Added 2 BIG Boxwood & 4 Ilex to my collection :D (pics added)

Late afternoon yesterday, on my way back from a (construction) project site visit, I passed by a house that (I believe) is being remodeled. The huge dumpster full of debris and 2 workers encouraged me to stop and ask if the hedge will be removed as well. They told me yes, but it will be cut with a chainsaw tomorrow (today) and gave me permission to dig them up, informing me that they cannot wait and by the following day, the plants will be removed.

My wife and myself went back after work and tried to dig them up but below the top soil is solid caliche and very hard. We only managed to collect two (in almost 2 hours)...but both the biggest boxwood in my collection now. One have approximately 9" base multi-trunk/clump...the other is about 6" base. The hedge was obviously neglected and have a lot of dead branches...the ones I got only have a few leaves but I believe will readily bounce back with proper care. Just plain watering should do these plants wonders.

There were ten (10) more, a bit smaller but still substantial sized that (with heavy heart) I had to leave behind with my wife's insistence...but wisely so since it is getting late. Those will also be more difficult to remove since they are planted against the wall. The ones we got are next to a walkway and we can work all around them.

I will post pics later...for now they are still in trash bags waiting to be potted.

BTW, I also picked up 4 Ilex (Yaupon Holly) that was pre-dug last week on a re-landscaping project. Problem is they must be out in full TX heat for 30-48 hours drying bare root before I got to them. The biggest have a 6" base or so. I am excited for those too and hope/pray they survive.

EDIT IN: Note that the base of these are all still buried/hidden.

Boxwood #1 - with approximately 6" base


Boxwood #2 - with approximately 9" base


Ilex/Yaupon Holy #1


Ilex/Yaupon Holy #2


Ilex/Yaupon Holy #3


Ilex/Yaupon Holy #4

Waiting excitedly for pics!!!

Pictures added at OP.

Nice finds! I especially like the 1st boxwood and the 1st and 3rd Yaupons. Are the Yaupons planted in coarse bark?? It kind of looks like it from the pics unless it's just a top dressing.. Even droughted, Yaupons are such hardy monsters that they have a good chance of making it!

Joey,

The bark is just top dressing/mulch in preparation for summer. I used mostly Turface on these with a little of my remaining oil-dri. The boxwood have most of it's original soil w/ Turface filler.

After reducing the root ball another 25%, boxwood #2 is now repotted to similar sized tub as boxwood #1. A bit more weight and I might break my back ...or get a hernia. I better start collecting smaller plants!

Do watch your back and all else while lifting and moving the big ones. I wrenched my shoulder carrying some heavy trees in April (at the Dallas Convention) and it's still pretty sore.
Great stuff Dario! Now the fun will be what you do with them!

JMcCoy wrote:Now the fun will be what you do with them!

It will take a while before I decide...no worries, it needs to recover anyway. It is too busy right now that it is so difficult. It towers everything I have in my yard now...and I have to watch myself passing it, else the branches might poke my eyes!

Ilex #1, #2 and #3 have buds now

Poink88 wrote:Ilex #1, #2 and #3 have buds now

Hehehe
I feel same whenever I see a bud from where I want
In your case, you got many points for being happy with.
Enjoy them!

Taner

Boxwood #2 is so high...it is about 6 feet tall (on top of shelf) that some birds use it as a perch sometimes. The downside, they poop on my tree (free fertilizer?) and sometimes leave partially eaten lizard. LOL

Good luck with your boxwoods. I have several and just got back from Virginia this afternoon without purchasing a single boxwood. I'd been giving thought to expanding my boxwoods and went on line while there to look for nurseries in the area to visit. What I did find is thess links about a new boxwood blight: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/~clinic/alerts/11-04-11_boxwood_blight_alert.pdf
and http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/news/boxwood-blight-found-connecticut

It's recently (Fall of 2011) showing up in different areas of the US and in Europe since 1990's. It seems to be fatal to many varieties of boxwood, especially the more rounded oval leaf types such as "Kingsville" and English boxwood. This is a tough problem. I hope to keep my trees isolated but it may just be a matter of time as the blight has been found in NY State. I've been growing both "Kingsville" and English boxwood since the 1970's. They've survived some very cold winters here (always) outdoors.

http://www.vnla.org/Research/BoxwoodBlight/tabid/11019/Default.aspx
http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/sites/landscape/files/fact-sheets/pdf/boxwood_blight_CAES.pdf
http://www.anla.org/knowledgecenter/premium/index.cfm?view=player&colid=112&cid=324&mfid=5311&StartNum=1
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/PPWS/PPWS-4/PPWS-4.html

Robert, that's a lot of searching. You should have started right here!

https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t8618-warning-boxwood-blight-be-on-the-lookout-for-this

Robert Taylor wrote: This is a tough problem. I hope to keep my trees isolated but it may just be a matter of time as the blight has been found in NY State.

Best way to avoid the blight is to refrain from purchasing any more boxwoods. Thats where I am now, I dont want to bring in one that may be host to the pathogen and risk the nice one I've been working on for 3 years. Plus one Boxwood (for me that is) is enough.

-Jay

Thanks Jay and Russell
Good advice form both of you
I was working briefly from a friends laptop and was looking up nurseries for sources of boxwood and just stumbled into this problem. Thankfull for that and for all those helpful posts in the IBC Forum.

drgonzo wrote:Best way to avoid the blight is to refrain from purchasing any more boxwoods. Thats where I am now, I dont want to bring in one that may be host to the pathogen and risk the nice one I've been working on for 3 years. Plus one Boxwood (for me that is) is enough.

Jay,

Is that really possible???

Kidding aside, that would be hard for me especially now that it became one of my favorite plants to bonsai (along with Ilex/Yaupon Holly). I believe I have 7 big Boxwood, 2 smaller ones, and several cuttings right now. The cuttings are mostly 1"-2" and I don't know if they will take. I just started 4 last night after trimming the largest one posted here.

Can you post a pic of your boxwood? I've read a few of your posts referring to it and I really want to see it. I might have seen it posted earlier (if you posted a pic already)...just can't recall. Thanks!