Buxus Bargain Shopping (and a small confession)

[milehigh_7]

The year was 1999 and I was living in Phoenix. I had been lurking on the old IBC website for awhile. I had checked out and read every bonsai book at the local library and via interlibrary loan. Boxwood was recommended as a great plant to start out with. So I went and bought my first victim. I promptly chopped it back to a single branch and potted it in a HUGE pot with potting soil.

Now this will shock most of you but it was dead as fast as the remaining leaves could dry up. I have not even tried a boxwood since. Not sure if I was hurt, angry, bitter at boxwoods I don't know but I just have never even wanted another. Lately I have been gaining interest again I think it was the thread on Kingsvilles that got me going.

Well I was on a quick trip through the local nursery to see if they had any more clearance acacias when I spotted a few hundred 5gal "Winter Gem" boxwoods for $4.99. So I grabbed three real quick. All three are about 2 feet tall from the soil and all have at least a 2 inch base.

The problem is I don't know how to proceed or when to start. Should I give them a preliminary trim to clean them up or just leave them till fall? They will be labeled 1, 2, and 3 in the posts that follow.

 

[milehigh_7]

#1

Here is #1 It has a 2" 3/4 inch base.

 

[milehigh_7]

#2

Here is #2 It has a 2" base.

 

[milehigh_7]

#3

Here is #3 with a 2 1/4 in base.




The third pic I tried to show how rough the bark is... not sure if it shows good or not.

 

[Poink88]

Clyde,

Nice score at that price! I like the bark & nebari!

I have some experience with boxwood and one thing I learned is that they hardly back bud unless you have dormant buds down low. Any branch chopped w/o any terminal leaves will die (thus your bad experience). The branches are hard to bend but bendable. I have 1" branches that I bent though I was told numerous times it cannot be done. They are very easy to work with and can be worked on almost anytime.

Good luck!!!

 

[HotAction]

Ok, first go back and buy them all. Then give me a quote for shipping. Next, back to your three. Working up from the trunk into the canopy, there will no doubt be some "busy" spots. Rough chop anything that seems bothersome to your eye. Boxwood are great for carving, so don't worry about flush cuts. You just want to thin the skeleton of the tree. This will give you a better look, while letting more air and light into the areas you need backbudding. Check my threads on wintergem for my progressions.

Dave

I'm seriously interested in 10-20 for my club, give me a reasonable quote, but make sure you leave room for some profit on your end.

 

[milehigh_7]

Thanks for the pointers! I gave 1 & 2 a small haircut last night I will do #3 and post updates. PM sent Dave.

 

[milehigh_7]

RIP #2 & #3 but #1 Lives! (for now...)

So I managed to kill 2 & 3. However, Here is what I did to #1 yesterday time will tell if it lives:

 

[Si Nguyen]

Good luck!

 

[berobinson82]

Starting to look more like an oak tree.

 

[milehigh_7]

Okay, #1 is still doing well after the repot and the new growth is 6-8" on some of the branches. This leads me to two problems/questions. The first is an easy one. I remember seeing somewhere a tutorial on pruning boxwoods so that the branches would not die back. I am still so tentative.


The second question is harder. This little tree is 2 7/8" at the soil level and tapers to 1 1/2" at about the 3" mark. Good so far! Now the challenge. You will be able to see in the last pic a large straight branch that juts out a little steeper than 45 degrees. This branch is about 1/2" thick. Is there a prayer of bending it without breaking it? I fear for this tree to be really nice something would need to happen with that branch. I don't even know if this is possible given how slow these put on girth.

Opinions please!

 

[Poink88]

It can be bent but since it has lower branches, I would rather chop it lower to about 2-3x its diameter. Don't forget to seal the chop!

Good luck!