How to plant and care for Christmas Box (Sarcococca)

When to plant and care for it

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Christmas Box (Sarcococca): what it needs

☀️ Light

Part shade · 6+ hours a day

💧 Watering

Water well for the first summer, then in dry spells

🪨 Soil

Humus-rich soil

📏 Spacing

90 cm

↕️ Height

1–1.5 m

🪴 In pots

Grows well in containers

🍽️ Feeding

Balanced feed in spring

🌡️ Hardiness

USDA zones 6–9

Step by step

1. On planting day

   Plant

   Plant at the same depth as it was in its pot, 90 cm apart, and firm in.

2. 0–1 days after “Plant”

   Water In Well

   Give a full can of water, then keep moist for the first few weeks while roots establish.

3. 7–14 days after “Water In Well”

   Mulch Around the Base

   Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plant, keeping it off the stems.

Every year

• January
  In Flower

  Midwinter honey scent.

• April
  Spring Mulch

  Mulch with leaf mould.

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