- When to Prune. Because the Winter Gem boxwood shrubs are evergreen and hardy to around 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, you can prune them at nearly any time of year ...
- General Pruning. When you prune, start with removing any dead, damaged or diseased branches from the shrub. ...
- Shearing. Because they can withstand heavy pruning nearly any time of year, Winter Gem boxwoods respond well to shearing.
- Other Tips. Winter Gem boxwood can recover from pruning nearly any time of year, but damage is reduced when you avoid pruning when new growth is rapidly exposed to winter ...
When should I prune my gem boxwood?
Other Tips. Winter Gem boxwood can recover from pruning nearly any time of year, but damage is reduced when you avoid pruning when new growth is rapidly exposed to winter weather. If at all possible, try not to prune after mid-summer, as there is a greater risk of the young new growth being damaged in the upcoming cold of winter.
How do you prune a boxwood hedge?
Shearing or trimming may be done with hand shears or with electric hedge clippers. It is the removal of all or most of the most recent growth. Plant age should be taken into account when deciding when to prune boxwoods. Young plants actually benefit from frequent shearing.
How do you take care of a winter gem boxwood?
The shrub will do okay in any soil that is not consistently wet. It prefers medium moisture in a well-drained soil that is sandy or loamy and with a neutral pH. Ensuring a newly planted Winter Gem boxwood receives one inch of water per week is essential until the plant is established.
Should boxwoods be trimmed?
Boxwood bushes simply don’t need much care when compared to other landscape shrubs. As with all shrubs, you should be asking when the best time to trim boxwoods might be and when should you prune.
How do you trim gem boxwoods?
1:564:01How to Prune Your Boxwood-Tom's Tip's - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut the important thing is I want to leave the bottom of the plant. Wider. Than the top of the plantMoreBut the important thing is I want to leave the bottom of the plant. Wider. Than the top of the plant this allows sunlight. And air circulation to the bottom of the plant.
What month do you trim boxwoods?
Early spring, before boxwood begin to flush, is the best time of year to prune. Any old winter color, or tips that have been burned over the winter season, can be trimmed away and will disappear after the spring flush.
How do you trim and shape boxwoods?
2:194:35How to Prune Your Boxwoods - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLet's get to pruning this boxwood shrub I like to start by removing the dead from the interior ofMoreLet's get to pruning this boxwood shrub I like to start by removing the dead from the interior of the shrub. We can see here some small dead branches. This is about the thickness of a pencil.
Can you cut boxwoods all the way back?
"Boxwoods can be cut back pretty dramatically and they'll re-grow nicely.
How far back can you trim boxwoods?
You can safely remove 2 to 3 feet of height at one time on taller specimens when the length doesn't represent more than one-third of its height; if it does, make the cuts over several seasons.
How late can you trim boxwoods?
Boxwoods can be trimmed at any time of year, but, for plant health, it's best to avoid shearing in the late fall. The new growth that appears after trimming boxwood bushes may not have time to harden off before frost. Shearing or trimming may be done with hand shears or with electric hedge clippers.
Can you use a hedge trimmer on boxwoods?
Hedge Trimmers The long blades allow you to prune wide swaths of the small branches with a single stroke. Hedge trimmers are ideal when shaping larger boxwoods. With good power and sharp blades, you can shape your bush into nearly any shape you can imagine.
How do you round boxwoods?
0:054:20Pruning Boxwood into Globe Form - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn terms of the foliage as I let it grow throughout the course of the season. So basically I justMoreIn terms of the foliage as I let it grow throughout the course of the season. So basically I just kind of start at the top. I'm going to hold them horizontally.
What is a winter Gem boxwood?
An excellent evergreen shrub for small hedges. Among the hardiest of the small-leaved boxwoods, the rich green foliage can acquire a golden bronze hue in cold winter zones, but is one of the first to become green again in spring. Makes a wonderful addition to formal gardens, providing year-round interest.
Is Miracle Grow good for boxwoods?
Answer: Miracle-Gro Miracid Plant Food is for acid loving plants. Boxwoods are not acid loving plants, so it should not be used on them.
How do you keep boxwoods small?
To maintain a compact, healthy boxwood, you need to remove the flush of new growth for the first couple seasons after planting—this encourages branch development. Use loppers for the thicker growth and hand-pruners for close-up trimming. Remember that when shaping, less is more.
Can you cut boxwoods down to the ground?
If removal is your only option, cutting a boxwood down to the ground likely will kill it. Boxwoods do not respond well to severe pruning. They also are subject to boxwood decline, a disease attributed to improper planting and growing conditions.
How often should boxwoods be trimmed?
once a yearBoxwood shrubs are slow-growing plants. Because of this slow growth, gardening with these bushes requires relatively little maintenance. Generally speaking, you can maintain your bushes by pruning once a year. Once established, the best time to trim is in the spring.
Does trimming boxwoods promote growth?
On top of boxwoods being good contenders for classic landscape design, you should also prune and trim the shrubs to encourage fresh leaf growth and ensure the plants are free of twisted or dead branches that may disrupt natural development.
When should shrubs be trimmed?
The best time to prune is after flowering. If the plant needs to be renovated, or severely reduced, this can be done late winter and early spring just before growth begins. Remove old flowers (deadhead) and cut back to healthy outward facing buds.
What kind of fertilizer do boxwoods like?
Slow-release, balanced fertilizers are best for boxwood, and a granular form of urea fertilizer 10-6-4 is recommended. You also can use aged manure or cottonseed meal if your plant appears healthy, as long as you are making sure your boxwood has plenty of nitrogen.
What is a boxwood plant?
Boxwood plants are generally grown for their ornamental appearance when planted in the home landscape , and the Winter Gem cultivar (Buxus Microphylla "Winter Gem") is particular decorative. The Winter Gem grows dense, thick, evergreen leaves. The shrub is compact, growing only to a height of about 2 feet and a spread of about 3 feet, so it can be used almost anywhere in the landscape. These plants also respond well to pruning, making them ideal for the grower that has a particular style or shape in mind.
Do winter gem boxwoods need shearing?
Because they can withstand heavy pruning nearly any time of year, Winter Gem boxwoods respond well to shearing.
How tall is a winter gem boxwood?
The ‘Winter Gem’ boxwood will reach a height of three to five feet tall and have a spread of two to four feet naturally. This form can be desirable in its own right, but most gardeners prefer the formal look of trimmed boxwoods. In colder climates pruning any boxwood should only be done in spring, never fall or winter.
What is the best boxwood for cold weather?
A few varieties are especially preferred when looking for a type of hardy shrub to plant in a cold climate. A great choice is Winter Gem Boxwood ( Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Winter Gem’). This dwarf-variety boxwood cultivar was introduced in 1982 at a nursery in New Jersey. It was selected especially for its cold weather hardiness, ...
What temperature is winter gem?
The shrub is hardy down to temperatures as low as -20 o Fahrenheit. The perfect range for this shrub is anywhere in USDA Zones 5-9 .
Where is Boxwood found?
Everyone knows boxwood by sight, if not by name. It is a common evergreen shrub found coast to coast, from the Gulf to the Upper Peninsula.
Do boxwoods need to be pruned?
When people complain about boxwoods, it is often about needing to trim or prune the shrub. Most people want the beauty without the work. ‘Winter Gem’ does not offer maintenance-free plant ownership, unless there is a landscaper involved, but it can be low-maintenance in comparison to some other varieties.
Can a sage plant survive in wet soil?
The shrub will do okay in any soil that is not consistently wet. It prefers medium moisture in a well-drained soil that is sandy or loamy and with a neutral pH.
Can winter gems grow in straight lines?
The foliage will seem to grow thicker whenever it is pruned. ‘Winter Gem’ shines brightest when used formally in straight lines, as patterns as a hedge, or when shaped in a ball or square. It can also, however, hold its own in a landscape without trimming and its compact growth habit makes it an ideal choice for landscapes with limited space.
What to use to trim boxwood?
If you have diseased or dying boxwood where many large branches will need to be prune, anvil shears are an ideal choice.
What is bypass pruning shear?
Bypass Pruning Shears. This is the most popular type of handheld shear. They have a stainless steel blade that cuts with a scissor-like action. The hook, or the lower cutting surface, provides leverage for the sharpened edge to cut the branch.
Why is it important to prune bushes?
Pruning these beautiful plants is essential not only to the plant’s function in your garden but also to the overall health and well-being of your bushes . Keep reading below to learn all the key points you need to be aware of before you begin pruning plants.
What cutting styles do locpers come in?
Loppers come in both bypass and anvil cutting styles.
How thick can a hedge trimmer cut?
The blades on a hedge trimmer can be as long as 24″ and can cut branches as thick as ¾.” Be careful when using this type of equipment because it can cut such a large area at one time. Cutting back too much is detrimental to the bush’s overall health and vitality in your garden.
Can you remove dead branches from a bush?
The exception to this rule is if you find diseased or dead branches within the bush. These should be removed immediately from the base of the plant so that the living shrub surrounding it will not be subject to disease.
Do you trim boxwood?
It is essential to make sure that you trim the boxwood in its entirety and not just the readily visible portions. This is crucial to the overall health and beauty of the plant. By making sure that the entire bush is maintained, you ensure the vitality of the plant for many years to come.
How high can boxwoods grow?
They can range from one to two feet (.5 m.) high to ten feet (3 m.) high. Depending on the size and shape of your frame, you may need more than one plant to fill the form. The best time to trim boxwoods used in topiaries is in the spring before new growth begins.
When was boxwood introduced?
Introduced to America in 1652, boxwood shrubs have been gracing gardens since colonial times. Members of the genus Buxus include about thirty species and 160 cultivars, including Buxus sempervirens, the common American boxwood. The varieties are largely based on leaf size and growth which can range from one foot tall to twenty (.5-6 m.).
Can you prune boxwoods?
Beware! Severely pruning boxwoods can kill the shrub. It’s best to take such drastic measures in stages, over several years if necessary, to give your boxwood shrubs the best opportunity to survive.
Do boxwoods have geometric shapes?
They are the gardeners that remember trimming boxwood bushes into severe and often geometric shapes that have no place in the more casual gardens of today. They also remember how much time and effort it took to keep them in formal rigidity.
Do boxwoods need to be cut off before frost?
The new growth that appears after trimming boxwood bushes may not have time to harden off before frost. Shearing or trimming may be done with hand shears or with electric hedge clippers. It is the removal of all or most of the most recent growth. Plant age should be taken into account when deciding when to prune boxwoods.
Do boxwoods need trimming?
Even when chosen for a particular size or shape, an errant branch or twig may need trimming. Boxwood bushes simply don’t need much care when compared to other landscape shrubs.
Do boxwood bushes need pruning?
Boxwood bushes have an undeserved reputation and should be a welcome addition to the modern landscape. When the right cultivar is chosen, they need very little pruning. Boxwood is easy to grow and thrives under many conditions that would defeat a less sturdy plant. Their compact evergreen leaves add texture and form to the garden when all else falls to winter’s sleep. Used as a hedge, nothing provides a better screen against an unsightly view.
How to treat boxwood burn?
The only way to treat winter burn in boxwood is to prune out affected branches. Wait until spring so you can assess the damage. Then, working with pruners sterilized in a bleach solution, remove dead wood. Prune branch by branch back to live wood. Make the cuts on the diagonal, just above the leaf nodes.
Why does boxwood burn in the winter?
The word "burn" is more often associated with summer sun than winter chill. In fact, the winter burn that boxwood can suffer has nothing to do with heat or scorching. It refers to how sun and wind can dry out boxwood leaves, turning them orange or bronze. Boxwood is a broad-leaved evergreen shrub. That makes them vulnerable in winter ...
Why do my shrubs dry out in the winter?
That makes them vulnerable in winter to both desiccation of the leaves and cold damage. When the soil freezes , the shrubs cannot take up water from the soil, so they dry out. Those in direct sun desiccate even faster, resulting in “freeze-dried” burn symptoms. Together, these types of winter damage kill off parts of the foliage, ...
Why do my boxwoods turn brown?
Winter damage is not the only condition that causes boxwood leaves to turn brown and die. Boxwood blight also kills leaves on boxwood shrubs, and it is much more serious. It is a devastating fungal disease that rapidly spreads to nearby boxwood plants and can kill them.
Can boxwood be trimmed in winter?
While it looks awful to see those shiny boxwood leaves dying, winter damage is often less severe than it looks. Most boxwood shrubs can be refreshed after winter burn with judicial pruning.
How to minimize wind exposure to shrubs?
For established shrubs, add physical barriers (burlap or plastic) on the windward side some 18 inches from the boxwood. Keep the soil moist in fall.
Can boxwood bush survive winter?
How to Refresh Boxwood Bushes That Have Winter Burn. While boxwood ( Buxus sempervirens) can thrive in full sun or partial shade, those shrubs that get full winter sun can develop a condition called "boxwood burn.". Not all boxwood will be affected, but those that are vulnerable develop orange or bronze "burns" on the foliage.
How do I prune boxwood?
The way I was trained to hard prune boxwood was to take the tallest stems and cut them way down into the plant to a branch fork. Aiming below the ultimate height I want the shrub to be.
How to control boxwood growth?
If you want to control the growth you will have to do pruning more often as the boxwood growths. Always keep the bottom of the plant wider than the top to encourage green growth all the way to the bottom. If the top gets wider the bottom branches will start dying from lack of sunlight to produce energy for growth.
What to do with a B&B boxwood?
If they are B&B (balled and burlapped) boxwoods you will want to give them a good pruning to offset the roots that were cut while the boxwood plant was dug.
Why do boxwood trees die?
If the top gets wider the bottom branches will start dying from lack of sunlight to produce energy for growth. To promote growth deep within the boxwood you will need to prune holes in the canopy layer to allow sunlight and air flow inside the plant.
Why is my boxwood turning brown?
This can cause the shrub to turn brown from the cold temperatures and wind. It is always better to wait until the next season.
Why do boxwoods freeze back?
This will encourage the boxwood to grow so you never want to do this in the fall because the new growth will not have time to harden off for the winter. The tender new growth will freeze back if it doesn’t have a month or so to get use to the climate.
How to get rid of tight roots in pot?
If when you pull them out of the pot and they have very tight roots that wrap around in the shape of the pot you will want to make some cuts down the sides to encourage new root growth outward. After planting you will want to give them a good pruning since you just cut some of the root system.
How tall does a Winter Gem Boxwood grow?
It grows in full sun or partial shade, and usually to a height of between 2 and 3 feet. When planting several of these boxwood plants for a border or as a garden perimeter, a spacing of 3 to 4 feet between plants is generally recommended. The Winter Gem boxwood is grown for its foliage, and not for its blossoms, which are quite inconspicuous. The flowers are somewhat fragrant however when they do appear in mid-spring. The foliage is a lighter green and the leaves a bit more rounded than is the case with the typical boxwood, but the Winter Gem is a very attractive plant. It can be propagated by hardwood cuttings, the seeds being sterile, but is most always purchased in pots. Should you want to harvest the leaves, don't. All parts of the Winter Gem boxwood are poisonous.
When do winter gems bloom?
The flowers are somewhat fragrant however when they do appear in mid-spring. The foliage is a lighter green and the leaves a bit more rounded than is the case with the typical boxwood, but the Winter Gem is a very attractive plant.
Can you grow winter gem boxwood in pots?
Should you want to harvest the leaves, don't. All parts of the Winter Gem boxwood are poisonous. The Winter Gem is an ideal shrub for a formal garden.
Is winter gem a shrub?
The Winter Gem is an ideal shrub for a formal garden. It takes to shearing and pruning quite well, and can be a landscaping artist's delight. A number of these shrubs, appropriately spaced, can make reasonably complicated patterns, so-called knot patterns, which, when viewed from a height, can be quite outstanding in appearance. If you just have a single plant, placed in the location of your choosing, the plant won't disappoint either.
Do boxwoods need fertilizer?
Most shrubs, and the boxwood is no exception, do not particularly benefit from fertilizing the first year they are in the ground. It is far more important to mix some compost into the planting soil, and give the shrub sufficient mulch to help keep the soil moist.
Do boxwoods turn brown?
As popular and lovely as they may be, most boxwood shrubs have a habit of having their shiny green foliage turn to a shade of bronze and even brown, during harsh winter months. This of course depends upon both the general region the shrub may have been planted in, in addition to its specific location. Cold and drying winter winds are normally ...
Is Winter Gem a high maintenance plant?
For the most part though, depending upon where the shrub is located, and how well it is cared for, these problems seldom occur. The Winter Gem is not a high maintenance plant, though it does require sufficient watering initially to enable it to grow a strong root system.
