Planting a Row of Boxwood

October 19, 2024

It's mid-October and the ground is still pretty soft, so planting projects continue here at my farm.

The three-acre lush pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my living maze, which I started in the spring of 2022. I've planted a variety of interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs - rows of plantings that branch off with pathway options and dead ends, with only one correct route to the center. It's now more than half way complete. Most recently, I decided to add a beautiful row of 'Green Mountain' boxwood as part of a newly designed space within the maze. It will look so pretty once it's all finished.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: This large collection of boxwood is from Select Horticulture in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. I get many of my bigger specimens from Select Horticulture – they are always very healthy and lush.

: Pete and Ryan go over my sketches and instructions for planting the boxwood.

: It’s important to take the time to plan out a new garden bed and put up lines so plantings are straight and properly measured.

: I wanted these boxwood shrubs to be placed in a row east to west in this maze next to my tall London plane trees. Pete measures and runs the bright landscape twine across the field.

: Next, Pete cuts the sod with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. He goes up and down twice to cut the sod in two long strips.

: Alex cuts the sod in sections, so it is easier to pick up.

: And then José rolls up the sections, so they can be removed. The sod is two inches thick, and with the soil can be quite heavy.

: All these sod pieces will be used in another section of the farm, so nothing is wasted.

: Phurba sprinkles generous amounts of fertilizer along the entire length of the area. Remember what I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.”

: And then he starts tilling the bed with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. The machine is set to till the soil at about six to eight inches deep. On some tillers, the speed of the rotating tines helps determine the speed of the machine.

: Meanwhile, Pete transports small groups of boxwood to the planting area.

: Meanwhile, the boxwood is lined up next to the bed where it will be planted.

: Buxus is a genus of at least 70-species in the family Buxaceae. ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood is a woody, broadleaf, evergreen shrub with bright green foliage that retains good color throughout winter.

: And then the digging begins. Our Kubota M62 tractor loader and backhoe are positioned to dig a trench for the boxwood. Digging a trench is not only faster when planting a number of specimens in a row compared to individual holes, but it also allows more break up of the soil for new roots to grow and for better circulation of oxygen and water.

: Phurba follows to remove any excess soil and manually smooths out the trench as needed.

: The wire caging, plastic, and burlap are removed from each root ball as it is placed into the trench.

: Here’s Phurba placing one of the boxwood shrubs. All these shrubs are in good condition, but when planting, my crew knows to always face the best looking side out.

: José measures the space between each boxwood – not once, but twice. It should be three feet from center stem to center stem.

: Also check the height of each one against its neighbors and line plants accordingly to create a cohesive and attractive row.

: The shrubs are then backfilled. A good tip is to “plant bare to the flare,” meaning do not bury above the flare, where the first main roots attach to the main stem or trunk. The roots need oxygen to grow. By placing the root flare at or slightly above ground level when planting gives the shrub the best chance for survival, growth, and development.

: The bed is raked and blown, so it looks tidy.

: Next, these newly planted shrubs will get a good and deep drink.

: When fully mature, ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood can grow to be three to seven feet tall and two to three feet wide. Eventually, the boxwood will create a handsome hedge. This is still a work in progress – wait until you see what happens next!