Wishing to Prune a Japanese Boxwood

[Lazylightningny]

I have this Japanese Boxwood that I purchased earlier in the year. I repotted it into a pond basket and started wiring some branches down in the hopes of styling it into a California Live Oak. I think the proportions are off though; that is, it is too tall compared with the thickness of the trunk, which is approximately 1.5" at the base.

My questions are:

1. when can I hard prune the branches back?
2. Also, I read that you must leave some leaves or secondary branches on the pruned branch. Is this true?

 

[jk_lewis]

I prune my boxwood whenever it needs it -- winter, spring, summer, fall. They will bud back however much you chop. (They're hedge plants.)

 

[Poink88]

Here and in my experience...unless you have latent buds, any branch w/o leaves will die. I am learning that boxwood with corky & flaky bark tend to have more latent buds than the smooth bark type.

I too prune almost anytime they need it...actually after the major pruning, I pinch regularly.

I'd start my prune as shown then re-evaluate. The lower branches need movement, if you cannot bend them, they need to be re-built and cut much shorter. Should be easy with some jacks though.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Thanks, guys. Dario, your pruning looks spot on. I may go a little heavier on one or 2 branches. Once they bud, you begin pinching right away?

 

[Poink88]

My mark-up is just my baseline. I usually do that then chop more as needed. It is amazing how things change after you remove all the excess branches/foliage. Your choice of front may actually change too. Also seeing only pics, I may be mistaken. Safer to leave longer than be sorry.

Once they bud, you begin pinching right away?

It really depends on each branch and their location. Some of the new branches that will become main branch in the end will be left to grow a tad longer before pinching. The outer branches get pinched right away...after 2nd or 1st set/pair or leaves. I create what I call a "good problem". Basically it will turn into a pom-pom then I go back and choose what branch I want to keep...removing some (making sure I get a good mix of movement and ramification) then repeat (grow-thin cycle).

By next month, I may have some update pics to my boxwood threads to show what I mean. Several that are a mass of green then are showing some decent structure now (if I may say so myself). They were thinned back hard and I am letting them sprout a few leaves before the next update.

BTW, the straight branches need to be bent ASAP...if you can't do it, better to chop back harder now and rebuild. If not, you will very likely regret it later.

 

[Lazylightningny]

they're pretty thick and brittle... they'll snap. Better to prune to shape.

 

[Poink88]

they're pretty thick and brittle... they'll snap. Better to prune to shape.

Have you seen the ones I bent (& posted)? I think these are small compared to the 3/4" diameter branches I did.

The secret is doing it slowly w/ proper equipment. I use turnbuckles and jacks for bigger branches. You can also "massage" boxwood until they become more "flexible". BUT I like chopping too!

 

[Lazylightningny]

Have you seen the ones I bent (& posted)? I think these are small compared to the 3/4" diameter branches I did.

The secret is doing it slowly w/ proper equipment. I use turnbuckles and jacks for bigger branches. You can also "massage" boxwood until they become more "flexible". BUT I like chopping too!

What kind of jack do you use? Do you have a pic in a thread?

 

[Poink88]

What kind of jack do you use? Do you have a pic in a thread?

Like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Japanes...622299?pt=US_Garden_Tools&hash=item258fa31f9b

There are cheaper ones but some do not work unless you know how to tinker with them. Like this one. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bonsai-styl...arden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item4d17c5e2ba

I do use both.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Thanks, Dario. I'll check them out.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I pruned it back hard today, placed some guy wires, and wired two branches. Now I'll just leave it alone for awhile and see where it back buds.

I bought this plant back at the end of March. After repotting it and its initial pruning, it hasn't put out a lot of growth. Since this is my first boxwood, I don't know it it's just a slow grower, or if it was still trying to recover. At any rate, I'll just fertilize, water, and hope for the best.

Thoughts? Ideas?