First day boxwood project

[Bonzeye]

Hey guys so I’ve gotten very interested in bonsai over the past weeks. I’ve thought about trying to get into it over the past couple of years but I didn’t know if I’d have the patience. Anyway after debating the past week I went out to my backyard where there are several box woods planted that I’ve been planing to take out eventually. So I dug one up that I thought had a nice interesting trunk. I pruned back a lot of the hedge although I know I should probably trim back further I was scared of going too far as the plant has probably been in this yard for 10-20 years and I just ripped it out of the ground and planted it into a 2-3 gallon pot. Gotta be a lot of stress for the plant I’d say. So I like the roots and trunk of the plant but I think most of the branches are too straight and boring. So really I’m just looking for any advice or suggestions on styling and what not. Looking to go for an old oak tree style.
thanks for reading excited to hear your feedback!

 

[Bonzeye]

bonus: there’s about 10-15 boxwoods in my moms yard that she plans to get rid of and put in some flowering shrubs so I’ll have a few more projects coming and plan to go a different direction with all. So I’m open to any ideas.

 

[River's Edge]

Welcome. I would suggest you complete your profile to include location and climatic zone. This will provide useful guidance for more specific care suggestions when requested.
The plant has interesting movement and some potential. Good eye!
It appears that you have planted the Boxwood in normal garden soil. Typically that is a poor choice for Bonsai and developing trees in pots. For that reason I would be careful with watering and wait for the recovery of the tree before any other work. I would allow the tree to recover for this season at least, perhaps two depending on the response.

 

[Bonzeye]

Welcome. I would suggest you complete your profile to include location and climatic zone. This will provide useful guidance for more specific care suggestions when requested.
The plant has interesting movement and some potential. Good eye!
It appears that you have planted the Boxwood in normal garden soil. Typically that is a poor choice for Bonsai and developing trees in pots. For that reason I would be careful with watering and wait for the recovery of the tree before any other work. I would allow the tree to recover for this season at least, perhaps two depending on the response.

I updated my profile and yes it is planted in some organic potting mix which is all I had on hand and was impatient and just wanted to get it out of the ground and into a pot.

 

[River's Edge]

Great, the mix will just require that you ensure it does not stay too wet and that the container drains readily when watered. Be careful that it does not sit in too much rain fall.
If you notice the drainage slowing down then poke holes in the soil to improve drainage. After recovery, then consider a change to a more free draining mix with lower organic content. A good guideline is 5 % organic. Azalea like more acidic conditions so you keep that in mind when selecting soil components and or fertilizer choices.
I would not fertilize at this point, just wait for signs of good recovery first. Then start with light fertilization, a good choice would be liquid fish fertilizer to begin with.
Best of luck!

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

This may have been too nice to be the first.

IMO...it should be cut back further. Way further for design.

But for health, you can still take it as far back as you can to leave green,life, buds, or hints of buds.

Unless you're in warm Cali. Then you can go all the way back to a perfect start.

Sorce

 

[Bonzeye]

Welcome to Crazy!

This may have been too nice to be the first.

IMO...it should be cut back further. Way further for design.

But for health, you can still take it as far back as you can to leave green,life, buds, or hints of buds.

Unless you're in warm Cali. Then you can go all the way back to a perfect start.

Sorce

I know I should go back further but how far are you talking when you say way further? the only experience I have with plants is growing indoors with these funny plants that grow funny sticky green fruits.....did a lot of topping pruning and styling/shaping with those to get a better yield but I’ve never cut something back very far so I’d like an idea of how far you’re talking

 

[sorce]

an idea

Red lines are stylistically.
Yellow are realistically.

Your sub trunks should be shorter than your trunks. And your first branches shorter than your subtrunks.

Since you know everything beyond the red lines isn't going to be used in the final design, cutting back as far as you can and still leaving green, is your best chance to get buds before the red lines. Where your actual next segments should come from.

Actual lengths and proportions matter, sometimes you will keep more on certain branches to let them thicken.

But this one seems a good "start", which for me, means it can go straight back to "proper nexts" and building the finished tree.

That's why it is key to make good moves now, especially with this tree.

Bad moves can move it from a good start to .....
A male.

Balancing health and design in Bonsai is tremendously harder than balancing health for yield.

Sorce

 

[j evans]

Welcome That is a really nice tree to start with. Good find!

 

[Bonzeye]

Red lines are stylistically.
Yellow are realistically.View attachment 295362

Your sub trunks should be shorter than your trunks. And your first branches shorter than your subtrunks.

Since you know everything beyond the red lines isn't going to be used in the final design, cutting back as far as you can and still leaving green, is your best chance to get buds before the red lines. Where your actual next segments should come from.

Actual lengths and proportions matter, sometimes you will keep more on certain branches to let them thicken.

But this one seems a good "start", which for me, means it can go straight back to "proper nexts" and building the finished tree.

That's why it is key to make good moves now, especially with this tree.

Bad moves can move it from a good start to .....
A male.

Balancing health and design in Bonsai is tremendously harder than balancing health for yield.

Sorce

So if I cut back farther than any green on the Branch will I likely not get any new buds to form?

 

[sorce]

So if I cut back farther than any green on the Branch will I likely not get any new buds to form?

In a previously depleted state, as this....usually yes.

I think a super healthy tree can be whacked and pop back if done at once. Once!

Other than that you're messing with when it wants to resprout. Which could mean death.

Sorce