“Buxus” commonly known as boxwood is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that is very popular in garden landscaping. People grow it to create the edge of the garden bed, and hedges, make walkway boundaries, create a labyrinth, shape different kinds of topiaries from it, etc. It has many different varieties like Buxus Sempervirens, English boxwood, Japanese Boxwood, etc. which are used for different purposes. It can grow up to 10-12 feet so proper pruning is necessary to keep the plant in shape and healthy.
Trimming boxwood shrubs
Here I'll share the best ways to trim boxwood, the necessary tools and materials required, and some of the common mistakes people do while trimming these plants.
When to trim boxwood shrubs?
Boxwood can be trimmed any time of year except fall and winter but if you want to see the best results then it is better to trim it during spring or early summer. Trimming it during late fall or winter can damage new growth at the cut during winter as these small branches are not hardy enough to survive during winter
Young plants require trimming more often than older plants as it helps them to turn into dense and healthy plants. Although it has a very big lifespan around 20-25 years when it is taken good care of.
Choosing the right trimming machine for boxwood shrub
The type of machine required to trim boxwood depends on the shape of the shrub you are having in your land. Usually, it can be easily done with common trimming equipment like pruning shears, lopping shears, etc. But if you are having a large shrub or hedge then it is better to use a hedge trimmer or any other automatic trimmer to save time.
Make sure to clean the equipment with alcohol before starting trimming to stop spreading plant diseases from other plants.
Requirements to trim boxwood
While pruning it is better to have the right equipment, gears, and tools to save time during pruning, make precise trimming and keep yourself and the plant safe from damage.
Here we have described some of the necessary tools and equipment to trim boxwood shrubs.
Tools required
- Pruning Shears
It is a kind of scissors that is used to cut small branches up to 1-2 to 3/4 inches thick. The benefit of using a hand pruner is that it gives the most precise cut, and is versatile, lightweight, and easy to operate. It also helps to avoid half-cut leaves at the surface of shrubs which are often done by automatic machines.
Although while trimming thick branches from it you could have difficulty with hand pruners and it also takes a lot of time as you have to trim individual stems
So it is better to use it to trim small plants, remove dead or infected branches, or do light thinning in plants.
- Lopping shears and hedge shears
lopping shears or loppers are a kind of pruner with very long handles which can easily trim branches up to 2 inches. The long handles help to trim branches deep inside the shrub and more force can be applied from both hands to cut hard branches.
While hedge shears consist of large blades which makes trimming shrubs easier. It is the fastest tool if you want to trim the shrub manually and give different shapes to your shrub.
- Hedge trimmer
It is the best automatic tool to shape the top and sides of a large shrub or medium shrub. These come in different variants, battery-powered and gas-powered. The electric variant is better to use as it makes less noise and is easy to maintain. It makes trimming very fast and easy but make sure you operate it carefully and do over-trim shrubs.
- Pruning saw
It is a foldable blade that is used to trim thick branches more than 2 inches. It also helps to trim those sections of the shrub where shears are difficult to operate.
- Rake
It is a long-handle tool with a toothed bar that can be used to collect leaves, and branches after trimming or removing trimmed branches from the surface of the shrub.
Materials required
- Gloves
To keep your hands safe from sharp tools or branches it is necessary to wear thick waterproof gloves with good grip.
- Eye protection
Sometimes a piece of branch or leaf can strike your eyes if you are not wearing safety goggles. So it is better to use polarized sunglasses if you are working in the mid of the day else any other goggles would work.
- Tarp
Putting a tarp under your shrub will make work easier to collect debris. You could use a tarp which is specially made for shrub trimming. If you have a regular one then you could convert it by cutting it into different sections.
- 2 stakes
Stakes are used to trim hedges in a proper straight line. Select the trimming area first, put the stakes in the ground and connect the thread on both sides to mark the desired trimming area.
Guides to trim boxwood shrub
Following the right steps while trimming boxwood helps to avoid mistakes and turns the shrub into the desired shape and induces healthy growth. Following are some steps and guides to do a perfect trimming of boxwood shrubs.
- Observing the boxwood shrub
Before putting tools in your hands it is important to do a quick inspection of the bush. First, make sure the shrub is dry enough to make cuts easily and to avoid the spread of any fungus disease from one part of the shrub to another.
After that check the green growth beneath the surface of the shrub. If there is plenty of greenery inside that means sunlight is already reaching the inside of the plant so you don’t need to do much thinning. If the shrub is hollow from the inside then thinning is required to make it dense from the inside.
Then identify the infected areas or discolored leaves because it may be a sign of any fungal disease or root rot. So later you can pay specific attention to that area to treat it or remove it completely.
- Removing the dead or diseased branches
Now it is time to use your tools. Start with hand pruners and look for dead branches or discolored branches. Then cut those from the junction point of the stem so new healthy growth can emerge from the junction. Make sure you remove diseased branches completely.
- Thinning the boxwood shrub
Thinning is required to keep the inner part of boxwood as much greener as the outer part. It helps increase airflow inside the shrub and gives proper access to sunlight to the inner part of the shrub. Which eventually promotes balanced growth in shrubs and makes them thicker and healthier.
To thin boxwood start cutting branches evenly from different parts of the shrub without changing the appearance of the shrub. It will open canopies in the shrub which will improve airflow. Use hand pruners to remove those branches and if the shrub is too big then use loppers.
- Making different shapes or topiaries by trimming
Now it is time to give a proper aesthetic shape to your boxwood. Use your hedge shears, loppers, or hedge trimmer to carve them in perfect shape. There are many popular topiaries of boxwood that you can make like conic topiary, round topiary or you can keep it in general bush shape.
If you are doing general pruning or trimming the hedge then keep the base wider than the top of the bush which will increase sunlight access to the bottom of the shrub.
How to trim boxwood Topiaries?
While making topiaries from boxwood it may require a little more attention to have better results. Start from the bottom of the shrub and make even cuts from all sides of the shrub and repeat the process at the top of the shrub. Initially don’t trim too deep so you can adjust the shape later.
How to trim boxwood hedges?
It is better to use a hedge trimmer to trim the hedge evenly and fast. Put the stakes to mark the desired height and width and then start trimming the sides of the hedge in a slight tilt way to keep the base a little wider. After doing that make the top even.
Common mistakes while trimming boxwood
These are some common mistakes people do while trimming boxwood-
- Do not trim more than one-third of the shrub because it may negatively impact the growth of the plant.
- Avoid trimming boxwood during fall or winter.
- Make sure you have cleaned your pruners properly to stop the spread of plant diseases.
- Wear protective gear and handle sharp tools carefully.
- If your boxwood is overgrown then use loppers or hedge shears instead of hedge trimmer.