Plant Care
Light: Boxwood is one of the only shrubs that reliably thrives in full sun to full shade.
Soil: Any well-drained soil will do though slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soils are best.
Water: Average water needs. Though boxwood can show some drought tolerance, excessive dryness causes stress that can lead to pest and disease issues.
Fertilizing: Little needed; one early spring application of a granular fertilizer formulated for woody plants is sufficient, unless plant experienced severe winter stress.
Pruning: Neatball boxwood naturally grows into an appealing globe shape. It may be trimmed if desired – do so after the new growth has emerged but before it hardens off, usually late spring. Remove any winter damaged portions in early spring.
Other considerations: Though Neatball boxwood was selected especially for its ability to maintain good, dark green color in winter, boxwoods in general are susceptible to winter damage, with leaves turning bronze, brown, or tan. Minimize any winter damage by keeping the plants covered with a good 2-3″/5-7cm layer of shredded bark mulch. If autumn weather has been dry, water plants by hand up until the ground freezes: winter drought stress is the biggest cause of winter damage on boxwoods.
