Japanese box (Buxus microphylla): when and how to prune

Japanese box (Buxus microphylla): when to prune it?

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Clip in June, after the first flush of growth, and again at the end of August if you wish. Choose a dry, overcast day.

What else to prune in those months? June · August

Japanese box (Buxus microphylla): how to prune it?

1. Clip with sharp shears; stretch a string line for a hedge and use a template for a ball if needed.
2. Cut the new growth back to just above the previous clipping line.
3. Do not clip in bright sun or heat: the inner leaves then scorch easily.
4. Do not clip in wet weather and clear up the clippings: this limits box blight.
5. Stop clipping after mid-September: late shoots will not harden before winter.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: June and August. You don’t have to prune in every one.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in June and August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Japanese box (Buxus microphylla) flowers in April, when it attracts bees.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Box (buxus)
• Barberry
• Blackcurrant
• Blackthorn
• Californian lilac
• Cherry laurel

Plant profile: Japanese box (Buxus microphylla) · Pruning calendar and basic rules