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Do you want to save yourself a very small fortune and grow your own Box hedging?
It really could not be any simpler than taking cuttings and rooting them yourself.
It may well take you a little longer than buying plants from a nursery but with it comes huge satisfaction and what's more, the money stays in your pocket for other stuff on your wish list, like a garden chair to sit and relax in.
You will need a propagator or plastic bag with an egg cup full of water to keep your cuttings from from drying out.
Calculate how many plants you will need and add 50%. You can always sell, give away or swap the surplus but make allowances for any failures.
Start by removing little 150mm (6 inch) sprigs of Box from the host bush and pop them into your bag.
Take the sprigs back to the potting shed or kitchen table and reduced the sprigs down to about 100mm (4inches) making sure that the cut is clean and just below a node (leaf joint).
Prepare a washing up bowl of water so that you can let prepared cuttings float whilst you deal with the rest. This will ensure that they stay fresh.
Remove leaves carefully from the bottom two thirds of the cutting.
Dip the ends of the stems into rooting compound (this is not essential but the hormone powder contains a fungicide which helps protect against fungal disease).
Push the cuttings into a universal compost around the edge of a 75mm (3 inch) pot and just gently firm them in. Water the cuttings with a fine rose and let them stand for the excess to drain through. (best done outside and not on the kitchen table)
Pop a plastic freezer bag over the top of the pot and secure with an elastic band and place the cuttings in a shady place until they have rooted.
Keep an eye on the cuttings, if you see any shoots browning off then remove them straight away. Replace the bag again and monitor progress.
You will need:
- A host plant with one year of growth, to take the cuttings from.
- Sharp Secateurs.
- Enough 3 inch pots to hold your cuttings.
- Cuttings compost made up with 50% fine horticulture grit.
- Watering can with fine rose.
Rooting time will vary but 3-6 weeks should see some fine succulent white roots appear through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
When you feel comfortable that the plants are self sufficient, carefully tap out the plants and separate. Re-pot each plant into a 1 litre pot and return to a shady spot to bring them on.
Box hedging is such a wonderful formal hedge type that can be shaped with Topiary shears. It does not grow so fast that it needs constant attention and rewards you even if it looks a little shaggy.
Box can be expensive to buy and with a little patience you can save a small fortune with the satisfaction of knowing you have produced your own plants.
Edit 22nd July 2010 - slideshow added
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