Boxwood style choices

[BonsaiRae]

Thought I would start a thread for people to post a photo of raw material to get different opinions as to styles.
What would you do if you had this to work on?
Buxus Microphylla Koreana age unknown
4" diameter trunk, 26" high by 26" wide.
Just yardadori and put into a wood crate 16x16x6 with lava, perlite and potting soil.
Tried to include pictures from a few different angles. I know it looks a bit windswept but that is because of crowded before dug. Last photo is what I am thinking.
Any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated.

 

[IckyGuyBonsai]

Veeeery nice score, what a trunk! Love all the deadwood detail down at the base, you've definitely got some potential hiding in there. I personally like the old oak look that you're going for. Though depending how leggy branching is up top, you may even consider cutting it down a bit lower that your original virtual.
I've been working on a much smaller landscape boxwood recently that I yanked outta the ground that I'm also going for an oak look to it. These guys are some slow growers, but you'll get all the clip and grow practice you could possibly want from em.

 

[thatdirtykid]

That's an awesome piece of material. I like your edited photo, but I would thin out the interior more. I am not familiar with Koreana specifically and am a total newbie in general, but my boxwoods back budded and thrived this year with more room for sun and airflow. (also helps with fungal issues these often have)

 

[BrianBay9]

The thing about collected boxwood is that you're pretty much working with the major limbs that are set. It will take forever to grow a thick limb from a new bud, so get that out of your head. I like your second pic as the front. Cut back hard on the top but leave a little green. Take off the weird shaped branch on the left and work that deadwood in the center. My take, but of course you're the one with the tree.

 

[BonsaiRae]

Veeeery nice score, what a trunk! Love all the deadwood detail down at the base, you've definitely got some potential hiding in there. I personally like the old oak look that you're going for. Though depending how leggy branching is up top, you may even consider cutting it down a bit lower that your original virtual.
I've been working on a much smaller landscape boxwood recently that I yanked outta the ground that I'm also going for an oak look to it. These guys are some slow growers, but you'll get all the clip and grow practice you could possibly want from em.

That trunk is what screamed for me to dig it out.
Definitely doing the clip and grow. And I agree that it may need a bit shorter than the photo edit. The tricky part is deciding what branches and where to cut so I get some taper. A couple of the inside branches have some back budding. I had opened up the canopy in the early summer.

 

[BrianBay9]

So I assume your hardware cloth cover is squirrel defense? I've had a hell of a time with them in my new place, but they have completely left my boxwoods alone.

 

[BobbyLane]

I wouldnt be so quick to remove the 'weird' branch, it has some decent angles/ changes of direction. It could be a feature branch depending on which way you want to go with the tree.
So if it was mine I would try to preserve the subtrunks but create taper in them where possible.
So what I usually do for inspo is look at wild trees and artists who create wild looking natural trees, but thats not for everyone.
So if you tame it too much you begin to take away elements what make the tree unique.

 

[BonsaiRae]

The thing about collected boxwood is that you're pretty much working with the major limbs that are set. It will take forever to grow a thick limb from a new bud, so get that out of your head. I like your second pic as the front. Cut back hard on the top but leave a little green. Take off the weird shaped branch on the left and work that deadwood in the center. My take, but of course you're the one with the tree.

View attachment 508796

I agree that left branch is very odd. I have debated off completely or out more where it splits and see if those two buds can come up with something good. Also that side looks congested with all those branches so glad you are seeing the same thing.
I do hope to get some carving on those dead broom handles sticking up in the middle. That means a new skill to research.

 

[BonsaiRae]

So I assume your hardware cloth cover is squirrel defense? I've had a hell of a time with them in my new place, but they have completely left my boxwoods alone.

It is my attempt to discourage digging. There is a walnut tree in the neighborhood and they like my yard for planting. I keep reading they don't like the taste of boxwood so I hope they leave the rest of it alone.

 

[BonsaiRae]

I wouldnt be so quick to remove the 'weird' branch, it has some decent angles/ changes of direction. It could be a feature branch depending on which way you want to go with the tree.
So if it was mine I would try to preserve the subtrunks but create taper in them where possible.
So what I usually do for inspo is look at wild trees and artists who create wild looking natural trees, but thats not for everyone.
So if you tame it too much you begin to take away elements what make the tree unique.
View attachment 508805View attachment 508809

I have been looking at a lot of pictures too. Always smart to look to nature for inspiration.

 

[BobbyLane]

Id be going in this direction


With some dead branch features in the crown, a reminder of some of the branches that were once there, but not part of the plans, they can remain as deadwood features.

 

[rockm]

If this has been out of the ground only a year, I wouldn't go making any plans with it. You might lose a branch or two as the plant adjusts to its root system. Koreana is tough, though. In particular, I would be cautious with watering in such a deep container. Boxwood don't like wet roots and the interior of that soil will be substantially wetter than the exterior.

FWIW, I like the ideas @BobbyLane has put together.

 

[BonsaiRae]

Id be going in this direction
View attachment 508819

With some dead branch features in the crown, a reminder of some of the branches that were once there, but not part of the plans, they can remain as deadwood features.

I do like it just a little shorter like that. It is difficult to size the canopy to the trunk, but the lower it is the more that trunk is the focal point.

 

[BonsaiRae]

If this has been out of the ground only a year, I wouldn't go making any plans with it. You might lose a branch or two as the plant adjusts to its root system. Koreana is tough, though. In particular, I would be cautious with watering in such a deep container. Boxwood don't like wet roots and the interior of that soil will be substantially wetter than the exterior.

FWIW, I like the ideas @BobbyLane has put together.

I just dug it two days ago. Step one will be it survives me wanting to start shaping when I know to wait til spring. I know I am chancing it with the soil choice. I hope to do a more traditional substrate in a couple years when I work those roots. I only cut what had to go to fit in the pot. It has two corkscrew roots that are holding it 3" off the bottom right now. I wasn't sure if the other roots would support all that foliage.

 

[BobbyLane]

I do like it just a little shorter like that. It is difficult to size the canopy to the trunk, but the lower it is the more that trunk is the focal point.

It will look more powerful, a wide spreading canopy over a tall one, in true Oak fashion. When you say it looks windspwept, I can see what you mean, it looks like its moving to the left due to how its grown, those types of elements you want to try and work with, it can give the tree more drama. For sure if you were to give this tree to Ryan neil he 100% keeps those feature branches and he works with the direction, tries to enhance it, whether its in the styling or pot placement. So things to keep in mind going forwards.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

The thing about collected boxwood is that you're pretty much working with the major limbs that are set. It will take forever to grow a thick limb from a new bud, so get that out of your head. I like your second pic as the front. Cut back hard on the top but leave a little green. Take off the weird shaped branch on the left and work that deadwood in the center. My take, but of course you're the one with the tree.

View attachment 508796

I can see a bit of mine:



In quite a few of your pix.
Some trimming and carving.. maybe.

As @BrianBay9 says," keep your thick branches. They may be the last ones you will see.

 

[BonsaiRae]

I can see a bit of mine:

View attachment 512190

In quite a few of your pix.
Some trimming and carving.. maybe.

As @BrianBay9 says," keep your thick branches. They may be the last ones you will see.

Love the movement you have and the size. Gives me hope with mine.