As much as I love that video from California....
I can't subscribe to everything out there.
Even my weakest box backbuds exactly as needed...
I don't understand the need to defoliate.....
Especially when health, biforkation, and taper can be achieved without it...
And if I need to wire a branch fully....I do.
I'll stay an "unnecessary budknocker.."
A "Let it grow where it needs to er..."
Defoliating a branch sans tips is totally furrrrrrnt to me..
Then you have 6-8 places where you'll have a three junction. Tbars.
And no leaves to feed the tree.
No one wants that situation.
I will rub unnecessary buds till spring.
Never allow opposite branches to remain...
Keep as many leaves on my tree as possible.
Get it into shape (with evergreen safeguard)
[Just read this post.
This is in response to that already! ]
Cont'd.
..way faster than someone in my climate defoliatimg...
Maybe any climate.
This "allow them their spring flush" from b4me...
Fits right into RN'S energy generation.
That's where I subscribe.
Pruning is sooooooo key. Proper pruning.
And keeping potential problems at Bay.
PPB! (Budknocking)
The Free Mirai video on spruce pruning is Golden.
That's what I'm following for this...
As they have the same growth pattern.
Big from Mirai...
Why are we doing ANYTHING!?
Why do we defoliate a boxwood?
In doing so we are removing leaves(energy) and making the tree spend energy on 6-8 shoots, half of which we will also need to remove...(more if we are trying to create taper and interesting branch structure)
So what is our gain there?
We can let it grow out...
Gather energy....
And cut it back to the proper nexts it needs to be cut back to 3 times a year.
And we are losing nothing.
Never removing branches or leaves because we knocked buds proper before things grew....
The home team is going to win bro.
All day!
Sorce