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By BRUCE SLOANE
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
Do you need to have your boxwood thinned? R. Porter Briggs Jr., field manager of the Virginia Boxwood Company in Flint Hill, will do if for free.
The Virginia climate is ideal for boxwood, which has been one of the most widely used ornamental plants since Colonial days. Its rich green foliage can form thick hedges, large bushy thickets or small dense shrubs, depending on the variety.
Most boxwood, particularly the smaller but thick growing English boxwood can grow so thick that water has difficulty penetrating the interior of the plant. This keeps water from reaching the roots, and can increase the incidence of insects, mites, fungus and disease in the -plant’s interior. The larger and heartier American boxwood is less vulnerable to root damage, but is susceptible to insect damage.
Thinning reduces the chances of these events happening, makes the plant more attractive and helps keep the plant healthy. And the Virginia Boxwood Company <Joes it free of charge.
How can they do this? . It’s Simple, said Briggs. “By the extraordinary serendipity of nature, boxwood cuttings are especially ’suited for use in floral decorations,” he said. In particular, he explained, they are used to make wreaths dur.ing the Christmas season. Briggs packages the cuttings, 'keeps them cool and sells them to the florist trade.
All of his revenue comes from the sale of the clippings. His clients number more than 400 in Virginia, 'Maryland, and the District of Columbia. They include "such well-known public places as the Governor’s Mansion and Capital Grounds in Richmond, the James River Plantations, colleges including Mary Washington, Mary Baldwin, Virginia Tech and James Madison, and several National Park Service Civil War sites.
Thinning is a labor-intensive industry. Briggs prefers to thin healthy plants by hand rather than pruning with a tool. This virtually eliminates the danger of transmitting disease from one plant to another by the pruner.
How do you know when your boxwood needs pruning?
• Examine the plant, said Briggs. Look inside it to see if there are large amounts of dried and brown foliage. Look at the main stems on the inner part of the plant. You should see extensive foliage growing all along the stems. Pull apart the peripheral growth to open the
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