Dug up Japanese Boxwood...now what

[suzshaff]

Hi all!
I was taking out a Japanese Boxwood not intending to use it for anything. So I cut off all the branches so I could better get under it to dig it up, which I did...But then I noticed it had a fabulous thick and gnarled trunk. And I thought gosh darn it - this would have made a great bonsai! So my question is this - I have the root ball sitting in water to keep the roots moist - do I trim back the root ball so I can get it in a pot to overwinter it, or will that be too much having just sheered it right back to almost no leaves at all? I'm in PA zone 7a
Thanks!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome Aboard Bonsai Nut!

Nice!

Just find a nursery pot big enough to winter over the boxwood for now. Pot it in a wood box next year and ease it into bonsai media..

Please enter your approximate location and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone on your icon. You won’t need to enter it again and these data really helps up in different threads.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[suzshaff]

Welcome Aboard Bonsai Nut!

Nice!

Just find a nursery pot big enough to winter over the boxwood for now. Pot it in a wood box next year and ease it into bonsai media..

Please enter your approximate location and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone on your icon. You won’t need to enter it again and these data really helps up in different threads.

Cheers
DSD sends

Will do and thanks for the quick response!

 

[BrianBay9]

Agree. Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere this is not the time you'd choose to collect a tree. But boxwood handle collection pretty well. Now just treat it nice and see what buds out.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Looks like a good trunk. You might see die-back due to the hard cuts this late. Best time for hard cut backs on boxwood I find to be about April here in 7b. At that time, youll get great backbudding. Any budding to follow now initiated by the cut back may not have enough time to harden off. Id get it into a pot for now like stated above.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Just to cover all bases, might want to seal all the cuts as soon as possible. Any cut paste, like kyonal, or even plumbers putty.

Best
DSD sends

 

[suzshaff]

Just to cover all bases, might want to seal all the cuts as soon as possible. Any cut paste, like kyonal, or even plumbers putty.

Best
DSD sends

DSD many thanks!! I feel dumb, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to add location and zone to my profile icon. Clicking edit only allows me to upload a new pic. Thanks!

Good News... I found it!!!!!!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

DSD many thanks!! I feel dumb, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to add location and zone to my profile icon. Clicking edit only allows me to upload a new pic. Thanks!

Good News... I found it!!!!!!

Absolutely no worries. This happens to the best of us. Do this and all will be well.

Double tap your icon atop the page. Then select account details. Scroll down and enter these data and save.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[BrianBay9]

Thanks for the location info. But.....North America 7a runs from Appalachia through the deep south, north Texas into the Rockies, Sierras, and Cascade range. They are wildly different climates, even in the same hardiness zone. Give us a hint. At least tell us if you're east or west of the Mississippi River?