No, in general you do not need to cover boxwoods in the winter. Why are my boxwoods turning yellow? ... the tradition was to leave the equivalent of patina on great works or art. This includes junipers, boxwood, arborvitae, lavender, and pines. In general, firs, Pines, spruce and other evergreens with 'whorled branches' will NOT sprout new growth in areas cut back to leafless wood. But the ink on the rule stayed intact. Boxwoods can be pruned any time but late summer and early fall. To help restore the boxwood, I started using TopBuxus Health Mix, a targeted foliar treatment that prevents blight fungal spores. One tablet treats up to 100 square feet of boxwood. Within a minute, the boxwood lightened considerably. I rinsed the rule in running water, allowed it to dry and applied two coats of wax. You will need to make sure they have water if it is a dry fall and remember not to prune in the fall. That makes them vulnerable in winter to both desiccation of the leaves and cold damage. The mix comes in individually packaged tablets. This is because pruning then will spur new growth that won't harden off in time for winter and be killed by the cold. Each one is made up of 8-0-10 fertilizer with secondary nutrients. Boxwood is a broad-leaved evergreen shrub. Whew. Pam Peirce/Special to The Chronicle. Q: I am hoping to revitalize a boxwood hedge that is … That's not true of all evergreens. If in doubt, look up the specific needs, recommendations, and pruning tips for your type of shrub or give us a call. Boxwood hedges can live a very long time if given good care. The tablets are small – just an inch in diameter. This can be a sign of under or over watering, winter damage, nematodes, fungus, or blight. Additionally, if your shrubs are in poor health, are plagued by pests, or are suffering from drought conditions, rejuvenation pruning is not recommended. Boxwoods can be cut back pretty dramatically and they'll re-grow nicely. Do boxwoods need to be covered in winter? Severe late summer pruning followed by a cold winter could even kill the entire shrubs.