Dwarf English Boxwood

I bought a dwarf english boxwood plant today (I'm planning on turning it into a bonsai), and I was wondering,

1. What time of year should I give it its initial trim
2. How much foliage should I cut off when I do trim it
3. Other general boxwood care tips

Thanks in advance!

‘Green Velvet’ is a broad-mounded, compact form (B. sempervirens x B. microphylla var. koreana) of boxwood that will mature to 2-4’ tall and as wide. The one you have is probably a lump of green. Boxwood are tough and versitile, but large ones are pretty much locked into their form. How large is yours? What you do with it depends on a lot of things. Can you give us a picture, please?

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8bSVIKhxLK0ZDFqNXVoZkM1MTQ/edit

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8bSVIKhxLK0RDcyNFBBWjBUajg/edit

Hopefully these links will work.

BTW, I misidentified the tag on the plant, it is a dwarf english, not green velvet boxwood. Sorry about the mistake.

BTW, I misidentified the tag on the plant, it is a dwarf english, not green velvet boxwood. Sorry about the mistake.

Well, gee whiz . . . and all that work I went to . . . <g>

Unless you are planning on a mame (mini) bonsai (under 4 inches), this plant appears to be a bit too small for any real bonsai work.  I think I'd find a pot that is half as deep as this one, and twice the diameter, and transplant this -- bare root -- into it filled with bonsai soil.  Then I'd simply let it grow for 2-3 years.

What time of year should I transplant it? I've killed plants before simply by not timing pruning and/or transplanting correctly, and I would hate to do it again.

I've noticed that boxwood tends to grow dense foliage, and can crowd out the leaves in the center, making them die. Should I trim the boxwood this year to prevent this problem, or just let the shrub grow?

Thank you for taking the time to answer my previous question on green velvet. If I ever get one, I'll know exactly what to do. :-)

If you are keen to turn this one into a small bonsai, you can do any trimming now. They are quite forgiving, as long as you leave some leaves on. I would try any interesting bits that you cut off as cuttings to try making new plants. Trim off lower leaves and put them into sharp sandy compost in shade.

I would leave repotting it until next spring. That gives you a chance to think about whether it needs time in a growing on box, or in the ground to thicken and also what sort of pot will suit the type of tree that you are planning.