Pruning English Boxwoods

Question

I planted English boxwood when they were 8 inches tall to border a small rose garden. They are now almost 2 feet high and around, and form a solid border. I need to prune them to a better shape and neaten them. The border is square shaped, formal, with a raised urn in the center and four short paths from each side to the center, roses in the four corners. I think I want the four corner shrubs a little taller and maybe pyramidal. When should I prune, and how much can be done at one time?

Answer 1

The best time to prune your English Boxwoods is when they are dormant. So once they have gone dormant prune them to the shape you desire but try to shape them with the least pruning possible at any one time. Once you see how the following seasons growth goes, it is easy to see how much more pruning is needed and where. Going slowly allows you to get the look you want and less effect to the overall performance of the plants. Here is a link for you for some further interesting reading on this subject: http://www.thepruningschool.com/Articles/boxwoodPruning.htm