Friday, February 13, 2009
Spring bulb strategies; Pruning boxwoods
John Arbogast
Landscape consultant John Arbogast answers your questions every Thursday. Send questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to:
Dear John
5102 Greenfield St. SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
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Q: We have boxwoods across the front of our house that are very large. Four are in excess of 6 feet high. We think they would best be served by some major pruning but we are afraid to take it on. Do you know someone you might suggest to us who is knowledgeable about boxwood health and pruning and would be willing to take this project on for us? In the alternative, could you point us to an organization that might have some referrals for us?
A: Major pruning of boxwoods should be done when the air and soil temperatures are beginning to rise after winter’s freezes at the time when the boxwoods are starting to make new growth for another growing season. This major pruning should be done before the weather in your area turns hot.
Go to the Web site of The American Boxwood Society at to locate a boxwood grower in your area to call for suggestions. At the home page of The American Boxwood Society, click on the button on the left side of the screen called “Guide Search.” On the lower part of the “Guide Search” page, select your state to view a list of participating boxwood growers and then click on “submit.” Find a boxwood grower near you and then call for recommended workers.
My search found 23 growers in Virginia. Call your local Cooperative Extension Office to ask which grower is closest to you if you’re not sure. It is my understanding that Extension Offices and Extension Master Gardener volunteers are not supposed to suggest specific workers, but they can assist a caller if the caller already has a list and just wants additional information.
Q: I live in west central Virginia and am worried about some of my spring bulbs that have had foliage showing above the ground for several days in spite of the cold weather we experienced in January and early February. These bulbs are mostly daffodils, I believe. Will this year’s flowers be killed by the early emergence of bulb leaves? What should I do about this early foliage?
A: There’s not much that you can do to slow down the emergence of spring flowering bulb growth. If there’s not much mulch around the emerging bulbs, put a couple inches of the stuff down to keep the soil cool and slow premature growth.
