Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Faulkner box (Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner')— schedule & NPK
Also called Faulkner box, Faulkner boxwood, small-leaved box Faulkner.
More about faulkner box
About Faulkner box
Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' · also called Faulkner box, Faulkner boxwood · flowering
Faulkner box is a compact, slow-growing cultivar of Japanese boxwood with dense, glossy, dark bluish-green foliage that holds its colour well in winter. It is notably more resistant to box blight than many common boxwoods, making it a reliable choice for formal topiary, balls, and low hedging.
Growth habit: Dense, compact, rounded evergreen shrub; slow growth of 10–15 cm per year; holds a naturally mounded form with minimal pruning.
What fertiliser faulkner box actually wants — and why
Faulkner box is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for faulkner box: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed faulkner box, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For faulkner box:
Feed with a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring. A second light feed immediately after the main summer clip encourages dense regrowth. Avoid nitrogen-heavy feeds after late July to prevent soft, frost-susceptible growth. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when faulkner box is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for faulkner box
Half strength is the safe default for faulkner box — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water faulkner box first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the faulkner box watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding faulkner box
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for faulkner box:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding faulkner box
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full faulkner box care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of faulkner box with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for faulkner box
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising faulkner box — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does faulkner box need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Faulkner box is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed faulkner box?
Feed with a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring. A second light feed immediately after the main summer clip encourages dense regrowth. Avoid nitrogen-heavy feeds after late July to prevent soft, frost-susceptible growth. Feed with a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring. A second light feed immediately after the main summer clip encourages dense regrowth. Avoid nitrogen-heavy feeds after late July to prevent soft, frost-susceptible growth. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for faulkner box?
Half strength is the safe default for faulkner box — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding faulkner box look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding faulkner box year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of faulkner box?
Flush the pot of faulkner box with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Faulkner box care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water faulkner box — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise crocus 'pickwick'
- How to fertilise crocus tommasinianus 'ruby giant'
- How to fertilise crocus chrysanthus 'cream beauty'
- All 6887 fertilising guides in the Growli library