Pruning the boxwood shrub when & how?

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podster Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a) Apr 27, 2007

I have a boxwood that is currently putting on new growth. Last year I think I shaped it at the wrong time. Can anyone give me some pointers please?

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MQN Salt Lake City, UT(Zone 6a) May 01, 2007

Prune them by simply snapping out 6-8 inch long twigs by hand over the canopy of the plant to increase light penetration. Thinning, good for all evergreens, is essential for English boxwood. These shrubs grow a canopy of leaves so dense that damp, dark conditions develop inside. Since fungus diseases thrive in such places, an annual thinning operation will help keep English boxwood healthy.

Any holly or boxwood too large for its location may be pruned until nothing but bare branches remains. New leaf buds, though hard to see, are numerous enough to give abundant fresh growth in summer. It will take several years for either of these plants to fully regain their beauty, but such heavy pruning is possible, if necessary. Another alternative for oversized Burford holly and boxwood is to prune them into a tree shape by removing their lower branches. The bare trunks often have interesting shapes and are much less bulky than the bush form.

Found the above somewhere on the net. Hope it helps. Best done in early in spring.

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podster Deep East Texas, TX(Zone 8a) May 01, 2007

Thanks so much ~ I find the thinning by hand interesting and it makes sense. Mine is still small and looks scruffy when it puts on the new growth. I suspect the thinning will keep the interior from looking so sparse... pod

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