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Were you a Derby Day loser?
Posted on 
September 22nd, 2009 by 
julian
We are getting a few enquiries about box blight from customers (and non-customers) who are worried that their box hedging might have contracted the dread disease.
When we are sent samples only about a quarter prove to be suffering from box blight which probably means that it is not as serious as people think – more “scare” than “there”. Where it is box blight, almost invariably the gardener concerned followed the old saw about never clipping your box hedge before Derby Day.
A lot of work has been going on researching the causes, treatments and outcomes of box blight. We know that it is caused by two fungal organisms working in concert, that it spreads by infecting cuts on leaves and stems and that it is most likely to do so in warm, damp weather.
A lot flows from that:
1. Clip your box hedges so that the tops are NOT flat. Make them domed or pointed as this stops water resting in the leaves and creating a moist microclimate for fungal infections.
2. Try to clip them when it is COLD. At Highgrove they have had good results clipping their box at….. Christmas. When it is cold and blight is sensibly sleeping. (It is at its most active in May-August, so it makes sense to clip outside these months if you can).
3. Spray your box hedging to prevent an outbreak. Alternate copper fungicide and Scotts Roseclear3 and spray to 2-3 sprays a season.
4. We think box “grows out” of blight. There is a lot of evidence to that effect, but it need to lose a lot of top growth first. The good news is that it will probably survive if you get blight. The bad news is that box hedging grows so slowly that if you have blight in an established hedge it is going to look pretty grotty for quite a while.
3 Responses to “Were you a Derby Day loser?”
September 21st, 2009 at 8:54 am
We have bought some buxus sempervirens from you before, so I am hoping that you may be able to help with a problem that I have in my exsisting box hedges. These were planted some 8 years ago and this year the tops some of our box hedging has suddenly and rapidly died off, the dying off spreading along the top surface of the hedge, moving down thro the plant but leaving the outside edges still alive and green. The leaves go a light brown and die, no sign of spots or mildew on the leaves. At first I thought that the problem was as a result of some liquid being poured onto the plants but the speed with which it seems to be spreading is rather alarming. I have tried local experts but no answers so far.
Have you any ideas ? I have heard about box blight, could it be this ? Is there a solution to blight ? I understand that you are not really in the market of plant disease and treatment but I can’t think of anyone else to ask. Any ideas?
Thankyou for any help you can give,
Richard Hazard ( groundsman – Inn on the Lake)
September 26th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Without seeing a sample this is tough, but our guess would be box blight. Please send us a sample if you want. One of the symptoms of box blight is a dark brown/black streaking that tends to run vertically up and down the stems.
Can’t do much more than repeat what I said above:
1. Clip your box hedge plants so that the tops are NOT flat. Make them curved or shaped to prevent rainwater and dew resting in the foliage and creating an environment that encourages fungal infections.
2. Clip them in WINTER. At Highgrove box hedging is clipped at Christmas…..
3. Spray your box hedging ASAP. To begin use copper fungicide and then apply Scotts Roseclear3 2-3 weeks later. Repeat the alternation while you have a problem. When the problem is gone reduce this to 2-3 applications a season.
4. Box can fight blight off. There is a lot of evidence supporting this, but it you will lose a lot of growth first. If you have blight your 8 year old hedge is going to look a bit threadbare for a while – you may have to brace yourseld and take it out if it is really strategic…..
September 27th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Thanks for your reply. I have started by spraying the box with Roseclear 3 and the copper fungicide in 2 weeks. I’ll certainly experiment with clipping our box hedges during the colder months and try not to leave a flat surface tho’ this is the traditional shape of the hedge that is required. Up here we have had a very wet July and August even by our standards so the conditions for the spread of fungal infections have been perfect, I hope the plants have the ability to grow out of the problem with teatment because the effected areas are on a set of steps used for wedding photos, centre stage so to say, so I’ll see how things work out.
Thankyou for your help
Richard Hazard.