How to prune huge boxwood??

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Mima56 Thayer, MO(Zone 6a) Apr 30, 2008

My son recently bought a house in Atlanta. The front walk at the porch steps is flanked by two huge boxwoods that have been neglected. When sitting up on the porch, you can't see over them, plus they extend out over the walk. Simple pruning won't help these monsters. All I can think to do is cut some of the main branches inside the shrubs. But this will look pretty bad for a while, won't it? Months? Years? I hate to see my son pull these gorgeous shrubs out, but they can't remain as they are. Any and all advice will be appreciate. Thanks so much!

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) May 01, 2008

You've pretty much described the right solution. Renovating untended boxwoods is difficult without making them look bad for at least some of the time.

An option, should your son be interested: sell them to a landscape contractor who might need them for a wealthy client. Boxwood are one evergreen species that is relatively easy to transplant in large sizes. This happens a lot more than you might think. Then your son can start a new planting of his choosing with some starter cash.

He could contact a local garden center, or a landscape design/build firm to see what the prospects might be.

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greenwoodnursery McMinnville, TN(Zone 7b) May 05, 2008

Viburnium Valley is soooo right! The large plant vendors are always looking for pest free materal. These are the guys that landscape large projects, like a University or Hospital, so that the landscape looks like it has been there for a while, not a three story building with this foot and a half tall bush.

Also, when you do try to trim, do it over the course of a year. I mean take some of the outside new growth off this year and trim back about two inches all over. Then in fall, do it again, but just a little bit further, about 5 inches. And please dont trim it into a ball. When the bottom of the ball just receives shade all the time it dies out, leaving very ugly branching or holes. These are just tips that i have learned over the years (not from the nursery totally, but through trial and error - LOTS of error by my husband lol)

Happy Gardening!

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Mima56 Thayer, MO(Zone 6a) May 06, 2008

Many thanks to both of you! I'll pass this info along....

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