Pruning Box Hedge

Hi

I have quite a few box hedge specimens dotted around the garden, I pruned them in early June to tidy up the shape. A number of the ball shaped ones now have lost their shape due to new growth since the last cut, is it ok to give them a 2nd prune in late August to tidy them up?

Pete

 

I'd say yes no probs...that's what i'm going to do....can't believe the growth they've put on....

 

I think its getting late and that late pruning Box can allow Box Blight to infect them, personally I would avoid trimming them after end July (I have read "not after end June" ...)

Also best, for same reason, to prune when it is dry (and will be dry for several days) so there is no additional moisture on cut surfaces.

 

So i'd best leave it Kristen do you think....i'd be distraught if anything happened to them,it's taken over 2 years just to get 14" high and they've been through so much so far....eg...chooks digging them up...dogs trampleing on them3ft of snow...it's just starting to look 'hedge' like...sort of...

 

I remember Monty when trying to deal with his damaged Box hedge stating that he trimmed them too late and the resulting new growth was too new to handle the frost and burnt them badly.
Ive always been told to trim them to shape once, in June but i think down here in the south late as July would be ok. Further north and with resulting colder earlier weather, i would stick to June.

G

 

Yep i'll go with what you and Kristen say

 

Not something I know for definite, but if you want to play-the-odds I would advise not cutting it now.

Maybe cut it later next year [than this year - e.g. at end July] so that it retains shape into Autumn and through Winter? And try to do it during a drought (I'll make you a pinky-promise you can have a scorcher next year, OK?!)

Apparently a scorching summer is too hot for the blight spores, and kills them off, so folk who have blight would benefit from that too ...

 

Very useful reading for me thanks everybody. I have 2 large ball shaped Box which I didn't get round to pruning this year and had intended to give them a hair cut over the next few days. However I will refrain and wait till next year when we just might have a dry day!