Boxwood blight?

[Dav4]

These are hedges at my front entryway. The symptoms became apparent a little over a month ago and have progressed extremely fast. I’ve always wanted a boxwood bonsai, but if this truly is blight, I honestly won’t bother looking for one… And obviously, these are going to get ripped out this coming winter.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Bummer, I have no idea if it's blight but looks similar to mine the dog pees on...lol

Did you have a party recently?

 

[Dav4]

Bummer, I have no idea if it's blight but looks similar to mine the dog pees on...lol

Did you have a party recently?

Nope, no party recently. They’d be greening up by now if that was the case

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Looks like it might be. Here is a good website on 5he problem.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-203-w.pdf

 

[Dav4]

Looks like it might be. Here is a good website on 5he problem.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-203-w.pdf

Thanks. I've been to that website along with several others. The pictures there and elsewhere certainly look like what I'm dealing with. We've lived in this house for going on three years, and I suspect the hedges are original to the house which is about 20 years old. The frustrating thing is that these are the only boxwoods on my property, so I'm not sure where the pathogen originated. I suppose a neighbor's yard but no other obviously infected boxwoods nearby that I've seen.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

That sucks. Sorry, man I loath unexpected homeowner expenses. Did you try treating it or was it too far gone?

 

[Dav4]

That sucks. Sorry, man I loath unexpected homeowner expenses. Did you try treating it or was it too far gone?

If it’s blight, it’s not curable and only worth treating if the symptoms are mild or nonexistent

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

If it’s blight, it’s not curable and only worth treating if the symptoms are mild or nonexistent

Correct. I understand the word Blight I'm just proactive lazy, and I may have tried to treat it so I didn't have to replace the bushes. After yesterday's storm I have a big landscape tree that I needs removed. So, I understand the frustration.

 

[Dav4]

Correct. I understand the word Blight I'm just proactive lazy, and I may have tried to treat it so I didn't have to replace the bushes. After yesterday's storm I have a big landscape tree that I needs removed. So, I understand the frustration.

What pisses me off the most is that these boxwood hedges are the only evergreens in my yard that the roving herds of deer haven’t laid waste to. I’d gladly replace them but they’ll succumb to the blight sooner or later

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Herds of deer doesn't sound good. I know you can't rifle your way out of this at your location, but have you tried any motion detection lights, sprinkles or, pit bulls on the deer? To stay on subject do the deer eat Junipers ?

 

[Cruiser]

I’ve dealt with boxwood blight in potted trees. It looked like what’s in your pictures.

It’s incurable but can sometimes be managed. Healthy new growth can outpace the foliage loss.

Things that helped my trees…
-moved from full sun into partial shade with good airflow
-watered less frequently
-avoided watering foliage
-didn’t work them as hard

If it is blight that’s affecting your hedges, it may help to remove and burn the affected/dead foliage. Also, if possible when watering, don’t’ get the leaves wet.

Good luck

 

[Dav4]

I’ve dealt with boxwood blight in potted trees. It looked like what’s in your pictures.

It’s incurable but can sometimes be managed. Healthy new growth can outpace the foliage loss.

Things that helped my trees…
-moved from full sun into partial shade with good airflow
-watered less frequently
-avoided watering foliage
-didn’t work them as hard

If it is blight that’s affecting your hedges, it may help to remove and burn the affected/dead foliage. Also, if possible when watering, don’t’ get the leaves wet.

Good luck

Until this, those hedges were Uber low maintenance, receiving no care from me other than spring time trimming. I'll look into the possible treatments available and decide whether it's worth attempting anything, but the odds are tipping toward complete removal at this point.

 

[Dav4]

Herds of deer doesn't sound good. I know you can't rifle your way out of this at your location, but have you tried any motion detection lights, sprinkles or, pit bulls on the deer? To stay on subject do the deer eat Junipers ?

Junipers may be the only viable replacement.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Junipers may be the only viable replacement.

Maybe yew?

 

[Dav4]

Maybe yew?

Deer candy.

 

[Brad Willis]

Hi there, this reply may well be too late, however, this is not box blight. What you are experiencing with your Box hedge is an infestation of Box hedge moth larvae. The moths lay their eggs which they then hatch when the weather warms into hundreds of small green caterpillars that then eat your hedge. If left without treatment, they will kill the plant. The cure for this is very simple. You need to spray the plant with insecticide that will kill the caterpillars as soon as they eat the leaves. You will have to spray the plant every 4 weeks during the growing season to eradicate the problem. If the bush isn't too far gone it will recover but will take some time as they are slow growing. I would suggest trimming off the dead twigs as they will never produce any new leaf growth and will stop new branches from filling the dead areas. We have had this problem in the UK and as it is incorrectly diagnosed lots of people end up with dead hedges and they rip them out and replace them with an alternative plant.

 

[Dav4]

Hi there, this reply may well be too late, however, this is not box blight. What you are experiencing with your Box hedge is an infestation of Box hedge moth larvae. The moths lay their eggs which they then hatch when the weather warms into hundreds of small green caterpillars that then eat your hedge. If left without treatment, they will kill the plant. The cure for this is very simple. You need to spray the plant with insecticide that will kill the caterpillars as soon as they eat the leaves. You will have to spray the plant every 4 weeks during the growing season to eradicate the problem. If the bush isn't too far gone it will recover but will take some time as they are slow growing. I would suggest trimming off the dead twigs as they will never produce any new leaf growth and will stop new branches from filling the dead areas. We have had this problem in the UK and as it is incorrectly diagnosed lots of people end up with dead hedges and they rip them out and replace them with an alternative plant.

Thanks for the response, and I believe you're right. I did more investigating last year and determined that most of the damage was coming from leaf miners. I went ahead and started treating with a systemic insecticide last September and again this past April, and spraying is on the list for this weekend!