Boxwood Progression

[JoeLewko]

ok just to amke everyone's life easier, here is a photo series of my boxwood stock. everythign I did was done in oen day (today), but I want to remove some finer roots that are near the surface and the larger nebari tomorrow, just to clean it up a bit. I might also 'clean up' the foliage.

Original Stock, bought at Home Depot for $6 U.S.

[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/snow_chair_bonsai015.jpg[/img]

the root system before any work was done
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood002.jpg[/img]

Tree after styling
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood008.jpg[/img]

the root system before any pruning
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood011.jpg[/img]

I will post the rest of the pics later, neither photobucket, or imageshack seems to be working as of now

EDIT

This is an initial prune, with the bottom of an iced tea bottle next to it. the tree is to be planted on top to promote lateral root growth.

[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood013.jpg[/img]

this is after a seconday root prune, which I feel I took off too much.
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood015.jpg[/img]

and the final product (as of now)
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood017.jpg[/img]

[constantstaticx3]

Joe, by no means did you rootprune too much. Take a look at my new thread of my boxwood. You could have taken a lot more off but for you right now that is perfect. Maybe next year you can do more pruning .

You have the workings of a very nice broom. Your virt of the style you want would be better in a broom style. You really must prune the branches back to about an inch or too making sure you leave a couple leaves on each branch stub. Maybe ynot can do a little virt for ya...hint hint . I'm sure he knows what I mean.

Anyway you did very good for your first try. Also notice I didn't use any wire in mine, its not always neccesary, I'm not so sure yours is either but I cant tell because I don't have the tree right in front of me.

Post more progression pics as it grows .

Tom

[JoeLewko]

Just a note to make life easy (courtesy of ynot ) the tree is beign discussed here:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4593

Joe

[JoeLewko]

just a bit of an update. after much discussion, I decided to chop the branches a lot shorter (thanks to ynot and Tom, it's startign to look better already IMO). Here's some pics

you'll notice that I left two of the branches higher than the rest, reason being well, when chopping a branch, you should leave a few leaves on the branch, but these well, they don't have any except for the ones at the top. (as far as I can tell, if someone notices otherwise, please point it out ). So I left those two taller, and as soon as they bud a little lower down, I'll chop off the tops. alos, I removed a bunch of wire, because with the shorter branches, I dk there just didn 't seem to be a need. Thoughts?
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood020.jpg[/img]

just a larger view
[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwood021.jpg[/img]

I am very happy with this stock, it seems to have good potential (especially wiht that strong nebari , and I think it was $6 well spent. I will update this wiht more pics once summer rolls around, and then at the end of the growing season.

Joe

[JoeLewko]

Well time for an update. after the last pic, many of those leaves died away, leaving me with a boxwood deviod of almost all leaves (save for maybe 2 or 3). But it is recovering, and now it looks like this.

[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/boxwoodedit.jpg[/img]

I am very happy thusfar with the amount of backbudding, and the overall recovery the tree has made.

Joe

[constantstaticx3]

It seems that the wiring is not doing anything and I think it should be removed even if it did do anything it should be removed soon anyway.

Notice where those buds are opening up near the base of that mass of branches, if you were to cut it back before had to just above that location, those could have been your new branches and you would have had a good start to a broom style.

I don't understand why it has taken so long for this to grow. Any idea of what your problem was? Backbudding should have been much more than this at this time.


Tom

[ynot]

I am very happy thusfar with the amount of backbudding, and the overall recovery the tree has made.

...Really?

after the last pic, many of those leaves died away

I don't understand why it has taken so long for this to grow. Any idea of what your problem was? Backbudding should have been much more than this at this time.

I agree, Any idea what happened? You never mentioned having any unexpected problems with it.

ynot

[JoeLewko]

I'm not sure what happened. I think it had to do with rootpruning too much. I didn't mention anything, because I thought it was going to die, but now I am pleasantly suprised at its progress.

[ynot]

I'm not sure what happened. I think it had to do with rootpruning too much. I didn't mention anything, because I thought it was going to die, but now I am pleasantly suprised at its progress.

Do you really? On what basis? I seriously doubt that could be it especially considering the healthy batch of fine feeder roots you were left with.
Check out Toms boxwood pix and you will see that he left even fewer roots than you did...I don't think the amount pruned was the issue here.

Joe, As this is the tree that took two and a half or three hours to rootprune/repot...Did you keep the roots moist the entire time or where they allowed to dry out during the process? THAT would absolutely be an issue.

I remember suggesting on page three:

Nice root system,

Keep it misted- Or if your going to be a while just set it in a bucket of tepid water.

Which you never referred to so [When considering it's current state] it occurs to me that perhaps you did not completely understand it's significance.

Notice where those buds are opening up near the base of that mass of branches, if you were to cut it back before had to just above that location, those could have been your new branches and you would have had a good start to a broom style.

Yep, That was suggested on page three of the thread where discussion of this tree is [used to] take place.

[url=https://imageshack.us][img]https://img108.imageshack.us/img108/5706/boxwood009virt2nv2.jpg[/img][/url]

I didn't mention anything, because I thought it was going to die, but now I am pleasantly suprised at its progress.

.. I think 'survival' a more accurate word considering you were concerned for it...lol - It is still pleasant though. Live and learn..


ynot

[JoeLewko]

This will be the last update for my boxwood, because, sadly, the tree didn't make it. But a little background since my last post. After my lats post, many of the branches dies and needed to be cut back. I finally realized why I needed to make the chop earlier on. It was one of those times when things just "clicked". Anyway, I left one branch which had some growth on it, and the buds at the base of the branch structure. I cut the branch off (there wasn't that much growth), and I hoped the tree could now concentrate its energy on the buds at the base. guess I was wrong, because after that the tree went downhill. All thbe leaves died, and then eventually the tree. (I know this because of the fingernail test, I scratched the bark every day, and it died literally overnight, one day green, and day not). This is the last pic of the tree in its final state.

[img]https://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m204/joelewko/bonsai8-6-07AndPine8-11-07002.jpg[/img]

As ynot said earlier, live and learn

Joe

[suef]

I have just read through your post of your Box tree, and then to see the last Pic I nearly cryed. So for a beginer like me what should you have done to have kept it alive. I mean what is the prosess for this kind of thing.
Sue.