Dear Stan:

Boxwood are evergreen, low-growing shrubs that can be cultivated to form hedges. They are very compact and can be trimmed into many shapes, including the traditional rectangular hedge. The first problem I see is that you were informed improperly about summer watering. These plants need a watering program of increased frequency, especially when young. I would water them three to four times a week, or more, depending on the amount of sunlight and reflected heat they are exposed to.

The second problem you are faced with comes from the extreme south sun against a reflected wall and concrete sidewalk just inches away from your boxwood. This combination spells oven and your plants are baking in a hot one. The temperatures in those conditions can reach more than 135 degrees. This heat radiates throughout the night.

Here is how reflected heat works. During the day, the walls of the house and the concrete sidewalk absorb radiation and heat. The composition of concrete and masonry products stores this heat and slowly releases it throughout the evening. In fact, sometimes during the summer months, these areas may not cool at all. Plants do need some heat to trans-evaporate, but with a light watering schedule, there is not enough water to evaporate through the foliage. The watering program you have been providing is far too inadequate. The plants need much more water to survive. Without enough moisture for trans-evaporation to take place, the foliage becomes toast.

Boxwood will do fine in those conditions if you make some changes to your watering schedule. To get a great start try the following:

• Plant your boxwood, especially small ones, in the early fall after the extreme summer heat has subsided.

• Provide a good base material with50 percent mulch and 50 percent native or topsoil in the backfill.

• Establish a good watering program with the fall and winter requiring less than the spring and summer months. During the fall and winter, I would consider watering two or three times per week for the first year. During the first summer, try watering three to four times per week. After the first year, the plant roots should begin to mature into the native soils. This is the time you can reduce the watering schedule up to 50 percent.

Remember that boxwood grows very slowly and takes many months to root. If you can purchase them in larger sizes, such as five-gallon or 15-gallon, you should have better results, since the roots will be deeper to begin with.

The boxwood makes a great hedge and is one of the few landscape plants that looks good when pruned into geometric shapes.