Help with Boxwood

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and to Bonsai. I'm looking for some help and advise on digging up a well established Boxwood out of the ground and getting it into a Bonsai pot. It is over 20 years old. Should I wet the soil around the plant before I dig it up ? What's a good choice of soil mixture for it's first potting ? Any other tips or pointers on this would be great.

WELCOME!!!

I dug a few big boxwood and it is probably one of the more forgiving plants out there so it should be easy. I do not wet it (unless the soil is bone dry), just dig, wash off the old soil and pot. I mostly use turface now.

The most critical thing...make sure that all branches have some leaves left at the tip of each whenever you prune it.

They can take direct sunlight but it seems like they (at least mine) prefer a little shade esp in the afternoon (hottest part of the day). I start fertilizing once the new growth appeared.

This one is 3 months old from collection date. Needs a little branch pruning at the left top side but after that it just need more foliage and ramification.


Good luck!

North Carolina has a wide range of climates. If you are in the Piedmont or coastal plain, it might be a tad late to collect -- tho as Poink says, they're very forgiving. If you are in the mountains, you may be fine for collecting.

By the way, If you look at my posted pic and notice the bark color and texture difference at around 7" above soil level...that is because the base below that line was all buried in mulch (dead leaves). Something to consider before you dig is to investigate deeper if possible. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you'll find.

This had lots of fine roots above the present soil level...luckily most of them are small enough not to leave much scar.

Good luck!