Q.pruning over crowded boxwoods
I’ve recently removed several chamycyperis (sp?) which has grown into my boxwoods leaving unsightly areas of brown leaves, branches – which may be dead areas.
The boxwoods are 10 years old and about 40 inches tall.
How is the best way for the shrub to recover – or do I call them a loss and pull them out?
The boxwood stems may put out new growth now that they can get some sunlight. Check to see if the woody stems and smaller branches and twigs are alive. Bend them to see if they flex or if they snap right off. Scratch the bark with a thumbnail, or take a thin slice of some bark off with a sharp knife or pruning shears to see if there is a green growing layer or if it's all brown and dry. If there is life in the bare branches, water and fertilize and give them some time to respond to their new lease on life. After a month, if no new growth has appeared, then you can remove the dead portions.
