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Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: June 29th, 2020, 3:00 pm
by southern-ct-4
Hi. I know that even if the answer is yes I shouldn't do it now (but should do it in later winter/early spring), but can I cut a boxwood way back?

If I have some that are, for example, 6' tall, but I want them 4' or 5' tall, can I cut back that much? They would likely just be branches at that point. Would they grow back?

Thank you.

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: June 29th, 2020, 4:47 pm
by MorpheusPA
Yes, you can cut back boxwoods as hard as you like and they'll regrow. Not that I'd cut them to six inches but...they'd probably manage.

And good news, you can cut them right now just about anywhere in the US and Canada as long as they're not in drought (since it's a bit dry, just make sure to keep them watered every couple weeks deeply through summer). The only time you really shouldn't cut them is mid-fall or later because new growth won't have time to harden off before freeze (they're quite frost-tolerant even when growth is young).

So go. Grab the clippers and cut the boxwood. A weak feeding and watering wouldn't be a bad idea afterwards if it isn't going to rain.

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: June 29th, 2020, 4:50 pm
by southern-ct-4
Awesome, thanks so much!

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: July 13th, 2020, 11:44 pm
by mobiledynamics
Most of my box is either thin cuts in spring for air, and on some it's shearing for shaping.

Taking it back 2' or say, you might have a exposed dead center for 12-18 months IMO

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: July 14th, 2020, 8:12 am
by southern-ct-4
mobiledynamics wrote:
July 13th, 2020, 11:44 pm
Most of my box is either thin cuts in spring for air, and on some it's shearing for shaping.

Taking it back 2' or say, you might have a exposed dead center for 12-18 months IMO
Thanks and I'm ok with it looking bad for a while (the main one I want to cut back is in backyard around my deck and I really don't care what it looks like, as long is it will eventually come back).

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: July 14th, 2020, 8:19 am
by andy10917
Topic and Posts moved to "Perennials" Forum by Moderator

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: July 15th, 2020, 6:30 am
by schreibdave
MorpheusPA wrote:
June 29th, 2020, 4:47 pm
Yes, you can cut back boxwoods as hard as you like and they'll regrow. Not that I'd cut them to six inches but...they'd probably manage.

And good news, you can cut them right now just about anywhere in the US and Canada as long as they're not in drought (since it's a bit dry, just make sure to keep them watered every couple weeks deeply through summer). The only time you really shouldn't cut them is mid-fall or later because new growth won't have time to harden off before freeze (they're quite frost-tolerant even when growth is young).

So go. Grab the clippers and cut the boxwood. A weak feeding and watering wouldn't be a bad idea afterwards if it isn't going to rain.
Sorry to hijack a little, but Morph - is it generally ok to prune woody shrubs at any time of year?

Re: Boxwood question (wasn't sure where to post this)

Posted: July 16th, 2020, 10:35 am
by MorpheusPA
Sorry for the delay, I'm having some issues after Windows 10's last update, as are some other people I've been assisting.

It depends on the shrub and the circumstances. I just had a lilac heave over and break in some minor winds that Fay brought. I let it get too tall, too leggy, and overfed. This was my fault. I cut it back hard, but it's actually a bit late. It's not going to bloom well next year, if at all. But the shrub itself will be fine and, fed appropriately, will also regrow a lot of greenery by August.

As a very, very general set of rules for which there are plenty of exceptions, so always check for the shrub individually:

Shrubs that bloom yearly on new or old wood: Cut right after blooming. There's always a window, often a wide one, but this is rarely an error. As a very general rule, you can cut up to six weeks post-bloom and still be just fine, unless that starts to move into frost and freeze.

Repeat bloomers: These can sometimes be cut back after their first major flush of bloom so that you get to enjoy that, or wait until the very beginning of the season (as with caning roses). With these, check the individual plant for the best practices as they tend to vary a lot. And also realize that the shrub tends to let you get away with a lot, too. I don't follow the rules very well on my roses and...they do fantastically well, actually.

Most Woody Shrubs: Always check, but again, it's usually not a major mistake to cut until eight to six weeks before frost. Many dislike having all the greenery on a branch removed, so don't do that. :-) Some don't care. Your boxwood and my lilacs don't care and will happily resprout from any growth point. Most evergreen shrubs, cut back to brown, will simply stay brown at that point. Some shrubs will start to look like trees if you cut them back to the "trunk," which can be an interesting form. Most of our shrubs actually do flower, if unobviously, so again, you're probably giving that up.