Boxwood

$9.90
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Boxwood:(Buxus), This striking shrub has a long history of being used in Bonsai design, highly desirable for its growth habit and dense foliage. There are over 70 varieties of Boxwood, but the most commonly used in Bonsai are the Chinese Boxwood (Buxus Harlandii) and Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. Japonica) and the Wintergem Boxwood cultivar, which is renowned for its hardiness.

Other types of Boxwood can be used in Bonsai design, but we will focus on these three types. 


Chinese Boxwood: (Buxus Harlandii) is commonly used as indoor Bonsai, although they are ideally placed outdoors from spring to fall. The Chinese Boxwood is desirable because of its intricate bark, trunk, and slow-growing dense foliage. 


Japanese Boxwood: (Buxus microphylla var. Japonica) is a hardy outdoor Boxwood with an upright growth habit and soft branches when young, making it a favourite for styling. 


Wintergem Boxwood: (Buxus microphylla var. Wintergem) is the hardiest of Boxwoods, as when most boxwoods leaves turn brown from the cold and wind, the Wintergem maintains its shiny green foliage year-round. 


BONSAI CARE


The Chinese Boxwood is semi-tropical and must be brought indoors and kept warm year-round. The Boxwood can be placed in full sun and loves fresh circulating air. Boxwoods will appreciate being outside from Spring to Fall, whether on a balcony or backyard. During winter, the Japanese and Wintergem boxwoods must be winterized but still require light in the winter. 


Watering:

  1. Boxwoods can withstand a little drought, but it is best to keep the soil moist in the summer. Watering on hot days must be done almost daily. 


Training:


  • Pruning: Boxwoods can be pruned back to one or two buds to promote back budding and short internodes. If the foliage becomes very dense, it is recommended to thin the outer foliage to promote light internally and prevent inner branches and foliage from drying up. 
  • Wiring: Boxwoods can be wired year-round but gently to prevent scarring on the beige bark. 


  • Repotting: Boxwoods must be repotted every 2-5 years, depending on age and size. Boxwoods take well to root pruning. 


PRODUCT DETAILS 

BABY: 6"-10" tall, comes in a 4" grower's pot. 

YOUNG: 8"-12" tall, comes in a 6" grower's pot. 



 

These are not seeds - But an Actual Living Bonsai Tree.

Please see our Choosing a Bonsai page for the age and dimensions regarding the different stages of our Bonsai (Baby, Young, & Mature).

Soil (Substrate)

Bonsai soils are usually a mixture of organic potting compost (Pine Bark or Forest Floor), Akadamapumice, lava rock in varying amounts. 

It is important for the soil have good water retention while also draining well, along with very good aeration. The quality of the soil directly affects the health, size and growth of your tree. One of the worst things you can do to your tree is plant it in regular garden soil. Garden soil hardens when it drys and can often lead to a disadvantage when growing a Bonsai. 

Soil mixtures can be purchased here, but given their weight and cost of shipping, you can also easily make your own. 

 

Depending on the type of Bonsai you're growing, here are the general formulas for successful mixtures. 

Deciduous Tree (Leafy and looses leafs in the fall)

50% Akadama

20% Pumice

20% Lava Rock

10% Potting Compost

 

Coniferous Tree (Evergreen like Juniper, Cedar)

1/3 Akadama

1/3 Pumice

1/3 Lava Rock

 

If you are not able to check on your Bonsai's moisture levels daily, add more Akadama to the mix. 

Given how these soils erode over time, repotting every 2-3 years is required. 

 

Here are some suitable replacements if you cannot find the recommended types of soil.

  • Akadama - fine fired or baked clays, some even recommend cat litter as a substitute. 
  • Pumice - fine crushed aggregates, expanded shale and vermiculite.
  • Lava Rock - This can be replaced with fine gravel or you can also look into purchasing a larger lava rock at a hardware or gardening centre and crushing it. 

 

Fertilizer

One of the best and easiest ways to fertilize your Bonsai, is to add a liquid fertilizer mix when water your Bonsai's once a month during the spring/summer. If your Bonsai looses leaves in the winter there is no need to fertilize it then. If you have a coniferous tree, fertilizing the tree once in the beginning of winter and once in the middle of winter should be sufficient.

  

Customer Reviews

Based on 7 reviews
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R
Rupert Aragon (Calgary, CA)
Young japanese boxwood bonsai

Named my japanese boxwood Hashi !!!

K
Karen Stephen (Saint John, CA)
My boxwood looks great now!

When my boxwood arrived, the leaves were all brown and I was dubious about its life. As it acclimatized, the leaves gradually turned green and now it looks amazing! I guess that must be normal after shipping? A suggestion - a note included with the shipment explaining what to expect after receiving plants might be helpful.

J
Jacques Potvin (Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, CA)

Very good

j
jeremy wallace (Calgary, CA)
Boxwood

It arrived a week ago and doing very well so far, super excited the next stages of its development.

A
Andrew (Orillia, CA)
Boxwood

Arrived in great condition and larger than I expected.

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