Boxwood. Good for bonsai, or not.

naturesart

I love boxwoods, they are affordable and have great characteristics for bonsai. There are many other trees and shrubs that are used that don't have half the characteristics of a boxwood. Maybe if they had a bigger price tag people would respect them.

I personally have never come across a boxwood bonsai that smelled of cat piss. Thumbs up for boxwood. Long live the boxwood!

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soonami

I like Kingsville for bonsai, but often, the english or japanese look more like pruned topiaries than bonsai, but this is strictly a matter of opinion

moloko

I have one boxwood now. For me in the Wash DC area it is so difficult to grow them. Seem to dry out so much and grow so slow. I am now trying to grow a starter plant from my tree from a branch that broke off. I put rooting hormone on it and placed it in a shot glass of water with indirect light outside. I have been unsuccessful in growing these trees for years now.

rockm

For me in the Wash DC area it is so difficult to grow them.

The D.C/No.Va./Maryland Mid-Atlantic area is boxwood central. The Natioanl Arb. is home to the American Boxwood Society's Boxwood Memorial Garden--

http://www.boxwoodsociety.org/FAQ.htm

There are boxwood hedges around the city and surrounding coutnryside that are well over 250 years old. I've been growing them as bonsai for over 10 years now. Boxwood grow like weeds here. You shouldn't be having problems.

They need as much sunlight as they can get. Needless to say, they should be outside all year--unless you have a Buxus Harlandii--which is a warmer weather species that requires overwintering above 35 degree.. All the other box should be kept outside with no exceptions. Box can handle any winter weather this area can dish out--although freezing weather will bronze foliage--which greens up again in the spring. Indoors they die quite quickly.

Full sun all day in the summer can be a little too much. Open afternoon shade is best then.

Soil requirements are a little on the open side too. Well drained soil is essential. Soggy soil, too frequent watering, too much ferlizer and acidic soil can slow box tremendously. Soggy soil will kill them.

I would avoid trying to grow these plants from cuttings for bonsai. They are extremely slow growing and it will take quite a while (Probably more than 15 years) to turn a small cutting into a decent bonsai. Start with establish nursery stock (particularly the "Korean" boxwood variety of Buxus microphylla (Koreana). It's the most winter hardy variety in this area.

arza

i have just purchased a dwarf english boxwood to bonsai, now after reading this forum i am sure i will suceed.

if anyone has any tips for boxwoods let me know.

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bumblebee

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JohnAP

I too just purchased an English boxwood.....true dwarf english boxwood (aka buxus sempervirens 'suffruticosa') It's a 5 gal size from Home Despot. Time will tell.....

Repotter

I have a Japanese Boxwood that I started with 20 years ago.
It was a matchstick size plant in a 2" container. It is now 10" tall with a trunk of 3/4" diameter and a foliage spread of 12". The bark is nicely fissured making it look like an old tree, a nice nebari adds to the look.

Having had this tree for 20 years it holds a special place in my collection.
I keep it outdoors year round now but wintered it indoors for about 5 years under lights in a cool basement and it did very well.
I have recently aquired some nice Morris Midget boxwoods which are extremely slow growing.

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Second Wind

I also like the appearance of boxwood as bonsai, but they can take a long time to develop, so it's often more fun to start with one that already has most of the components and branching you want to work with.

Here is one that I've been working on for a couple of years. I haven't done a lot to it other than working to reduce the roots and foliage. It's a little shaggy right now - it experienced some browning in the early winter, and I want to make sure that it's healthy before cutting off any more foliage. It has put out plenty of new growth so far this spring, and it seems healthy, but I just want to be cautious. The tree is about 11 in. tall from the soil surface.

Also, it's hard to tell from this photo, but it has a pretty cool root spread. The soil is piled up over it more than usual here, but it has a nice, even, 360-degree spread coming off of the trunk; really looks like it's grasping the earth.

P.S. Dale, love the boxwood you posted. Very impressive.

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