Q: I have boxwoods that have gotten out of hand. If I cut them back drastically will they sprout back from the stubs that are left?

A: Unlike holly, boxwood is slow to respond when pruned severely. For a big boxwood, remove large limbs to reduce its size by 1/4 this year. You can remove another 1/4 next spring. Your limb removal will make “craters” in the foliage. Nearby limbs will quickly make sprouts to fill the empty space.