should be soaked in the root for a day. After this, cuttings are thoroughly washed with water and planted in open ground.

For rapid formation of the bush cuttings are bundled into bundles of several pieces and root them together. The soil for boxwood is fertile and easy. The ideal combination will be a mixture consisting of equal parts of leaf land, sand and a few years of compost or humus that has perepred several years.

The cuttings are deepened to a height free from the leaves of the branch and abundantly watered. It is necessary to create a microclimate with high humidity over the seedlings. Therefore, before they are completely rooted, they are covered with transparent materials - glass or plastic bottles, polyethylene.

But we must not forget about the regular airing and watering of plants, so it is necessary in advance to think about the upper hole in your greenhouse. Most gardeners use for this purpose five-liter plastic bottles: cut the bottom and cover it with a stalk. For frequent watering and ventilation, simply unscrew the cover.

To water a young plant is necessary in such a way that all leaves are moistened - for example, from a spray. It is not necessary to fill the soil, it is just necessary to maintain a constant humidity. The first roots of seedlings will be allowed in a month, completely it will take root in two. At this time, you can take cover and, if necessary, transplant.

In the very first winter, young plants should be covered with leaves or spruce lapnik. This is how the boxwood multiplies cuttings in the spring. It's time to get acquainted with the peculiarities of autumn rooting.

Reproduction in autumn

What is the difference between the breeding of boxwood with cuttings in autumn? Only in that the planting material is planted in containers or flower pots, which are also covered with polyethylene, and when the first frosts are transferred to the room.

Preparation of containers

First of all, prepare containers in which shoots will take root. To do this, flower pots or small plastic pails are suitable, compact, but at the same time deep. You will need a soil mixture for planting: light fertile soil and sand in equal parts. Rooting is done without drainage.

Fill the selected containers with soil, slightly tamp it and make small indentations. In a medium-sized pot (about twenty centimeters), you can plant five cuttings at once, evenly distributing them around, closer to the sides.

Features of autumn planting

After planting the cuttings well pour and put the containers with them into the shade. If you grow plants in the winter, put the cuttings in an unheated greenhouse or a lighted cellar.

How long do cuttings take root?

The process is quite lengthy. Cuttings take root for several months. Some are faster, others slower. This is due to many factors. The same root cuttings, which are in the same conditions, can have different root systems. In plants ready for transplantation, usually not only roots are formed, but also young light green shoots.

As you can see, the breeding of boxwood with cuttings is not at all difficult, especially if it is possible to cut shoots from a three-year-old bush. And the result of your work will surely please you and your loved ones.