bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - TO Collect or NOT to Collect? That is my question!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bone-sigh

Grampz,
When do you repot your boxwood (assuming you replied from experience)? Do you repot in Dec. and Jan. like you suggested I wait to collect? Or do you think that the rules are different for collecting than repotting? Because I know locals around here repot in spring.
The only reason I want to collect now versus later, is that My grandmother planted a bougeinvilla (sp?) next to the boxwoods that is starting to shade out the boxwoods. Parts of them have already died. And I am blaming the bougie.

Thanks for your input grampz!
Ryan

Mr. Ryan,

I usually try to begin my repotting of many boxwoods in mid to late December in order to have them all completed before the spring growth push...Never seems to quite work that way for me though...I probably have way too many and too large, and I don't think I am as fast at it as I used to be...Best intentions just never seem to work out for me...I just repotted one a couple weeks ago as a matter of fact, although I did hardly any root pruning on it...

I just found out that I have the opportunity to collect about 30 more that are about 25 to 30 years old...Probably will be trying to find another collector that is interested in helping with the digging of a few of those come December or January...I won't even be considering it before then...I probably could keep most of them alive if I collected them now, but I won't for two reasons...First reason...It is too darn hot to be digging in the ground in Texas or anywhere else in the southern United States at this time of year IF you don't have to...Second reason...If I dig them at the proper time I will most likely have 100% survival...Usually do with boxwoods when they are dormant...

I certainly think collecting puts more strain on the trees than repotting...While they will continue to push new growth throughout the growing season, they put on most of the new leaves in early spring...This pretty much just precedes flowering and continues during flowering...

My guess would be that the 'bougies' are not shading the boxwoods enough to cause parts of them to die...Boxwoods don't mind some shade, I usually place mine in the shade for as much as a couple months, if they seem a bit weak or after major work on them...Much more likely it is either nematodes, [very major problem for boxwoods in the Southeast], or boxwood blight, [not uncommon for older boxwoods]...

It would appear from the way you are trying to convince yourself that you should go ahead and dig them now, that your mind is pretty much made up already...I would think the chances of them surviving are pretty good...A bit of advice...As FredL indicated, removing old soil is good...Also check for indications of nematode infestation [knots on the roots etc.]...A product called 'Deny' is pretty good in dealing with all 3 types of nematodes that attack boxwoods...

Best of luck with you’re collecting...Hope to see photos of them when you get them collected...

Regards
Behr