Boxwood

[Linus]

Can anyone offer guidance as to how to best preserve green boxwood?  I have been gifted several logs and looking around there are differing ideas as to how to keep them intact.  I appreciate how lucky I am to win them, but I would hate to waste them through inexperience so can any of you sages offer your wisdom?

The logs vary from 3" to 5 1/2" in diameter and approx 24" in length.  The attached picture shows them and my source reckons they are about 150 to 200 years old judging by the growth rings.

By the way, I have waxed the ends for now.

[Bryan Milham]

I have to admit that I've only waxed mine. No issues with it so far.

But unless you need them a whole log sections for later use, the basic rule is to split them down the pith line to prevent cracking while drying.

[Paul Hannaby]

Leave it in as long lengths as possible, wax the ends and dry it slowly.

[willstewart]

I waxed the ends of mine (some 25 years ago!), left the bark on and kept them in metre or so lengths in an outbuilding.  There was some limited splitting but this may be unavoidable but by and large they did pretty well. Box logs are often a complex shape anyway and the junctions are the most prone to split - you could try reducing them to single 'logs'.

[Linus]

Thanks for the comments guys.  Hopefully Willstewart you didn't leave it to season for 25 years! 
I think I will keep them as logs, keep an eye on them and if they show signs of stress then halve them down the pith.  I presume that nobody advocates rough turning them green?

[Twisted Trees]

If you have a fair amount of green timber, I would always advocate  turning some, rough turning some, and storing some.