Boxwood (buksus) - shrub, a native of southern countries. Despite this, he is able to withstand the winter frosts, if suitable conditions are created for his wintering.
Not all types of boxwood are able to endure winter frosts. The most resistant to winter cold are Girkan, Colchis, Evergreen varieties. True, some botanists consider the first two varieties to be a kind of Evergreen Boxwood.
In this article we will analyze whether it is necessary to shelter boxwood for the winter and how to do it correctly.
How to prepare boxwood for winter?
Autumn care for the plant is over, it's time for frost, and now we need to protect boxwood from them. The first stage of preparation for a happy wintering boxwood is water-charging irrigation.
After all, one of the main problems of wintering any plant - withering frost.
When the moisture evaporates from the stems under the influence of frost, they immediately freeze. Therefore, it is so important before the winter cold saturate living boxwood with water.
After watering in accordance with the rules of care for boxwood for the winter, the surface should be mulched with peat or rotted needles.
It is not recommended to use dry foliage for mulching. During the winter, it subsides and can infect boxwood with fungus.
The mulch layer should be 5-8 cm high. Do not sprinkle it to the very base bush, retreat 2-3 centimeters to ensure air access to the roots.
Ways to shelter shrubs
The box easily transfers winter. But on condition that it is snowy.
The snow serves as a natural shelter and helps the bushes naturally protect themselves.
An important condition for the successful survival of boxwood in winter is also Properly chosen landing site.
To this end, boxwood is planted in the shade, under large plants, or near buildings in the northeast and northwest of them.
The essence of this is that in open areas of the box during the thaw, warmed by the sun, may begin to grow at an adverse time. Foliage, awakened at the wrong time, will certainly suffer at the first frost. Therefore, you need to cover the box for the winter.
In the shade, even during warming, the snow remains, and the plant will not wake up.
Shelter boxwood for the winter consists of the following:
- Bushes garter.
It is necessary for standard plants. First, you need to build support for the bush, especially if the bush is high enough.
If this is not done, it can break under the weight of snow. The base of the bush is tied to a support with a rope.Plants in the hedge are carefully tied with rope in groups.
Shelter.
To protect against frost, a layer of covering material is thrown over the bushes, and if severe frosts are predicted, several layers are necessary.
Covering material can be directly wound bushes. But whenever possible it is more expedient to build frames. You can make them from wire, cross-shaped above the bush. Material cover this frame and fix it on the bottom with a heavy load or sprinkled with earth.
The frame should be made of durable materials, so as not to bend under the weight of snow and not pin down a bush.
For high instances, it is possible to use U-shaped fittings installed crosswise over the bush.
Before steady frosts one edge of the material needs to be liftedso that air can flow to the bushes.
Finally fix all the material can only when the temperature is set at minus 10 degrees. If you do it before, then during the thaw bushes can support.
For boxwood, used as hedges, more convenient to build shelters of fir twigs. The branches are tied in several pieces and are lined with curbs in the form of a hut.
When a sufficient amount of snow falls, throw it on a broomstick cover. This will create an air cushion, and heat and moisture will remain inside the bushes.
If the bushes of boxwood grow in your area next to roses, you can make a common frame for them.
To access the air under the shelter in several layers, tuck under the material piece of flexible pipe. Fold the end upward and lock it at a small height.
Air will flow through this vent. frost does not penetrate.
You can visually get acquainted with the preparation of boxwood for the winter in this video:
Remove protection
With how to cover boxwood for the winter, figured out, and what to do next?
With the onset of spring warm days, most gardeners are in a hurry to immediately release the plants from their shelters. Should not rush doing so. If you open the box before the snow completely disappears and the ground warms up a little, it can harm the shrub.
Leaves and stems under the spring sun will begin to actively evaporate moisture, and the roots at this time still can not work as it should. As a result, the aboveground part will dry out and the plant may die.
It is necessary to accustom a bush to the sun gradually. It is necessary to open it for the first time on a cloudy day. So that the bright sun does not burn the leaves. In the first week, if the bright sun is shining, covering material during the day is thrown onto the bushes.
Only when the box gradually gets used and the main snow cover melts, you can untie the ropes, fixing the branches.
Do not rush immediately after removing the shelter to trim the bush, let him wake up completely and start growing.
By observing all these conditions and knowing exactly whether you need to shelter boxwood for the winter, you will help the bushes survive the harsh winter conditions, and your plants will delight you with beauty for more than one season.
