Kingsville Boxwood- Help Styling

[drew33998]

Take a look at my new boxwood. I got it at an old nursery. Luckily if I murder this one the old man that runs the plan has a dozen with great nebari like this one. I unpotted it an the pot was full of feeder roots. I guess thats why they fused together at the base. I will post the progression of this tree

 

[buddhamonk]

Does not look like a kingsville to me.

 

[drew33998]

Boxwood Unrooted

Here are some pics of the boxwood out of the pot. I had to use a saw to cut the roots back as they were so tightly bound. The nursery mix that it was planted in looked like a course pine bark mix. Replanted it in a conifer mix with pine bark added. I cut most of it back

 

[drew33998]

Does not look like a kingsville to me.

It may not be. Im not real distiguished in boxwoods. The tag simply said "japanese boxwood"

 

[drew33998]

In the temporary pot

Didnt have a pot so I had to cut this one down. Im just starting bonsai so if i have made any fatal errors in cutting back or styling please let me know. I think I may cut off the second main branch because it is larger than the first. Or I was thinking about letting the first one grown out in hopes to thicken it up. I do feel like it may still be too tall but I wasn't sure about taking any more off this tree. What are your thoughts. And I have been informed that this isn't a kingsville. The tag on the tree simply said "japanese boxwood"

 

[drew33998]

Close up of nebari

Here are some closeups of the nebari. I decided to take the second trunk off the tree as it was hidden behind the main trunk from the front view ( widest part of the nebari)

 

[Poink88]

It may not be. Im not real distiguished in boxwoods. The tag simply said "japanese boxwood"

Then you shouldn't have labelled this as Kingsville. It is obviously is not to me too but others might "learn" from you.

 

[JudyB]

I think I would have kept both trunks. However you can't go back, so make the most of what's left. That is a nice base, you should think about cutting the longer branches back a little more. Also the apex, ( top center branch) shouldn't be the thickest part, so choose a side branch a bit lower and cut back to there.

 

[Poink88]

Didnt have a pot so I had to cut this one down. Im just starting bonsai so if i have made any fatal errors in cutting back or styling please let me know. I think I may cut off the second main branch because it is larger than the first. Or I was thinking about letting the first one grown out in hopes to thicken it up. I do feel like it may still be too tall but I wasn't sure about taking any more off this tree. What are your thoughts. And I have been informed that this isn't a kingsville. The tag on the tree simply said "japanese boxwood"View attachment 29860View attachment 29861

I will shorten the main trunk further by about 40% to the branch w/ leaves that you wish to turn to new leader (left or right...your choice).

 

[Poink88]

I think I would have kept both trunks. However you can't go back, so make the most of what's left. That is a nice base, you should think about cutting the longer branches back a little more. Also the apex, ( top center branch) shouldn't be the thickest part, so choose a side branch a bit lower and cut back to there.

I agree with Judy...I would have kept both too. The later part is basically what I posted as well.

 

[drew33998]

Thanks and sorry

Thanks and sorry for the misinformation on the labeling. I will do some research myself so I can distinguish between the different species of boxwood.

 

[Poink88]

BTW, based on MY experience with Japanese boxwood, they do not back bud on bare branches (w/o any leaves) unless there is a dormant bud ready to sprout. I always leave foliage at the end of branches I want to keep.

Others have a different experience and it appears "regional".

I'll probably chop at the red marks if this is mine.
View attachment 29867
Note that I would have chopped some of these further back if I did not fear of losing the branch as stated above.

The trunk I marked to be chopped can also be kept for now and used for shaping/bending the branches to remain (if you wish). I can see multiple uses of it and makes perfect anchor point for the time being. Good luck!!!

 

[drew33998]

Ok thanks. Do you think that the second branch being larger than the first takes away from this tree? Or would the next branches actually be labeled as secondary and tertiary trunks?

 

[Poink88]

I am weird that I believe there is only one trunk (in this type of tree). All others are branches to me.

I believe you can build your new trunk by letting it have more foliage than the other. They are (at least on pics) not that far off to begin with. If you get new shoot at the base of that branch (new lead) do not touch it, it will help you thicken it much faster (research sacrificial branch). The opposite is true on the branches you want to slow down.

That said, boxwood is slow so even that will take some time.

 

[milehigh_7]

I am weird ...

Good first step Dario, they say that admission is half the battle.

 

[Poink88]

Good first step Dario, they say that admission is half the battle.

I know LOL.

To me, trunks start at ground level & usually w/ roots. If a tree start with one and it split later (above)...those are branches not trunks.

 

[JudyB]

Dario's chop lines in post 12 are good choices for the direction for this tree... and maybe when you repot, give it a little tilt to the right as well, to give it even more of that curve feel.

 

[drew33998]

Dario's chop lines in post 12 are good choices for the direction for this tree... and maybe when you repot, give it a little tilt to the right as well, to give it even more of that curve feel.

Thanks for all the help guys and gals. One more question. Would you go ahead and make the cuts that Dario suggested now? Or wait for it to start generating new growth?

 

[buddhamonk]

I would wait until the tree has recovered from this initial work. Let it grow this spring/summer and prune more next winter. The chops indicated above wouldn't leave the tree with much photosynthetic material to work with...

 

[JudyB]

Generally speaking, you'd do the cuts at repotting time. Are you planning on repotting?
But I'm in Ohio, not FLA. so maybe you should get some local advice.