A boxwood shrub ( Buxusspp . ) for a gardener is like a engine block of uncut wood for a whittler . In the hand of a master , it can be shaped into something functional , aesthetically pleasing , or both . It holds virginal , untapped potential .
However , a hunk of lumber does n’t slowly rise into an unappealing raft in your yard if left untouched . At least , not any longer . Its days of being a plant are over , obviously .
But a boxwood shrub is a different story : it ’ll grow six to 12 inch per class under ideal experimental condition , calculate on the form . That ’s slow enough to sneak up on you , but tight enough to turn a well - shaped hedging into a overemotional mass before you know it .
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Do youhaveto prune boxwoods ? Not of necessity . But keeping yourBuxuslooking incisive and free of disease does command some pruning . Plus , would n’t it be tragical if such a gorgeous canvass was ignored and leave vacuous ?
For those Googling how to prune a boxwood , you ’ve come to the right place . In this guide , we ’ll go over the what , when , why , and how of pruning yourBuxus .
Photo credit: LACROIX CHRISTINE / Shutterstock.com
If you require a refresher , our article on growing and caring for boxwoodsshould help oneself even up your memory .
Here ’s what ’s on the docket :
What You’ll Learn
Why Even Prune ?
What You ’ll Need for Pruning
When to Prune Boxwoods
How to Prune Boxwoods
Before you head outside to your hedges with sharp objects , it ’s important to know why .
Aesthetics
Whenever I find myself riff through sometime yearbook and wincing at my rumpled headshots , I ’m reminded of the importance of a good haircut . And while boxwoods do n’t have hair , keeping them trimmed up is a must for a good - look landscape .
Unfortunately , boxwoods usually do n’t grow equally . One side could grow quicker than the other . Some stems could make a break for it while others string up back . Structural damage to the shrub could stimulate misdirected growing , or halt it tout ensemble .
Luckily for gardener , pruning is a reliable way of take a boxwood ’s appearance into your own hands .
Pruning lets you form aBuxusshrub into a unadulterated sphere , a delicately - hone block , or whatever pattern you want . Skilled topiary artists can even grave them to take care like objects , animals , or actual people !
Sometimes , plant search their best when they grow naturally . But other times , we got ta abuse in and make modification ourselves . Visually , Turkish boxwood by all odds gain from some edits .
Health
Pruning a Turkish boxwood is n’t just for vanity . It ’ll also lessen the odds of disease and pest plague .
As aBuxusshrub grows thick , the airflow between bow and leaves drop-off . This reduced flow of air also increases the prison term a plant life take to dry out after rainfall or irrigation .
Since many pathogen love wet conditions , this prolonged period of wetness promotes disease development .
Additionally , a works left alone can amass dead and damaged structures over clock time .
These tissue are perfect incoming points for disease , so prune aside idle leg or ruin stanch as they seem will help shore up a plant ’s defenses .
Infection go hand in hand with plague , unfortunately . A diseased plant is a accented flora , and insects and other plague go after ail plants more so than healthy 1 . Infestation can follow nausea all too easily .
Vigor
Vigor is simply the growth rate of a plant , and pruning is a successful way of increasing it .
plant consist of aboveground shoot and belowground roots , and they tend to grow in balance with each other . Both structures call for the resources necessary for the industrial plant as a whole to grow and develop .
But when the amount of shoots is suddenly concentrate via pruning , now there ’s an instability in the proportion of origin to shoots .
In social club to find counterbalance , surplus DOE from the roots goes into producing young shoot at a libertine rate than before . Increased shoot ontogenesis match increased greening and health , which is what you require .
Depending on the size , altitude , and number of boxwoods you have , you may or may not need all the items on this leaning . But if you ’re unforesightful an item that you need , your local garden centre ’s got your back .
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Heck , if you ’ve got generous neighbors and a non - mooching repute , you could probably get away with borrowing a peter or two from them !
Personal Protective Equipment
This is absolutely indispensable . exist perilously is coolheaded , do n’t get me wrong … but so is having all your fingers and eyeballs .
Apair of indestructible gardening glovesis very helpful when pruning . They ’ll protect your helping hand and aid you keep a good grip on your dick .
For pruning aBuxus , look for cut- or puncture - resistant mitt that are also whippy . Garret Wade has you coveredwith some punishing - obligation ones that resist punctures and cuts .
Heavy Duty Cut Resistant Work Gloves
Eye trade protection is another must , especially when you ’re mold foliage with sharp tool .
Granted , the peril of plant affair flying towards your boldness is lower with pruning Turkish boxwood than it is with Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree work . But there ’s still a luck , and it ’s better to be good than no-count .
Plus , I occasionally wipe the sweat off my brow with the back of my predominant , pruner - holding paw , and I ’d hate to horn in out an unprotected eye . That would be a really lame story for how I vex an centre patch .
When shop for garden eye security , search for anti - fog , anti - scratch , impact - tolerant , and/or UV - resistive glasses .
If you ’re already bespectacled like me , then safety goggles will leave plenty of elbow room for your ethical drug eyewear .
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Hand Pruners
Hand pruner are used to make small , precise , and detailed pruning cuts . Even beyond pruning , a reliable set of hand pruners can make garden a whole sight easier , so it ’s by all odds worth the investment .
If potential , select bypass pruners . Bypass pruners utilize a sharp sword which narrowly passes by another , just like a pair of scissors grip .
This allows for a crisp and sporting cutting off , and you wo n’t dull the blades untimely like you would with other skip mechanism .
Bypass Pruners
A eminent - quality solidification of ring road trimmer isavailable from Gardener ’s Supply .
Hedge Shears
With their foresightful and sharp blades , hedge shear yield a high pruning mass per slice than mitt pruner .
The blades are usually set at a slight angle to the handgrip , which makes both low and high cut more well-situated .
And if you manage to snag a dyad with telescopic handles , you ’ll be able to trim those vexing , just - out - of - reach patches ofBuxus .
Fiskars Telescoping Power - Lever Hedge Shears
Acquire a readiness of in high spirits - tone , telescopic - address hedging shears for yourselfvia Amazon .
Hedge Trimmer
If spending the entire afternoon with a giant yoke of scissors hold in your hand sounds tedious , you may foreswear the hedge shear and use a hedging trimmer instead .
A hedge pruner ’s “ sword ” has two rows of teeth on both sides , and the top row alternates back and forth , go just above the lower run-in .
This make a bilaterally symmetrical line of electrical shunt - snub teeth , which can be run through unshorn boxwood foliage like a very noisy knife through butter .
Hedge trimmers can drastically pelt along up box pruning , provide they ’re used effectively .
Since they ’re index cock , hedge trimmer take caution and dependable operating practices . pinna protective cover could also be need , depending on the loudness of the model you ’re using .
A hedging trimmer runs on either gasoline or electricity , with gasoline - powered theoretical account normally being the garish , heaviest , and most powerful .
Electric trimmer either have rechargeable shelling or involve an extension electric cord . Of the electric trimmers , electric battery - powered models offer convenience and ease of usance , while corded ones provide more power .
Greenworks Cordless Hedge Trimmer
If you ’re looking for a cordless hedge trimmer , check out thisGreenworks model from Amazon .
This 24 - column inch theoretical account is lightweight and cordless , with nearly a full hour of charge from it ’s included 2 AH battery !
Rake
This putz is n’t so much for pruning box as it is for clean up afterwards . As you prune , boxwood clippings will often remain on the bush itself , which bring aside from that manicure await you ’re shooting for .
A easy combing of a pruned box ’s leafage will hale those unseemly clippings off the works real proficient .
But neaten up a box post - prune is n’t just for toilet table : hold open yourBuxusfree of pruned detritus will help to keep it intelligent , since beat plant parts are prize entry percentage point for pathogen . All the more reason tobreak out the rakehell .
Adjustable Collapsing Rake
talk of which , a self-coloured product for the jobcan be purchase from Garrett Wade .
This lightweight slant adjusts in width , allowing you to thin the width to get into pie-eyed , narrow bit , or expand it for bulk cleanup spot .
Isopropyl Alcohol
As tools move through plant life , they ’ll pick up any pathogen that domicile in or on infect tissues .
These disease - causing agents can well hitchhike a ride on tool surfaces and spread from flora to plant . hygienize your tool in between prunings can help reduce the betting odds of contagion spread .
A elementary way of doing so is with isopropyl alcohol , which will kill any pathogens and sterilize your tools .
employ anywhere from 70 to 100 percentage alcohol , with water making up the residue of the solution .
A bottleful of 99 pct isopropyl alcohol isavailable from Solimo via Amazon .
Apply this sterilizing concoction by spraying or thinly pouring it onto tool blade and tooth . you could even dim the contaminated office of your tools straight into the mixture . Be certain to pass over away the solution with a tag afterwards .
Do n’t forget to exercise precaution , as isopropyl alcohol is inflammable and can irritate the skin .
For the casualBuxusowner , an annual pruning will be enough to elevate aesthetic and wellness .
You ’ll desire to time it right before the plant breaks dormancy and has that first gush of spring growth . This will cease up being in very former wintertime or early spring .
Late spring pruning is also acceptable , and may be ideal for those want an specially well - manicured shrub .
You wo n’t have quite as vigorous of a springiness flush , but by rationalise afterward in a Turkish boxwood ’s grow menstruation , the shrub wo n’t be warp and misshapen by fresh outgrowth as much .
Small touch - up pruning can be done throughout the spring and summertime , if laser - honed shrubs are the destination .
However , it ’s important to remember that all pruning will accent a plant to some degree , so train your boxwoods as healthfully as potential to stand firm all that penalisation .
Just like golf row intensely wish for their frequently - mowed putting jet , you ’ll also want to give yourBuxussome heavy tender loving care if you ’re gon na keep ‘ em constantly trim up .
Avoid pruning during the tail - closing of summer , the fall , and most of winter .
Pruning encourages new growth , and clean shoot popping up this late in the game wo n’t earmark enough fourth dimension for cold hardening . amount winter , these ill - prepared growths wo n’t fare well .
The exclusion to all of this : finding numb or diseased branches in your boxwood shrubs . take out these whenever they ’re key out , no matter the time of year . This will importantly aid in preventing disease .
There ’s more than one agency to scramble a cat , and there ’s more than one way to prune a boxwood . Let ’s go over some techniques for specific pruning scenario .
Removing Dead or Diseased Tissue
Whenever you spot necrotic or infected branches , get rid of them ASAP .
Prune them as far down as the deadened and/or diseased tissue paper goes , which’ll plausibly take your cut all the mode to the base . A sturdy set of pruner is swell for these tight , thick cuts .
An easy way to tell where the branch stops living is to scratch just the tiniest bit off the subdivision with a sharp boundary , be it a fingernail or tool .
If the area underneath or on the underside of the scraping is unripened , then that part of the branch is living . But if it ’s chocolate-brown , then it ’s dead .
Thinning
Thinning is a way of sack up up elbow room within a plant , allowing luminousness and air travel to reach the interior shoot . This will keep inner leaves alive and keep out - of - sight disease from festering .
cutting Turkish boxwood is n’t that complicated : just reach in and snip stems evenly throughout the plant .
Take off two to eight column inch of stem with each cut , with small bush take minuscule cuts and frailty versa . Leave at least one set of leaves on prune stanch for the interest of show .
After you ’re done cutting , yourBuxusshould have around 10 percent of its mass pruned away throughout the works . From a distance , the boxwood will have small hollow that you ’ll be able to see the inside of the works through when you look closely .
Shaping
formation is the fun part , where your artistic skills really get a chance to shine . But unlike the painter sit down to a blank canvas , you do n’t have unnumbered possibilities here … at least , you do n’t if you want to keep your boxwoods salubrious .
Any case of shrub where the small limb are trimmed to be narrow than the ones above is a no - no .
Inverted os trapezoideum , upside - down Great Pyramid … it does n’t weigh . If the downhearted branches are blocked from receive sunlight , the lower foliage will grow in all thin and misshapen .
Of course , you’re able to founder that normal if you ’re get at making sculptures out ofBuxus . But when you ’re just starting out , stick to safe frame such as wide - base wedges and cones , rectangle and squares , or firmament and rounded forms .
As far as how to forge die , that ’s the easy part : just snip and trim until you create the desired shape .
Do n’t remove more than a third of the flora ’s hatful in one go , and remember to originate with small cuts . tread aside occasionally as you work , so you could see the full movie .
you may always go back for another passementerie , but you ca n’t undo shearing too hard .
Cutting Back
Suppose you have the desired shape , but it ’s just too heavy . Or perchance your bush has grown too far into an undesirable zone . In either case , you ’ll need to snub back your boxwood .
Cutting back your boxwood is just like shaping , but alternatively of creating a fresh form , you ’re just making it smaller .
The dominion of one - third still applies here , but you do n’t have to remove that third of mass from the plant equally .
This is helpful for heavy boxwoods : take a third of the plant off on one side , wait a year , then do the same matter to the other side .
The Neighbors Will Swoon for a Nice Boxwood Prune
A well - prunedBuxusis its own reward , no doubt . But well - manicure boxwood hedges are also pleasing to the eyes of onlookers – and they wo n’t hurt your property value , either .
With this guide , hopefully you ’re now equipped to start shaping your boxwood into works of art .
Stay patient , because skill and expertise will only issue forth with time and experience . If you happen to make a misunderstanding , no elbow grease – there ’s always next year !
If you love see how to trim this shrub , here aresome other ornamental worth brushing up on :
© take the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally published June 18th , 2022 . Last updated : May 29th , 2025 . Product photograph via Aqulius , Gardener ’s Supply Company , Garett Wade , NoCry , and Solimo . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .
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Joe Butler
