Boxwood #2

Hi all,

I picked this boxwood up at the end of the summer and worked it back a bit here recently. I removed a good amount of the rootball on this one. The species bounces back so well. The base is about 3" and the height of the tree is maybe 12" or so. I packed the bottom layer of the nursery can with a couple inches of locally produced Calidama and mixed in a little perlite to create a drainage layer and give the new roots somewhere to go. Now I will let this tree grow out into a shrub this season and revisit the roots and new branch selections a year from now. Thanks for taking a look and c&c is most welcome and appreciated.


--Joe

I just noticed the above photos show the tree before I removed the lower back branch which I found distracting. These are a front shot and a side/back shot where that 3rd main branch was removed.

This tree has some bad reverse taper. How do you plan on addressing that?

Unless others have ideas, I planned on working the planting angles a bit or maybe, possibly some carving. You're right though, the taper begins in the transition from the base to the main trunk and it sucks.

jedge76 said:

Unless others have ideas, I planned on working the planting angles a bit or maybe, possibly some carving. You're right though, the taper begins in the transition from the base to the main trunk and it sucks.

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I think your thought about using the planting angle might work, you may risk losing the benefit of what surface roots exist. I have used a technique on azaleas that might help on your box. I covered the surface of the soil around the base with chopped sphagnum. It helps keep the area a bit more moist and might aid in the tree pushing surface roots. After time (remember, this is a boxwood...) it may add girth where you need it. Just a thought. Good luck!

I think the wide nebari makes up for the reverse taper section. I see all kinds of full size trees around here that look like that. I would worry more about the long straight trunk on the right. I'd try to get some back budding down lower there and cut it back. Good looking so far.

Another thought may be to remove the straight right trunk all the way to the base and use the left one as your main trunk. If you do this it would probably be styled in a more traditional Japanese manner than an oak tree. Food for thought.

People tend to worry to much about reverse/inverse taper. I don't see any problem with this tree. Boxwoods make great bonsai and are fun to work with. I have many of them that I collected from my hedge. They are now show-worthy at the Redwood Empire Bonsai Show (considered by many to be the best show in the nation) within only 4 years. Your tree has potential to be a nice one.

Good luck
Cory

misfit11 said:

People tend to worry to much about reverse/inverse taper. I don't see any problem with this tree. Boxwoods make great bonsai and are fun to work with. I have many of them that I collected from my hedge. They are now show-worthy at the Redwood Empire Bonsai Show (considered by many to be the best show in the nation) within only 4 years. Your tree has potential to be a nice one.

Good luck
Cory

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Thanks Cory...I appreciate the words of encouragement a lot, especially with your experience. I'll mess around with different trunk angles as the front and whatnot, see what that does, but probably nothing drastic at this point. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

drew33998 said:

Another thought may be to remove the straight right trunk all the way to the base and use the left one as your main trunk. If you do this it would probably be styled in a more traditional Japanese manner than an oak tree. Food for thought.

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That's definitely an idea to look into...I may cover that trunk with a towel and see how that looks, just as another option if nothing else. Thanks for the reply Drew!

KennedyMarx said:

I think the wide nebari makes up for the reverse taper section. I see all kinds of full size trees around here that look like that. I would worry more about the long straight trunk on the right. I'd try to get some back budding down lower there and cut it back. Good looking so far.

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I think you're right Kennedy...that trunk needs addressing at some point. I anticipate good back budding as it seems a good trait for boxwood, so hopefully that will open up some more options and allow me to introduce some movement into that trunk as time wears on. Thanks for posting your thoughts!

lordy said:

I think your thought about using the planting angle might work, you may risk losing the benefit of what surface roots exist. I have used a technique on azaleas that might help on your box. I covered the surface of the soil around the base with chopped sphagnum. It helps keep the area a bit more moist and might aid in the tree pushing surface roots. After time (remember, this is a boxwood...) it may add girth where you need it. Just a thought. Good luck!

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I may try this. There are also a few smaller surface roots, basically string diameter, that may also develop a good amount more meaningful nebari as the tree grows. Do you know if the moss could potentially cause the bark it covers to rot? Probably not in the climate I am in now I imagine. Thanks again Lordy!

Yes that inverse taper happens a lot at that first whirl on these boxwoods. Many Branches thickening on the same point. Included pic of 1 I am working. Critique welcome.

jedge76 said:

I may try this. There are also a few smaller surface roots, basically string diameter, that may also develop a good amount more meaningful nebari as the tree grows. Do you know if the moss could potentially cause the bark it covers to rot? Probably not in the climate I am in now I imagine. Thanks again Lordy!

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You can just put the moss on the soil, and not on the trunk. Not that difficult to position this way. I have not seen any problems with bark so far because it doesnt really get wet due to the moss. Only put on about a quarter of an inch thick, just to hold some moisture.

qwade said:

Yes that inverse taper happens a lot at that first whirl on these boxwoods. Many Branches thickening on the same point. Included pic of 1 I am working. Critique welcome.

View attachment 65991

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It looks like you could remove one of the 3 branches and that may help in several areas. Looks like a fun try, as boxwoods tend to be.

Maybe---- Which one would you remove. I'm guessing not the center unless your talking the small branch coming off the center trunk. Hard to see in 2d.