Pruning Christmas Box

These are two Christmas box plants....the one with black berries is one that was grown about 5 years ago by my grandma from a cutting. It was dug up and moved house with us. the other I bought from local garden centre.

I’ve not really paid them much attention but noticed they are not very “compact bushy”-there’s a few “long legs”.

What would be the best way to deal with them so they got bushier rather than long legs? Is this the right time of year to prune?

 

Sarcoccoca Snorky...forgive my swearing
Do nothing for a few weeks .....although relatively inconspicuius flowers they emit powerful scent now.
How to treat! After flowering cut back as hard as you like but I simply prune to shape to make a nice dome for the rest of the year. Here I have one 6' tall and across as part of a hedge; I use hedgetrimmer or shears to shape. I have a couple more, slightly smaller, that I treat similarly. They respond very well to pruning.
I too have one in a pot by side door for its fragrance but they are much better in the ground

 

Thanks @Verdun .....for answering this and all my other questions I have

Ha ha sarcoccoca.....i knew it was called that but brain was too tired to try spelling it. Lol

I’m hoping the flowers start to smell...theyre not quite open yet. Id put them down therenear the back door for that very reason. I might take some more cuttings to grow a few more. If I can get one into a nice shape I could put it over in the new bit at the back of the garden.

 

The scent is not so much from close up, more of a hanging in the air sort. It will suddenly hit you so you and anyone else will certainly know about it. I think it surpasses winter honeysuckle and witch hazel here.
Try a layer of two......quicker way of propagating it; nice to have one or two or more around the garden Snorky.

 

A layer of two? Never heard of that? Is it a technique?

 

Ha ha.....no! It's pulling down the lowest stem, nick bottom edge and pin it (a small stone will do) on to the ground....."layering" . It will root quickly. A few months later it is severed and potted up. It will make another plant.
Thick mulching will short cut this

 

Ah I get you...to encourage roots to grow from the length of the stem. I think I may have done this accidentally with other plants in the past.