How to Grow Boxwood From Cuttings

Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) are evergreen shrubs also referred to as box plants. The plants come in a range of sizes including dwarf and small trees. Boxwoods are widely used as foundation plantings, hedges, screens and bed borders. The hardy plants are grown for their small, glossy foliage and adapt well to areas of sun or shade. There are over 160 registered varieties of boxwood, as cited by the North Carolina State University Extension. You can easily start new boxwood plants with semi-hardwood cuttings.

Small pot
Rooting medium
Rooting hormone
Sharp scissors
Large plastic bag
Rubber band
Plastic cup

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a small pot with a rooting medium that you can find at any gardening center. You can also use equal quantities of peat and sand or peat and perlite to make your own rooting medium. Pour about an inch of rooting hormone in the plastic cup.
- 2
  Cut 5- to 6-inch long sections of vigorous growing stems from healthy plants, measuring from stem tip. Semi-hardwood cuttings are the slightly mature yet succulent wood that is firmer and thicker than softwood cuttings.
- 3
  Remove the leaves from the lower half of the stem. Also cut off any new growth from the tip of the stem. Dip the base in the rooting hormone. Tap off any excess.
- 4
  Insert cutting about 2 inches deep into the rooting medium. Firm the soil around the stems. Water well.
- 5
  Cover with a large plastic bag to create a mini greenhouse effect. This promotes faster growth of roots. Close top with a rubber band. Place in a warm area out of direct sunlight.
- 6
  Open bag every three to four days to add enough water to keep soil moist but not wet. Let cuttings grow in pot over the winter. Transplant to permanent place in landscape next growing season.

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