Soil mix for japanese boxwood?

[Ply]

Currently, like all my trees, my one boxwood is in a full inorganic mix of pumice, lava and granite. All my other trees are thriving in it, boxwood is doing just okay.

Wondering whether the soil mix might not be optimal for (japanese) boxwood. Getting some new boxwood material now, and again in spring.

What soil mix would work well? What mix have you been using for boxwood?

 

[Ply]

Somebody here's gotta have boxwood?

 

[Shibui]

All my Buxus grow in the same mix as all my other trees. Not sure that soil mix is such an issue.
Buxus are slow growers so don't make the mistake of assuming something is wrong when comparing it to much faster growing species.

 

[eugenev2]

Currently, like all my trees, my one boxwood is in a full inorganic mix of pumice, lava and granite. All my other trees are thriving in it, boxwood is doing just okay.

Wondering whether the soil mix might not be optimal for (japanese) boxwood. Getting some new boxwood material now, and again in spring.

What soil mix would work well? What mix have you been using for boxwood?

To add on what Shibui said, boxwood grow very slowly, on average depending on species 30cm a year or less. And you have the Japanese variety which from what i've read is the slowest growing variety, they apparently on grow between 4 to 8cm a year.

 

[Ply]

@Shibui @eugenev2

That might be true. I know they're slow growers, but perhaps I've been expecting too much growth of them still. Ill just keep on using this mix then.

 

[Underdog]

I have a couple in lava/pumace and DE(oil dry) doing okay. The larger one also has crushed red brick in the mix too.
The last smaller one was last potted in 2020

 

[rockm]

I have had many boxwoods for a very long time. I use regular old bonsai soil for DECIDUOUS trees. Some organic, but not much. Your soil may be a bit too lean with only pumice lava etc.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I was wondering this myself. I will soon be repotting one of my boxwoods and the internet says they like loamy soil. How do I make my normal bonsai mix more "loamy"?

 

[Underdog]

That would be more organic. Bark peat coco... I don't use it much in mine.

 

[misfit11]

I keep mine in the same mix that I use for all my other trees; Akadama, Pumice, and Lava Rock (1:1:1). They put on a few inches of healthy growth every year.

Cory

 

[bdmatt]

I use 2:1 or 3:1 perlite:coco coir for really young boxwoods or sick trees. Probably not a good mix for other stages.

I put my older boxwoods in 1:1:1 and 2:1:1 akadama, lava, pumice with great success. My mentor puts his in 50:35:15 lava, akadama, pumice. All these mixes do really well here in Socal.

Your mix is probably fine if its working for your other trees since soil comp is regionally dependent. No point changing in what's working.

Like what everyone else is saying, japanese boxwoods grow EXTREMELY slow. I can validate that they grow at most 8 cm annualy. Here are some pictures of a refined boxwood I have in 1:1:1.

After pruning.


Spring growth.


Growth hardens off.



Tree present, repotted and pruned.

 

[eugenev2]

I was wondering this myself. I will soon be repotting one of my boxwoods and the internet says they like loamy soil. How do I make my normal bonsai mix more "loamy"?

Strange that you mentioned that, as i've read that they prefer a more neutral/alkaline soil ph 7 to 8, many suggest pure pumice or even cactus mixes. Although playing devils advocate here (to myself), i currently have my common boxwood in pure organic material (came like that from the nursery) in a growbox for about a year and a half and i haven't had any issue thus far, but this box is substantially deeper than a bonsai pot.

Would appreciate a general consensus as well for when mine finally comes out of the growbox.