The right tools to prune boxwood
Pruning a boxwood hedge is not the same as pruning a traditional hedge: the work must be precise, and the cuts must be clean and sharp. A hedge trimmer does not allow for quality work: it causes many small wounds that are open doors for diseases or pests.
It is therefore necessary to use adequate and clean tools: shears, secateurs or boxwood shears.
The right time to prune boxwood
- Young boxwoods are pruned at the end of winter or at the very beginning of spring (February/March/April), excluding periods of frost.
- Adult boxwoods can be pruned a second time during the year. In this case, it is best to proceed in August / September / November. In any case, not before May.
- Older trees that need to be pruned for rejuvenation are pruned in August; this allows the plant to heal properly.
How to prune boxwood?
In the first few years, or when planting, it is advisable to reduce the foliage by a maximum of 5 or 6 cm. This pruning aims to stimulate rooting.
In the following years, it is advisable to select the carpenters to be kept (this will depend on the shape you want to give to your box tree: in a ball, in a strict hedge...) and then to cut back the foliage by 5 cm.
Finally, a special fertilizer containing a photosynthesis activator is sprayed to help heal wounds caused by pruning.
Tip: after pruning, collect the waste to prevent pests from settling on it.
Fertilizing boxwoods
It is important not to use a fertilizer that contains too much nitrogen, which would encourage the production of young, tender leaves that are susceptible to disease. It is necessary to use a fertilizer that reinforces the rooting (because boxwoods need water), as well as the walls of the leaf cells.
Remember: boxwoods should be planted in sun or partial shade.
