Atlanta area Boxwood group dig.....?

[Wee]

Not sure if they are worth digging or not...I don't know boxwood that well. The pics can be found at the link below....I'll post the pics here at lunch just aint got the time right now.

Boxwood dig....?

Brian

 

[Jester217300]

Are you sure they are boxwood? The trunk and only foliage I can see don't look correct to me.

 

[Poink88]

Looks worthy. They are easy to dig and I've collected many. Roots are usually close to trunk and you do not need much for them to survive. My only problem is that they need green at tip to survive...otherwise I lose that leafless branch.

I'd say go for it. Good luck!

 

[lordy]

boxwood are good material, and you have one of the best boxwood guys around right there. Rodney Clemons. You should be able to get decent results after a few years of cutting them back and allowing the foliage to grow closer to the trunk(s). Just be sure to leave SOME leaves on the stuff you cut back. If not there may be a good chance that the branch will die. It will also give you a chance to practice your collection methods and soil mixing. Dont look up Turface here or your eyes will explode and bleed. Good Luck!

 

[Poink88]

Are you sure they are boxwood? The trunk and only foliage I can see don't look correct to me.

Trunks are iffy for me too...more like holly. The last pic is the only one with leaves and it can be boxwood based on what I can see.

 

[bwaynef]

That first one doesn't look healthy. I've never seen loose bark on a boxwood that meant good things.

 

[Wee]

I added the CL pics the lady had posted...She did tell me they were a couple years old during the summer when they were nice and green....It's the larger shrubs of the one pictured.

Brian

 

[Wee]

Here are the pics....The first two are the ones on CL that were taken a year or 2 ago....The rest were taken yesterday.

Brian

 

[Poink88]

More likely ilex than buxus.

 

[Wee]

Do boxwood's normally look this bad during the winter....? I got rid of the only 2 I had years ago and can't remember what they looked like year around. The lady says they are just getting too big but I wonder if they might be dying off....? From the looks of these pics the foliage that is still left seems to be a long way from the base, I assume it would take years to get good foliage more towards the base....?

They wanted them all dug up at once but I told them 3 was probably the most I could take out and be able to clean up my mess.

Brian

 

[Wee]

I passed on this dig....Found out it was a 2 hour drive from the house...Just too far and I really need to get my shelves back up tomorrow....The ad is still up in the Atlanta CL free section if anyone else is interested.

Brian

 

[Poink88]

Brian,

Good, especially if you are after boxwood because I strongly believe these are not.

I've dug many of both to know the difference. Looking at the pics again, it just clicked...the debris is very telling. Boxwood dead branches are not like those at all. They actually do not fall like that and usually dead branches rot on the tree unless cut. Old boxwood trunk and branches are also rarely round, they tend to have sinewy muscle like veins.

What I see in the pics are all ilex traits. Don't get me wrong, ilex is not bad, I love working with them too actually.

 

[Wee]

Thanks for the advice Dario...If it was a 30 minute drive I would have spent the day digging instead of working on my shelves.....2 hours one way was just too much without knowing what I was going after. I need some trees but I have to get some where to put them.

Brian