Questions about making a short boxwood hedge...

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
passiflora07 Fern Park, FL(Zone 9b) Feb 06, 2008

I'm planning a new rose garden in front of my house, and I found this design that I like from BHG.com (see picture). I've never done anything with hedges before, so I have a few questions. 1) What species of boxwood would work best for this application (BHG didn't specify, I'm in zone 9b)? 2) Are there any variegated varieties that would work? 3) How far apart should I plant the individual plants? 4) How long after planting until I can start shaping them? 5) How hard is it to keep them looking like the picture?

Any other advice on boxwoods, hedges, etc. is also much appreciated :)

Thumbnail by passiflora07
Post #4502327
Quote
Tir_Na_Nog Houston, United States(Zone 9b) Feb 06, 2008

I think that looks great! I was in zone 8b and did Japanese boxwoods. People will tell you they take forever to grow but in the year we had ours (well fed and epsom salts also put on the dirt) they grew about 1/3rd their size! And I bought the itty bitty ones due to cost. But you can buy larger ones for sure, depending on your budget.

I think it would still take 3 years before they are starting to form a hedge shape that could be pruned. I planted mine 2' apart per the instructions on the tags they came with.

As far as how hard to maintain, I have several neighbors with varying varities of hedge and they are all kept nicely pruned but I hardly ever seen any of them out having to trim them up. You will want an electric trimmer just to do the job more quickly and evenly.

And I know there are rules as to HOW to trim....such as trimming them at a slant with the base actually being wider than the top, almost unnoticeable unless you are the one trimming, still looks boxy, but the point being that most people cut them square and then light has a hard time reaching lower branches and then you have spotty looking shrubs.

Post #4502349
Quote
JasperDale Long Beach, CA(Zone 10a) Feb 11, 2008

You could also try Euonymous japonicus "Microphyllus"...which also comes variegated. It tops out at about 2 or 2 1/2 feet tall and about a foot wide. I use them a lot for small hedges around roses and perennials.

They grow faster than boxwood (at least here, anyway...) keep their color in winter (some of the boxwoods tend to turn an orangey/rust color in the cold...) and will fill in pretty fast from one gallon cans, spaced about a foot apart.

This plant is probably in the PlantFiles...I forgot to ck !

Post #4521906
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Trees, Shrubs and Conifers Threads

Go to all Trees, Shrubs and Conifers threads
BACK TO TOP