Nursery boxwood #1

[BonjourBonsai]

Bought this boxwood at the half off sale in January from hd. The trunk has a nice flair and the leaves are a little smaller than the standard green gem variety. Also it was half off!

Today, I cut the roots back and repotted it. I've read that boxwood pruning should be balanced, I.e equally trim the foliage and the roots. I hesitate because that seems like a lot of stress in one go. I have other boxwoods that are super tough and survived drastic top and bottom pruning in one session. What's the collective bonsai nut wisdom? Could / Should I also trim the foliage?

Thanks

 

[sorce]

Yes.

Sorce

 

[BonjourBonsai]

Yes.

Sorce

Thanks. I'll get chopping!

 

[sorce]

Don't remove all the good stuff.

I'd go through an evaluate which of 1 branch of each 3 fer, or trident that is least useful, and remove them as low as possible.

Least useful being fatter, far nodes, straight, wrong direction to add fullness.

This way you keep from future problems, and don't remove too much that is useful.

Sorce

 

[Wulfskaar]

@BonjourBonsai I'm wondering if you did the pruning on that and how it's doing.

I got a similar boxwood on Sunday and was wondering if I could prune and repot at the same time and also wondering if it's too late in the season. I read spring or fall and also read one "pro" saying he only repots in mid-summer.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

@BonjourBonsai I'm wondering if you did the pruning on that and how it's doing.

I got a similar boxwood on Sunday and was wondering if I could prune and repot at the same time and also wondering if it's too late in the season. I read spring or fall and also read one "pro" saying he only repots in mid-summer.

Not yet! I've been silly busy. I'm just keeping up with watering the trees. It's on my list though. It took a few days to recover after repotting but it's regained all of its strength like nothing happened.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

Here's it is

 

[Jzack605]

It still just looks like a boxwood to me and not a “bonsai”.

if that makes any sense.

Edit: I think you just did a repot so that explains the lack of change. Fuckin long day

 

[Wulfskaar]

My bonsai fever is running a little warm with a new boxwood sitting untouched on my back patio.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

It still just looks like a boxwood to me and not a “bonsai”.

if that makes any sense.

Edit: I think you just did a repot so that explains the lack of change. Fuckin long day

Yup!

 

[Hump]

Following your post... Have a similar boxwood in the works since last fall. Current state in picture below. My question is, what do all of us east coasters do to combat this cicada invasion. I was turned onto bonsai at the wrong time lol, last year and now boom I learn cicadas harm seedlings and small trees and I just bought around 9 seedlings to plant in the ground.

 

[Jzack605]

Don’t worry about the cicadas. Damage to landscape trees will be insignificant, I wouldn’t expect there to be much pressure on bonsai. Enjoy them! we won’t see them again for a long time.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

Made some decisions today. Before and after shots: