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First wiring on a Boxwood...

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JimLewis
DreadyKGB
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Post  DreadyKGB Sat Apr 07, 2012 6:21 pm

Hey all,
Boxwood seem to be hot right now so I thought I would show one that I recently wired. I'm hoping to get some budding in the straight bare section of the upper trunk so I can fill that area in. Let me know what you think. I am thick skinned so be honest.

Todd

Front(ish)
First wiring on a Boxwood... P3240010

Back
First wiring on a Boxwood... P3240011

Top removed
First wiring on a Boxwood... P3240012

Wired and pruned
First wiring on a Boxwood... P3240013
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Post  JimLewis Sat Apr 07, 2012 6:24 pm

I'm not sure you can get much to disguise that long straight section in a normal human lifetime. I wonder if a chop (or series of chops over a year or two) might not both serve to shorten that area, and generate some growth on the right.

To my eye, the trunk would look bigger and older if shortened anyway. I REALLY like the lower trunk.
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Post  DreadyKGB Sat Apr 07, 2012 7:14 pm

Jim,
I agree with shortening the upper trunk, and that's why I'm hoping for budding on the straight section. I plan to feed it heavily all season with my fingers crossed.

Todd
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Post  JMcCoy Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:41 pm

Is this a collected tree? Nice base with lots of interesting scars. It looks like a B. sempervirens to me instead of the B. microphylla we have common down this way. If it is the European Box, I've always heard they bud back well, so it may be possible to get something to pop in that straight area and shorten that section. If it were mine, I'd turn one of the bottom branches into a whip and threadgraft it to ensure a branch/new top exactly where you want it. Even if you don't chop it back, it would be nice to have some cover in that area.
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Post  DreadyKGB Sat Apr 07, 2012 9:00 pm

Joey,
Thanks for the feed back. Your probably right on the species, I wasn't sure what it was but was pretty sure that it wasn't B. microphylla. I also don't know if it was collected originally, but it was a add on (just to sweeten the deal) with a couple of trees that I purchased from an estate last summer. I had thought about grafting a branch there but wasn't sure how well boxwood took to grafting. Any info you could add to the grafting idea would be helpful (timing).

Todd
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Post  JMcCoy Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:22 pm

Hi Todd,
Now is a great time to graft, but you'll need to grow out some whips to use first, so will probably have to start later in the year (unless you have some long-legged cuttings growing of the same species). I'll do a post on threadgrafting Boxwoods a little later.
If you still can, you may want to get info about the history of this tree from the owner. Sometimes its past can be rich and colorful, and is easily lost when exchanging hands.
Joey
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Post  Poink88 Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:42 am

Todd,

Can you post a pic taken the same angle as your first posted pic (or between it and the current front)? I think I like the movement of the top branch there better (not straight). Maybe you can carve/trim the deadwood a bit on the top of the trunk (create an uro)? Thanks.


Last edited by Poink88 on Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Post  -Brent- Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:00 pm

Hi Todd,

Nice looking lil' tree there.

With regards to back-budding, I found with mine that the usual cutting back to the last pair of leaves per branch works a treat, but that would mean losing all your upper foliage bar 8 or 10 leaves which is not the easiest to deal with mentally, sometimes Smile

Anyway, just my two cents...

Brent
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Post  Fore Sun Apr 08, 2012 3:34 pm

I'm with the others to chop off that straight upper trunk and just grow a new leader. It'll be a much more powerful and impressive tree imo.
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Post  DreadyKGB Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:01 pm

Hey all,
Thanks for the feedback. Well I'm thinking I may try grafting, there are a couple branches just long enough to use but I will probably wait until later in the season. I think cutting the straight section to a new leader about halfway down would create reasonable taper in time. The previous owner passed away unexpectedly and thus the estate sale, I did not know them.

Dario
Here's a pic from that angle, the problem is that the branches are poorly placed from that direction.

First wiring on a Boxwood... P4080010
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Post  Poink88 Mon Apr 09, 2012 2:34 am

If this is mine, I will use this as the front (or even rotate a bit counter clockwise), tilt it to the right about 15 degrees and work the branches after. They are easier to change those than the trunk/major branch. JMHO.
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Post  JMcCoy Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:14 am

Dario's absolutely right about this being the best angle! The top "pipe" area even has some movement. Of course, what it looks like in person may be another issue. In case you want to read about threadgrafting boxwoods, I've put up a post on it:
https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t9720-boxwood-threadgrafting-branches#102888
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Post  DreadyKGB Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:26 am

Just read the grafting thread thanks. I have been contemplating where to go with this tree a while. I agree that this angle provides a nicer upper section, but in person and below the soil much of the strength of the base is lost. I am still not fully decided on anything yet with this one, so I will continue staring at it and maybe it will tell me what it wants. Thanks again.

Todd
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