Dwarf Box from Willows Nursery

Planting : Dwarf Box is very hardy and will grow in almost any soil type – however, there should be reasonable drainage and the soil should not have a tendency to dry out.  Box is also happy in full sun or deep shade – or conditions in between. For best results, the planting site should be prepared in advance. On poorer soils forking in well-rotted manure or other organic matter will help to improve soil structure and on heavy soils working in coarse grit will improve drainage.  Well worked in bonemeal may also assist plant establishment.

It is important to make sure that the soil does not dry out during establishment. 

Care & Maintenance : New growth occurs twice a year – in Spring and late Summer – in these two photographs you can see the new growth is a brighter colour than the older leaves.  It is also ‘softer’.  Once it has ‘hardened off’ – and the colour is the same as the rest of the plant – the plants should be pruned and clipped to encourage compact/dense growth. 

Whilst Dwarf Box is fairly slow growing, and your plants might not have yet achieved the size you want, it is still important to trim a little into the new growth – the following growth spurt will then make the plants more dense and bushy.

Once the plants have reached your required size/shape you should trim twice yearly to maintain it.

A balanced general feed is recommended in the Spring, particularly if pot grown as specimens, or closely planted for hedging.  A Summer feed to ensure good colour and health would also be beneficial, especially in poorer soils.