Boxwood - Where to from here

Smoke · Mar 4, 2016

....and then there is always this path. A Ken To special.

Dorian Fourie · Mar 4, 2016

Leo in N E Illinois said:
If it were my tree. I would think of it as a broom style of the type you'd see in a forest. Informal broom, using the branches already present. You have 20 cm of bare trunk, there is no changing that. I would plan on creating a broom that would be around 60 cm tall or even a little taller. I'd cut off everything above about 40 cm right now. The branches in the 20cm to 40 cm range will be your main branches and main secondary branches. You will re-grow the top 20 cm of the tree, this part will be all tertiary and higher branching, the fine twiggy stuff. So cut off the top portion that you won't be using, then sort through the remaining branches and wire them to arrange them in gentle partial arches away from the trunk. I can't see exactly what you have in there, but the final goal will be a tree with a silhouette like a tall wine glass. Plenty of space underneath for the understory trees to grow. Your understory trees should probably be somewhere between 20 and 40 cm, leaving this one as the main focal point.

And as @sorce suggested you can use the cuttings to create the smaller trees to accompany the forest giant.

Your trunk is only 3.5 cm, forest trees are usually 10:1 or so as far as height to trunk diameter goes in bonsai shows. In reality it is more like 100:1 in an actual forest tree, but isn't relevant, we are making an image in miniature, 10:1 is a good ratio to work toward. You will get some thickening over the years, especially if you keep the majority of branches in creating the broom, but thickening won't be quick. A 60 cm tree with a 3.5 cm trunk would be roughly 17:1, which is not wildly off the ideal of 10:1, so I think it would be a good plan.

At least this is my first thought working from the photo you posted. It is a plan that keeps the bulk of the branches and foliage. By keeping a fair amount of foliage, it will be possible to get growth and thickening of your trunk.

If you go with the broom, as you choose the primary branches, and secondary branches, remember to choose a thinner branch in favor of a branch that is unusually thick, at each level in the tree you want the branches to be similar in diameter. The diameter of the branches should step down, become smaller at each level as you go higher in the tree. So try to avoid the ''odd thick branch'' shooting up into the next level.

I would maybe draw a few plans, using only branches you actually have, and kick around ideas over the winter, do the actual styling in late winter or early spring. Take your time, this material does have enough branching to give you a number of options. And consider Smoke's suggestions

Hi Leo

Thanks for your thoughts.

Am I correct in this very basic virt with regards to broom style?

Dorian Fourie · Mar 4, 2016

Smoke.

You were right to say that you would post some beautiful trees.

With the amount of branches in this Boxwood, I could airlayer quite a few branches and work on a few ideas all round.

Smoke · Mar 4, 2016

I think you certainly could. I will be eager to see what you do. Most important,.....have fun!

There were two demo's today during the exhibit. I had so much fun today giving them the business. We all laughed so hard we may have made a scene.
Tomorrow I do my demo on a really tough piece of material. I will bet even money that tomorrow I will know just how Donald Trump feels!

From Today.

Piece I will work over tomorrow.

Dorian Fourie · Mar 4, 2016

Smoke said:
I think you certainly could. I will be eager to see what you do. Most important,.....have fun!

Will most definitely have fun. Not sure if I have the space but hell, may just have to dig up some of my wife's plants and make space.

Leo in N E Illinois said:
I would maybe draw a few plans, using only branches you actually have, and kick around ideas over the winter, do the actual styling in late winter or early spring. Take your time, this material does have enough branching to give you a number of options. And consider Smoke's suggestions

I have a few months now to work through ideas and then will update once I know where I am heading.

JudyB · Mar 5, 2016

Thought I'd add a quick pic of my kingsville... Good luck and have fun with yours no matter what you do with it. Love the Ken To one!

just.wing.it · Mar 5, 2016

Smoke said:
Here are some from today. These are all boxwoods in the broom style. There are a couple kingsville which naturaly grow that way. Keep in mind the trunk height at division. Most of these trunks are very short which really helps convey the spreading oak/broom style.View attachment 96640 View attachment 96641 View attachment 96642 View attachment 96643

You guys are making me want a boxwood now.... Jeez...
Very nice stuff, thanks!

just.wing.it · Mar 5, 2016

JudyB said:
Thought I'd add a quick pic of my kingsville... Good luck and have fun with yours no matter what you do with it. Love the Ken To one!
View attachment 96674

How tall is this tree? If I may ask....

JudyB · Mar 5, 2016

just.wing.it said:
How tall is this tree? If I may ask....

It's 6" from the soil. This is one that stays inside all winter, but outside in summer.

just.wing.it · Mar 5, 2016

JudyB said:
It's 6" from the soil. This is one that stays inside all winter, but outside in summer.

Really? Indoors, as in, it never sees below 65 degrees F?

JudyB · Mar 5, 2016

just.wing.it said:
Really? Indoors, as in, it never sees below 65 degrees F?

Indeed, yes that's correct.

just.wing.it · Mar 5, 2016

JudyB said:
Indeed, yes that's correct.

I'm shocked....
Didn't know that was an option with Boxwood. Is that a common method?

JudyB · Mar 5, 2016

just.wing.it said:
I'm shocked....
Didn't know that was an option with Boxwood. Is that a common method?

Not sure, but I've always kept kingsville inside.
And I suppose it has seen below 65, I put it out when the temps are steadily above 55 or so.

Waldo Street Pottery · Mar 5, 2016

Hi, I rarely reply with "instruction", but I love boxwoods and have recently worked all of mine and love the results. I agree with most, if not all of what has been posted thus far. If this were my tree, I would start by cleaning it up. There are a lot of long whips (branches) that could be taken back to begin reasonable branching. If you understand the concept of taper (assuming), take the branches back to begin good tapering. Any place where the branch splits into a trident, take one away. When I started with boxwoods the center one seemed the obvious choice. But, I didn't always like the hard angle it left of the 2 remaining branches. So, take away one of the side branches that's going in the direction less appealing. Another clean up is taking out old leaves. Any place the branch has split into 2-3, and there are leaves at the base of the split, I call them Mickey Mouse ears, I take them out by pulling towards me. These leaves have done their job and often grow larger than others. This will clean up the split and expose branch structure and interesting angles. Also, I take out sets of leaves near the trunk or main branches. I pull them in pairs towards me, leaving dormant bud intact. Removing leaves in these ways will give you a much cleaner image while allowing air and light to the interior of the plant, and again showing angles and branch structure. To me, boxwoods look best with leaves mostly at the tips of the branches, thought they want to set leaves way down at the base and crotches of splits. Finally, any pruning means equal pruning, essential in boxwoods. If the tree were mine, I would go through this clean up process to expose what is really there and make further decisions from there. Just taking out the Mickey Mouse ears and lowest leaves on the branches will make a big difference. Keep us posted.

sorce · Mar 5, 2016

hometeamrocker said:
, I rarely reply with "instruction",

Well that sucks!

Resource!

Good info!

Sorce

sorce · Mar 5, 2016

Well Hell.

I'm sitting here waiting for basketball to start and here is this tree in front of me....

Just mimicking your tree under HTR guidance.

I'll be damned if that's not a hybrid of your tree and everyone's vision.

Note too.....
All the helmets are boring.
Pad separation, like on Judy's, makes em look way better.

Sorce

Geo · Mar 5, 2016

hometeamrocker said:
Finally, any pruning means equal pruning, essential in boxwoods.

@hometeamrocker Did you mean equal root pruning or....? And please,in your opinion(and I know that many species are tropical)can some of them get away without a proper dormancy Apparently the King can,but I don't have a King.Mine looks like a regular European type.But I bought it at a nursery here and I am suspicious.Buy a dozen,put in a nice parterre or something.Watch them decline and then go back to the nursery for more.Anyway,an odd problem,I know but any insight would be appreciated.

milehigh_7 · Mar 5, 2016

Smoke said:
....and then there is always this path. A Ken To special.

View attachment 96647

I'ma ask Ken why he does not come on here... He's a fun and talented dude.

davetree · Mar 5, 2016

JudyB said:
Not sure, but I've always kept kingsville inside.
And I suppose it has seen below 65, I put it out when the temps are steadily above 55 or so.

Interesting. My Kingsville boxwood stays outside until it freezes solid, just like my maples. Then it spends 3 months in an unheated garage in the dark at 30-35 degrees. Then back outside when temps are just above freezing. Still looks good after years of doing this.

JudyB · Mar 5, 2016

davetree said:
Interesting. My Kingsville boxwood stays outside until it freezes solid, just like my maples. Then it spends 3 months in an unheated garage in the dark at 30-35 degrees. Then back outside when temps are just above freezing. Still looks good after years of doing this.

That is a beautiful tree Dave! I'm sure I could store mine in the cold storage, I just like having it inside... And it's fine with that treatment too.
Yours is quite the stunner.

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