Boxwood Sempevirens 'Suffruticosa' Multi-mess

[akillas]

Greetings,

Last season i trunk chopped a number of older pot-grown boxwoods (15-25yo)
The other Boxwoods presented easy informal upright styling choices, but when i got to this one i realized i know nothing about multi-trunk(Kabudachi) styles, and im not a big fan of them either. However, i would be open to trying my hand in it.

Any styling/general advice on this ugly duckling would be helpful. If its beyond salvage, it will make an excellent garden bush.

The photos are from multiple angles

 

[BrianBay9]

First I would let it grow out. At this point you don't know where all the live material will show up and extend. Then you need to remove dead limbs/trunks, and decide which trunks to keep and which go. You have a credible main trunk, so you can go single trunk, or multiples. If multiple trunks, they should have a variety in thickness and height. Generally the thickest trunks should be the tallest. Try not to leave crossing trunks, or trunks that are straight with no taper. That probably means cutting some trunks significantly shorter and re-growing a leader for taper.

But I wouldn't worry about styling until you have re-grown a nice mass of foliage.

Have fun with it.

 

[N'ver 2 L8 2 Bonsai]

Last season i trunk chopped a number of older pot-grown boxwoods (15-25yo)

Re: your boxwood above, you should definitely do the multi-trunk style for the experience of working multi-trunk, if nothing else. Especially since you have the others you mentioned.

Quick Question: Did you chop back to old wood with no leaves on it?
Reason I ask is because it looks like you may have done that and, if so, it looks like it backbudded onto old wood wonderfully.
(Actual real reason I ask is because I'm contemplating buying a large boxwood with a 3-4" trunk, but it's too tall (25") with large leafless sections and I would chop it down to the top part of where the picture below shows)

 

[BrianBay9]

Re: your boxwood above, you should definitely do the multi-trunk style for the experience of working multi-trunk, if nothing else. Especially since you have the others you mentioned.

Quick Question: Did you chop back to old wood with no leaves on it?
Reason I ask is because it looks like you may have done that and, if so, it looks like it backbudded onto old wood wonderfully.
(Actual real reason I ask is because I'm contemplating buying a large boxwood with a 3-4" trunk, but it's too tall (25") with large leafless sections and I would chop it down to the top part of where the picture below shows)
View attachment 623731

Healthy boxwood almost always will bud back when no green is left......but every once in a while will not. To be safe, leave a bit of green, or play the odds and don't.