Find out the best timing and techniques for pruning boxwood shrubs correctly.
Boxwood is a popular staple informal gardens, where it acts as a border and lines walkways.
Knowing the best ways to prune boxwood will keep it thriving.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
There’s something about pruning boxwood that makes many people nervous.
Perhaps you’re wondering about when to prune boxwood and if you should trim it in spring or fall.
Use the Right Tools for Pruning Boxwood
Theright tools make gardening tasks both easier and faster.
Credit: Gabriela Herman
The best tool for pruning boxwood is a pair ofsharp handheld pruning shears.
Boxwood shrubs are made up of many small branches, making handheld shears the tool of choice.
A high-quality pair of bypass pruning shears will last decades and are indispensable throughout the landscape.
If the boxwood you want to prune is large and significantly overgrown, a folding handsaw will be useful.
Prune Boxwood in Spring
Thebest time when to pruneboxwood is in spring.
Expect a flush of new stems and leaves to emerge from pruned boxwood stems about 4 weeks after pruning.
Prune these troublesome branches away as soon as you notice them.
Otherwise, add boxwood pruning to yourspring garden to-do list.
Trim away leafless boxwood branches by cutting the dead stems back to the base of the plant.
Look for and remove broken branches and those that show signs of disease.
This foliage and the accompanying woody tissue are dead.
Boxwood shrubs with an interior dead zone have a weak structure and aremore susceptible to pestsand diseases.
Thinning Boxwood is the Way to Go
A healthy boxwood shrub has evergreen leaves all along its branches.
Sheared shrubs (trimmed into an orb or other unnatural shape) tend to develop into weak plants.
Instead ofshearing these evergreen shrubsto reduce size, thin them out.
Regular thinning produces dense, leafy branches by allowing sunlight to reach the center of the plant.
Sunlight is critical to producing foliage.
Continue working with one branch or a cluster of branches at a time to create a visually pleasing shrub.
Significantlyovergrown shrubs benefit from phased pruning.
When pruning, never remove more than one-third of a boxwood’s mass.
In year one, remove about one-third of the plant’s mass.
The following year, remove another one-third of the growth.
Continue pruning away one-third of the plant annually until the desired size is reached.
Then, prune your boxwood each spring to maintain the desired size.
Dip tools in a 70% alcohol solution for at least 30 seconds and allow to air dry.
Spray disinfectants that contain 70% alcohol can also be used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Donot trim boxwood in fallor winter.
Trimming promotes new tender growth which won’t tolerate cold temperatures well.
New growth produced by pruning in fall or winter is easily damaged.
Boxwood does not react well to hard pruning.
Take a two-step approach when reducing the size of an overgrown boxwood.
In the first year, cut back overgrown branches by one-half their length.
Repeat the process the second year, cutting branches back to desired length.
It depends on the look you are trying to achieve.
For a formal, highly sculpted look, prune lightly every spring.
For a loose, open shrub, prune plants every couple of years to maintain the desired size.
