Large boxwood styling advice 2...

[Rose Mary]

To get a couple more pics of the boxwood up for some styling suggestions. chops ..
has only been one comment, is it that bad?

That long straight mindtrunk... chop where? carve...Any salvation for this tree. I have had it long time and initially made all the wrong moves I'm sure.



Thanks all.
Rose Mary
SW Oregon

 

[Poink88]

It is not bad...just difficult.

I probably will remove the right branch and tilt the tree a bit to the right. I will also try to bend the straight (current middle) branch with a jack. It will be tough but doable. I will probably hollow the deadwood portion of the trunk to do this bend as well.

What size is that trunk?

Just my thoughts.

Good luck!

 

[edprocoat]

Rose Mary, thats a beautiful tree just the way it is. Judging roughly be the the colander you have it in I assume it is about 28-32 inches tall? What I am saying is it is well proportioned and looks like a tree you would see in nature. I would not consider chopping it if it were mine, bu8t then again I am not the type who dreams of showing a tree or worry about the tastes of others if something pleases me then that is all I care about, and beleive me that tree is veru pleasing to my eye.

ed

 

[grouper52]

Great tree, Rose Mary. I would lose the central stove pipe and put it back in the ground or a large grow pot for further central branch development if it were mine. Really, really nice material.

 

[jkd2572]

I would chop all three branches above the lowest place on each that has growth. Do what you already know you should do. If you wait 10 years to do it you will be sad at the wasted time.

 

[Poink88]

By the way, on my suggested plan, the front will be your first pic rotated counter clockwise about 10 degrees and then tilted back (and right) about 30 degrees.

If you can, please bag the branch I suggested to be removed and do the above then take/post a picture.

 

[jk_lewis]

And, next repot, I'd plant it a bit deeper into the soil. No need to expose all those fine roots; all they'll do (probably) is die.

 

[JudyB]

I would also put something under the wire you have securing the trunk. Boxwood don't heal scars very well. You can use little pieces of rubber, or I use cut up pieces of soaker hose to cushion wires like those. You have a very nice trunk started there, I agree with the others, to cut back and grow it back out. This looks like a Saunders box to me, is that what variety it is? If so, it's a fairly quick one for boxes, I have one...

I'd get rid of that straight center trunk, it could be carved down to the split part of the trunk at the soil line, and would look great. That little nugget part of pic #3 is the best part of the tree. But the outer spreading branching is a good start, it's just too heavy now.

sorry didn't see the thread before, glad you reposted....

 

[Rose Mary]

Thank you Judy. The wire around the trunk isn't tight and it is rubber coated. This is not a Saunders, it is a slow growing Kingston I think. The leaves are smaller than they appear in my poor phone pics, trying to get close. Have wondered if it would be possible to split that long branch where the line is and bend them, guess if I am going to chop that middle branch anyway I could try the split and practice bending (wrap, heavy wire etc.) .. It has a humongous root system which I keep working down each repot. Loves being in a colander.
Thank you for the input.
Rose Mary

 

[JudyB]

Well, just keep a close eye that the wire isn't denting that bark, wouldn't want to spoil that lovely trunk. I've never tried doing anything like that to a large branch, but as long as you're just getting rid of it, I suppose you could try. Just be careful!

 

[Rose Mary]

Thanks. Yeah that stovepipe is the middle and apex of the tree. what then , how short would you suggest cutting from the trunk? Not in a hurry, nothing in haste. I've lived with it for years hoping for some green lower on that strait piece....

 

[JudyB]

I have never tried to split a branch, so I'll leave that answer to someone who has done it. It's a good idea, I just don't know the process.

If it were me, I'd go for something similar to this (I know it's a beech, I'm just talking about the idea of the carving) that is a Walter Pall tree.

http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2009/11/two-european-beech-in-fall.html

You could loose the middle trunk, and do a hollow something like this and connect to the nice split on the lower trunk. Then I would do some wiring to move branching back toward the open space, be prepared that it'll take quite a while to fill in. Especially if it's kingsville. (If it is, then it must be super old to be that big) I would hope that it is some other variety, or it'll take a lot longer.

You could try a hard chop on the central trunk, and see if something pops out lower if you want to keep it. Might help to do all the branches and see what you get.

 

[Poink88]

Thanks. Yeah that stovepipe is the middle and apex of the tree. what then , how short would you suggest cutting from the trunk? Not in a hurry, nothing in haste. I've lived with it for years hoping for some green lower on that strait piece....

Note that boxwood (at least here in Austin, TX) hardly back bud when chopped w/o any green at the end. Most boxwood branches that I treated that way died and had to be totally removed.