John in Toledo
Mame
I'm "asking for a friend" who may or may not be including his wild caught not a contest tree in the not a contest tree contest.
"No officer, that's not mine. I was just holding it for a friend."
I'm sort of looking at what I have around here that I want to focus on for the not a contest. I'd really like to do boxwood. Nurseries here won't have stock on hand until after the start date. Too late to collect, too early to buy. I'm not comfortable buying blind, so unless something better comes my way in the next 11 days, I am considering the three boxes I have on hand. I've already hit two of the three landscape specimens I grabbed in late Feb. (I may have rookie-fried them in the wind a few days ago. The wind burn looks nasty.)
The third is my favorite, and stayed tucked away in the garage. It's the one I want to get to know intimately, and is likely to go into the no contest with me.
It may need to be shortened, unless I can figure out a sexy way to keep it's current-ish size. It's got good wiggles but waits too long up the trunk to show strong taper. It may be that I can drop the canopy level down to mask some of that, but that's neither here nor there for now, since it probably wouldn't be the "first move"
I've heard and read that Boxwood are slow to heal, particularly if the wound is large. So I'm gathering boxwood-specific information on wound healing. I've gone through lots (and lots - but not all) of it in the maple and pine and juniper forums. Each seem to behave a little differently to blade insults to the trunk, but I don't think I've read a discussion here on big cuts to old wood on boxwoods.
It's possible that the plan for late winter/next spring (sping equinox check in) may involve a serious height reduction top-chop of a trunk that is around 1-1.5 inches diameter (a wee bit loner than tip of thumb to primary phalanges) . There are nearby and adjacent young shoots (- and one kinda fat one that's probably too stubborn to bend upwards, especially if it stays and grows all summer -) that could be used to draw healing to the wound. Some of which could then be recruited as new top leaders (I think) over the next few seasons.
Any generic box-specific large-diameter-apical-chop tips or advice on the cut and the healing that anyone here can share? If I do it, it needs to be done right. If it won't work, then I'll just think my way around it.
Curse you for making me plan this out!
"No officer, that's not mine. I was just holding it for a friend."
I'm sort of looking at what I have around here that I want to focus on for the not a contest. I'd really like to do boxwood. Nurseries here won't have stock on hand until after the start date. Too late to collect, too early to buy. I'm not comfortable buying blind, so unless something better comes my way in the next 11 days, I am considering the three boxes I have on hand. I've already hit two of the three landscape specimens I grabbed in late Feb. (I may have rookie-fried them in the wind a few days ago. The wind burn looks nasty.)
The third is my favorite, and stayed tucked away in the garage. It's the one I want to get to know intimately, and is likely to go into the no contest with me.
It may need to be shortened, unless I can figure out a sexy way to keep it's current-ish size. It's got good wiggles but waits too long up the trunk to show strong taper. It may be that I can drop the canopy level down to mask some of that, but that's neither here nor there for now, since it probably wouldn't be the "first move"
I've heard and read that Boxwood are slow to heal, particularly if the wound is large. So I'm gathering boxwood-specific information on wound healing. I've gone through lots (and lots - but not all) of it in the maple and pine and juniper forums. Each seem to behave a little differently to blade insults to the trunk, but I don't think I've read a discussion here on big cuts to old wood on boxwoods.
It's possible that the plan for late winter/next spring (sping equinox check in) may involve a serious height reduction top-chop of a trunk that is around 1-1.5 inches diameter (a wee bit loner than tip of thumb to primary phalanges) . There are nearby and adjacent young shoots (- and one kinda fat one that's probably too stubborn to bend upwards, especially if it stays and grows all summer -) that could be used to draw healing to the wound. Some of which could then be recruited as new top leaders (I think) over the next few seasons.
Any generic box-specific large-diameter-apical-chop tips or advice on the cut and the healing that anyone here can share? If I do it, it needs to be done right. If it won't work, then I'll just think my way around it.
Curse you for making me plan this out!