Styling advice for a common boxwood

[peh3]

Hello,
I got myself a common boxwood a week or two ago and attempted to style it a bit. So I cut off a lot of the top to get a better look and I'm unsure how to continue.
So I figured I might aswell ask here since people give great suggestions.

It looked like this:

And I reduced it to this:




And I am thinking about just cutting it like this:

Plan is to reduce it to about where the red lines are, possible cut off or air layer at the yellow line.
Then I'd just let it grow, I've read that backbudding on boxwoods isn't a problem. Thoughts?
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[sorce]

I like the second trunk...it adds a dimension and makes this kinda original.

That one low right cut....seems the other right above it is thinner with more movement, is that one coming from a different trunk? If they are right atop each other as it seems. I'd keep the other.
I
I had success last year taking these to here in spring...
Then taking em further back and repotting in summer.
Repotting with severe bottom balancing.

See https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/boxwood-for-real.29340/

Sorce

 

[peh3]

Thanks for your thoughts. I decided to keep the second trunk, you are right, it does add dimension. I still will be able to remove it later on after all.
And there is actually about 3 branches right next to eachother, on the same trunk. Two of them are crossing right at the beginning. I did some more pruning yesterday and removed the one that was just going straight up and keeping the other two for now as well. And thanks for posting your thread here, interesting read, I bookmarked it to get back to it eventually.


Since I already have this thread, would it be a bad idea to repot now after I did that kind of pruning? The soil seems like mud with dust or sand to me and it is way to heavy. Maybe some roots have to go anyways to balance out what I have cut off (which was more than two thirds I'd say)? If I shouldn't disturb the roots too much right now, would it be fine to just cut off a part of them and add some grit to it and wait till next year for a proper repot?

 

[sorce]

bookmarked

The end of that thread has some info on top and bottom balancing.
Worth skipping to.

Its a short study but drastic enough to be quite convincing...a couple more years should prove it conclusive.

More telling.https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/bloody-box.28409/

I would leave it now and reevaluate in summer. (Pics of it now will help)

Kinda just gauging health till then.

That will tell you weather or not you can balance it all the down to a bonsai pot...
(Of course it has to be to that "proper starting point")

Or balance it as required for further long term development. (Colander, larger training pot)

You will be able to safely balance it into a pot in summer.

It's just a question of how drastic.

Sorce

 

[peh3]

This is it now, I didn't take off much at all, maybe I'll trim the long straight branches up a bit more.
I will repot it in one of these pond baskets, still not sure if I should do it now or just wait. I'd possibly kind of "slip pot" it into the bigger one without disturbing much, only maybe cutting off the bottom part. Then filling it up with some coarse grit and lava that I have laying around.

 

[sorce]

South Germany eh!? No wonder that pot is so....much better looking than ours!lol!

I can't call this move for you....

However...

I will say That I put a box in a colander a while back...heard about the roots, "relaxing" in them, and this "relaxing" is a thing, I was easily able to shake out all the old nursery soil 2 years later....
With a note I could have and should have repotted it after 1 year.

When it comes to colander use...
Love em...

But these shrubs with tight roots, Boxwood, azalea, burning Bush, etc...

I find them least useful for these...
Seems best only for this relaxing stage , to loosen them up, then onto a better trainer rather fast.

Sorce

 

[Hyn Patty]

I'm definitely a fan of keeping the second trunk as well! Over time I might also spread them apart somewhat more into a more open V. I agree that's much more interesting than a single trunk, which is so common. I used to have a decent little boxwood myself and for the most part I could cut the heck out of it and it seemed impossible to kill. Still, better to go in stages and not push it too much too fast. Also taking time to think about it and not being in a hurry so you don't do something you'll regret later, is always a good idea. Lastly, it may be a good idea to make some drawings or use Photoshop to play around with 'sketches' to work out some variations on what you might want to do with it as long term design goals. Not just where you might cut it but what you'd ideally like it to look like some years from now. Whether it's a bonsai, a painting, a piece of jewelry, whatever ... it can help a lot to clarify in your mind how to get there and have some idea of where you are trying to go. Also, try tipping it a bit one way or the other to see if you like slanted angles, etc.