Give box A TRIM
May is the traditional month to prune box hedging or topiary shapes. The ensuing smart outlines will restore a sense of order to the garden
Wimbledon fortnight, Derby day and Chelsea Flower Show week are all purported to be the traditional time to prune box, but this plant can be trimmed whenever conditions are suitable in May or June. The exact date depends on other gardening commitments and your desired aesthetic: do you prefer your box to be crisp or do you like it a little looser?
Clipped evergreens – box, and also phillyrea and yew – form living architecture in gardens, their contribution as significant as the buildings and other structural features. Their weighty stillness provides the anchor for more ephemeral elements. And so, when the time comes for their annual clipping, during which their shapes are tidied up, a solidity and calmness is restored to the scene – a sense of order.
Prune with a sensitive hand: one slip with a powered cutter and a big chunk can be taken from the hedge. Both batterypowered cutters and hand shears can be used depending on the size and shape of the box being clipped. The small blade length of hand shears makes it possible to carve into dicult corners, whereas battery cutters let you work in broad swathes, producing clean, straight lines quickly.
Ideally, cut when the sun is not too strong and when there is a slight dew on the leaves, to stop them browning. If box blight is a concern, it’s good practice to disinfect the blades of your shears as you move between plants. The RHS oers good advice online on pruning to control infections of this worrying fungal disease.
After pruning, apply bone meal to the surrounding soil at about a handful per plant.