Boxwood styling advice - bonsaiTALK Community

18-Jun-2008	#1
subnet_rx bonsaiTALK Expert Join Date: Feb-2008 Location: Hattiesburg, MS USDA Zone: 8a AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 188	Boxwood styling advice I've had this boxwood for a while now and when I got it, I just cut the top out so some of the lower branches could sprout some new buds and they would get sunlight. When I bought it, I thought broom, but now I'm not so sure that's going to work out because of the large lower branch. Front?: Back Side

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18-Jun-2008	#2
nailsrglue bonsaiTALK Craftsman Join Date: Jun-2008 Location: Austin, Tx Country: USA USDA Zone: 8a AHS Heat Zone: 11 Posts: 51	I'd start with chopping the lower branch and regrowing it at a more horizontal angle. Give it some movement and taper. Beautiful nabari.

19-Jun-2008

subnet_rx

bonsaiTALK Expert

Join Date: Feb-2008

Location: Hattiesburg, MS

USDA Zone: 8a

AHS Heat Zone: 9

Posts: 188

Quote:

Originally Posted by nailsrglue

I'd start with chopping the lower branch and regrowing it at a more horizontal angle. Give it some movement and taper. Beautiful nabari.

Thanks, I'm afraid that if I cut it though, I will really have a slanting style because of the movement of the main trunk. I haven't seen many slanting broom styles.

19-Jun-2008	#4
Dan_Davis bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Mar-2008 Location: Clearwater/Dunedin,Florida Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 10 Posts: 20	I'm working with one of these trees as well, all I can say is that its a hard wood to cut...

19-Jun-2008

Gisbourne

bonsaiTALK Journeyman

Join Date: Mar-2008

Posts: 31

Quote:

Originally Posted by subnet_rx

Thanks, I'm afraid that if I cut it though, I will really have a slanting style because of the movement of the main trunk. I haven't seen many slanting broom styles.

Next time you repot, you can tilt it so the trunk is upright. Or is there some reason you can't?

19-Jun-2008

subnet_rx

bonsaiTALK Expert

Join Date: Feb-2008

Location: Hattiesburg, MS

USDA Zone: 8a

AHS Heat Zone: 9

Posts: 188

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gisbourne

Next time you repot, you can tilt it so the trunk is upright. Or is there some reason you can't?

yeah, that might be possible. I'm not sure about the total nebari impact, but anything to save as many branches as possible. I never really understood how slow growing boxwoods were until I got one. Cutting a branch is cutting years of growth off.

19-Jun-2008	#7
jeremy_norbury bonsaiTALK Master Chief Join Date: Sep-2003 Location: Amstelveen Country: Netherlands USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 2-3 Posts: 1,599	I think it's got lots of potential - I'd cut all the branches off at the trunk. __________________ All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan I told you I was ill. Spike Milligan's Gravestone

20-Jun-2008	#8
waltr bonsaiTALK Master Join Date: Sep-2004 Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania Country: USA USDA Zone: 6a AHS Heat Zone: 5 Posts: 452	My thoughts are to pull those large branches down. Due to their size and the delicate bark of boxwood this may take a year or two. I do like the trunk base and how those first branches are placed but not how they just go up.

20-Jun-2008

subnet_rx

bonsaiTALK Expert

Join Date: Feb-2008

Location: Hattiesburg, MS

USDA Zone: 8a

AHS Heat Zone: 9

Posts: 188

Quote:

Originally Posted by waltr

My thoughts are to pull those large branches down. Due to their size and the delicate bark of boxwood this may take a year or two. I do like the trunk base and how those first branches are placed but not how they just go up.

Thanks waltr, I have thought about pulling them down. It's going to be pretty tough with the hardness of the wood, but somewhere else I read that I should pull them down over a tennis ball to get a curve in the branch on boxwoods. I can't imagine propping anything up that's going to stand up to the downward force being put on those branches.

20-Jun-2008	#10
waltr bonsaiTALK Master Join Date: Sep-2004 Location: Doylestown, Pennsylvania Country: USA USDA Zone: 6a AHS Heat Zone: 5 Posts: 452	You could use some heave wire and form a basket under and around the pot to anchor the guys. Just take it slow, apply pressure to the branch and over time (every week or so) as the branch relaxes into the new position shorten the guy to maintain the pressure. I was able to pull down a few boxwood branches quite a bit in one season with this method.

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