Train smaller branches to conform to the structure and prune larger branches to prevent them from growing toward the outside of the form. Members of the genus Buxus include about thirty species and 160 cultivars, including Buxus sempervirens, the common American boxwood. Repeat this process over the entire surface of the plant to neaten its overall shape. Never leave loose plant material on the ground surrounding the boxwood, as it creates hiding places for harmful insects and fungal spores. Removal of larger branches or pruning boxwoods is used to remove diseased or dying branches or to refurbish plants that are past their prime. You can plant dwarf English boxwoods about 2 to 3 feet apart to grow into a hedge … That said, these handy evergreens do need occasional pruning. A summary of what there is to know: Name – Buxus Family – Buxaceae Type – shrub Height – extremely variable, maximum 13 feet (4 meters) Soil – ordinary Exposure – sun and part sun Foliage – evergreen. Topping out at three feet tall and two feet wide, it's a fine option for small gardens and containers. If your boxwood has become overgrown, all you'll need is a pair of sharp, clean pruning shears or loppers. Young plants actually benefit from frequent shearing. With pruning it can be kept in a globe shape. Common Boxwood Varieties: Learn About Different Types Of Boxwoods, Boxwood Shrub Pests – Tips On Controlling Boxwood Insects, Prickly Kale Leaves – Does Kale Have Thorns, Corn Husk Wreath Ideas: How To Make A Corn Husk Wreath, DIY Air Plant Wreaths: Wreath Making With Air Plants, Artichoke Seed Plants: When To Start An Artichoke Seed, Propagating Houseplants: Can You Grow Houseplants From Seed, Grass Clipping Composting: Making Compost With Grass Clippings, Turning Your Compost Heap – How To Aerate A Compost Pile, Thanksgiving Tradition: Turning Homegrown Pumpkins Into Pie, Growing Thanksgiving Dinner – Must Have Turkey Side Dishes, Interesting Uses For Pecans: What To Do With Pecans, The Bountiful Garden: Bringing The Garden To Thanksgiving. A few examples of dwarf boxwood include dwarf English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens "Suffruticosa"), "Wee Willie" boxwood (Buxus sinica var. Boxwood is easy to grow and thrives under many conditions that would defeat a less sturdy plant. Extreme trimming of dwarf English boxwoods. Boxwood is probably the shrub that best personifies the notion of “French garden”. Cut out any broken, split branches, making each cut 1/4 inch above a growth node, lateral branch or branch base located a few inches below the damaged area. Yes, you can prune hard or trim boxwood shrubs to the desired height depending on the time of year. Excessive shearing can produce growth so dense on the outside of your shrub that it will prevent light from reaching the center of the bush and leave the inner branches bare. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Repeat the shearing process in the spring after the first flush of new growth stops. Major pruning should be done in the late winter to early spring. Annual pruning in the early to late winter while their growth is slow will keep these shrubs healthy and shapely. As with all shrubs, you should be asking when the best time to trim boxwoods might be and when should you prune. But, don’t over do it. Before shaping the shrub, make sure you remove all of the dead or damaged sections of the plant. Position the cut 1/4 inch above the nearest lateral branch or growth node. They also remember how much time and effort it took to keep them in formal rigidity. Approximately, 30 species of boxwoods exist, according to the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Shearing or trimming may be done with hand shears or with electric hedge clippers. The varieties are largely based on leaf size and growth which can range from one foot tall to twenty (.3-6 m.). Planting Areas. Touch up trimming can be done all spring and summer. They can range from one to two feet (.3-.6 m.) high to ten feet (3 m.) high. It serves well as a place marker, such as at the start of a pathway or flanking a gate, or, if planted in multiples, a low hedge or edging. Boxwoods have fallen out of favor with some gardeners in recent years. Sign up for our newsletter. Bend the dead branch along with the surrounding... 2. Introduced to America in 1652, boxwood shrubs have been gracing gardens since colonial times. insularis "Wee Willie") and "Morris Midget" boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. Plant age should be taken into account when deciding when to prune boxwoods. The 'Justin Brouwers' Dwarf Boxwood is a slow to moderate growing evergreen shrub with a compact mounded form if left to grow naturally. Insularis 'Wee Willie' P.P.# 17007, Monrovia: Morris Midget Boxwood Buxus Microphylla var. But you say I will have holes in my boxwood. When the right cultivar is chosen, they need very little pruning. Depending on the size and shape of your frame, you may need more than one plant to fill the form. insularis). Identify any brown, dry and dead branches on the dwarf boxwood. How to Prune a Dwarf Boxwood 1. Severely pruning boxwoods can kill the shrub. Special scissors or shears have been developed for pruning topiary, they are perfect for boxwood. One last note: if you don’t mind a little extra work, boxwood shrubs make excellent topiaries. For hedge-bound boxwood, any hedge trimmer or long-bladed shears will do fine. Pruning boxwood correctly is an important investment in the plant’s future quality of life. Boxwoods can be trimmed at any time of year, but, for plant health, it’s best to avoid shearing in the late fall. Japonica 'Morris Midget', North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Boxwoods in the Landscape, Virginia Cooperative Extension: Selecting Landscape Plants: Boxwoods. Repeat this process to remove any branches that sport yellow or orange discolored foliage. This will encourage branching and new growth, which will result in denser growth and defined shape. Rake up any loose or fallen leaves and discard them with the branches. Boxwood bushes have an undeserved reputation and should be a welcome addition to the modern landscape. They are the gardeners that remember trimming boxwood bushes into severe and often geometric shapes that have no place in the more casual gardens of today. They also remember how much time and effort it took to keep them in formal rigidity. Identify any brown, dry and dead branches on the dwarf boxwood. Repeat this process, removing a total of 10 percent of the plant's branches, selecting randomly spaced limbs for even thinning. About one-third of the bush should be thinned each year, since boxwoods keep their foliage for three years. It’s best to take such drastic measures in stages, over several years if necessary, to give your boxwood shrubs the best opportunity to survive. This type of thinning is critical with English boxwood but does not happen overnight. Even when chosen for a particular size or shape, an errant branch or twig may need trimming. But you say I will have holes in my boxwood. The shrub requires no pruning to maintain its look, but it can be severely cut back with no adverse effects. Boxwood bushes simply don’t need much care when compared to other landscape shrubs. Beware! Select a thickly leafed branch, reach into the canopy and cut the branch off 6 inches from its tip to thin the dwarf boxwood. Depending upon the specific variety, these evergreen shrubs grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Its exceptional sun tolerance and small deep-green leaves makes it a great substitute for the popular English Boxwood, which is known to suffer from too much sun. For boxwoods that form a hedge and aren’t being modeled into any specific shape, pruning once before summer is enough. Cut off the ends off extremely long or vigorous branches with hedge shears, clipping branches that extend past the general perimeter of the dwarf boxwood. The best time to trim boxwoods to shape is during the first few years. How to Plant a Green Mountain Boxwood Near a Yew Stump, Monrovia: Dwarf English Boxwood Buxus Sempervirens 'Suffruticosa', Monrovia: Wee Willie® Boxwood Buxus Sinica var. Avoid pruning in early fall into early winter. Topiaries are living garden statuary and can be molded into any shape your imagination can envision. Boxwoods have fallen out of favor with some gardeners in recent years. Bend the dead branch along with the surrounding branches downward gently to expose its bottom. Boxwood, like most shrubs, needs a cleaning out of dead or twisted branches that can be harmful to the bush. The new growth that appears after trimming boxwood bushes may not have time to harden off before frost. Cut back the tips of the branches to retain the desired shape of the boxwood. Cut out any broken, split branches, making each cut 1/4 inch above a growth node, lateral branch or branch base... 3. japonica "Morris Midget"). Pruning boxwood correctly is an important investment in the plant’s future quality of life. Asked June 13, 2013, 5:33 PM EDT. The best time to trim boxwoods used in topiaries is in the spring before new growth begins. Tools needed to prune boxwood. Another dwarf variety is the Korean (Buxus sinica var. The process begins soon after pruning but takes years of continual pruning to get the box where it needs to be. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Boxwoods are typically large shrubs or small trees, but most of the varieties used in modern landscaping are dwarf varieties, such as B. sempervirens 'Suffruticosa', a popular plant for hedges and topiaries. The process begins soon after pruning but takes years of continual pruning to get the box where it needs to be. Cut through the stem 1/4 inch above its base with a pair of pruning shears. Their compact evergreen leaves add texture and form to the garden when all else falls to winter’s sleep. It is the removal of all or most of the most recent growth. Using a bypass pruner, reach inside the shrub down to about 6 inches and prune off a few of the inner stems. Boxwood The boxwood shrub has been used as a landscape specimen and hedge plant since Colonial times. Our local retail nursery has recently obtained 24 fine Oregon-grown dwarf English boxwoods (buxus sempervirens suffruticosa). As the seasons pass, your boxwood shrubs will take on the shape of the structure and you will have a unique conversation piece and interesting focal point for your garden. Boxwoods, because of their dense foliage, often die out in the center from a lack of sunlight. Virtues: Petite Pillar boxwood brings all the classic beauty and formality of boxwood, but with no need for trimming to keep it compact. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Do not thin or shear dwarf boxwoods within six weeks to the average first fall frost date to avoid causing the death of new foliage that hasn't had time to mature. Gather all discarded branches and place them in a trash bin or on a compost heap. Repeat this process on each dead branch. They are the gardeners that remember trimming boxwood bushes into severe and often geometric shapes that have no place in the more casual gardens of today. Used as a hedge, nothing provides a better screen against an unsightly view. Dwarf boxwoods retain the oblong, pinnate, green leaves and dense canopies characteristic of boxwood plants, but in a small, 1- to 2-foot-high and wide plant. This type of thinning is critical with English boxwood but does not happen overnight. Been gracing gardens since colonial times has been used as a landscape specimen and plant! Trimming may be done with hand shears or loppers to fill the.... 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