Box Hedge issues

[Jimb73]

Hi there I have, or had 6 Box hedges positioned on the front door steps. However over time, 2 of them had died and 2 others are not in good condition. I water them regularly but they still look unhealthy, Can anyone advise what is causing this please?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Box blight and moth have both been affecting British box bushes lately, I don't know much about the fungal blight. The moth caterpillars pull the leaves together and make 'nests' for themselves, so probably not that. It looks fairly light there, probably not that
My box bushes can take fairly dry conditions so long as the actual bottom of the pot does not dry out, that is fatal, but you say you are watering regularly. That leaves fungal. Rule one with fungal conditions, keep everything tidy under the plants, no dead leaves to harbour infection. I am sure there are also treatments, but I am not certain this is the cause and they would be appropriate, anecdotally it is fairly instantly devastating. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me will be along with something more definitive, sorry this is so vague.

 

[DirtMechanic]

And sunlight, if you have not rotated them. 1\3 rotation 1\3 of a year should do. They are slow growers.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Hey the 2 hour edit limit expired (why a limit?) so I had this thought where the spring equinox to summer solstice and then summer solstice to fall equinox have more solar energy but fall thru spring across winter might be such low solar energy it could be considered 1\3 of a solar balance even with the longer calendar dates. I say that because as temps cool growth slows as well. I just dont know your long and lat.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Hey the 2 hour edit limit expired (why a limit?) so I had this thought where the spring equinox to summer solstice and then summer solstice to fall equinox have more solar energy but fall thru spring across winter might be such low solar energy it could be considered 1\3 of a solar balance even with the longer calendar dates. I say that because as temps cool growth slows as well. I just dont know your long and lat.

Reigate is just South of London, so approv 51 degrees north and a little bit East of the Greenwich meridian (0 degrees)

We drew the maps, the astronomers stopped us being at the center of the universe any longer so we made maps where we are just above dead center on a globe. Where is the 'Scratching head and looking puzzled' emoji when you need it?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Haha yeah so relative to me that is far north in the lower part of the middle of Canada! Definite weak winter sun!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Very different climate though, that is in the middle of a continent, we are an Atlantic /North sea off shore island, our climate is ocean dominated, variable. I bet they have winters and summers, regular and reliable. My box cuttings sit along the side of the greenhouse and do fine.

Turning them is a good idea, They don't seem to need much, but maybe top the pots up a little with something nice, like a compost with a bit of manure or bone meal in it, when you do turn them.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Very different climate though, that is in the middle of a continent, we are an Atlantic /North sea off shore island, our climate is ocean dominated, variable. I bet they have winters and summers, regular and reliable. My box cuttings sit along the side of the greenhouse and do fine.

Turning them is a good idea, They don't seem to need much, but maybe top the pots up a little with something nice, like a compost with a bit of manure or bone meal in it, when you do turn them.

Yeah they have the good shape to keep green all the way to the bottom.