Picked up my first "project" today

[trey]

I was at home depot for paint, and they had boxwood on sale. I paid $5 for this. The nebari has potential, I think.

Being new, I'm not sure when to start cutting it back. It has new buds on it, and none are open, if that helps any.

 

[BethF]

That does look like nice nebari. I suggest you go slow. Some kinds of boxwood don't respond well to drastic pruning. Don't take off any more than 1/4 of the foliage now. Maybe not even that. Be strategic, removing branching that may shade out light to the areas where you hope to get back-budding. Just keep it in the nursery pot until at least next spring. Let it get acclimated to its new environment. This is the voice of someone who has done too much too soon too many times.

 

[trey]

Thank you Beth. I was reading basically what you said. They are slow to grow also. I haven't cut anything yet. Its a bushy mess, and I don't know where I want to go with it. So I'm going to spend a few days looking at it.

 

[timetravel_0]

You did well for $5.

Those look to be the usual ~$17 or $18 trees.

Your climate may be warm enough where you won't have to worry about winter lows... if so, prune away.

 

[trey]

I gave it a slight trim. I hope I did ok. I know I have a lot to learn.

 

[sorce]

Not that I'm recommending it.....

But I got one about a month ago. And chopped it to here the same day. No new growth.

3.99$ !

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Definitely not recommending this.....

This one was a Christmas tree last year. It stayed in the house from November till spring. Chopped it back after X-mas. And cut off almost all the roots.. Very hard, with a saw.

Chopped it further April.

And in July.

Not recommended, but if your pruning finger is itching......go for it!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Looks like you could take yours back to those first branches and have a nice broom.

Nice!

Sorce

 

[trey]

Geeeze. I'm way to scared to do that!

 

[RickMartin]

I used to be like that, then nothing ever got done, so one day i was home alone and i said what the heck gotta start somewhere at least its not a 300.00 tree. So i set it out on the table on my deck on a turntable and looked and spun, and looked and spun until i seen where i wanted to go with it.Im basically a informal upright guy so when i found a brach that wasnt going to be used im my final design scheme i removed it. When i was done everything could get sun. Now it rests for 2-3 growing seasons as im growing out sacarfice branches, but i had to prune to get light into the inner branches as all the foliage was dying off. Hope this helps

Rick

 

[trey]

It does help, Rick. It's just a $5 tree, but I don't want to ruin it. The foliage is super thick on one side, so I know that has to be trimmed back.

I'm having a hard time picturing a design for it. I guess that's part of being a beginner!

 

[sikadelic]

I think I saw this on r/bonsai, right? Welcome!

It looks like you have a nice box there to learn with. They are pretty tough trees but I managed to kill one.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[trey]

Thanks! Same one from /r/bonsai.

I'm trying not to chop it. Really trying.

 

[timetravel_0]

I think you need a "learning tree".

I have two- a $5 Boxwood, and a $5 Bougainvillea (the small 1g ones).

Use these to experiment, then apply what you've learned to the larger tree. This way, if you mess it up, it was the too-skinny hideous 4-trunker that died and not your larger and better looking tree.