Hollies looking dead
Last post 02-10-2012 8:31 PM by Snark. 8 replies.
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13/04/2012 07:41 PM
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- Snark
- Suffolk
- 12 Jan 2011
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266
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We have planted mixed hedges round our livestock fields including a scattering of hollies. They have been slow to establish but were beginning to take off quite well.This spring about 1/2 of them appear to have died. They are scattered in several places and I cant see any signs of eg ring barking by voles.The plants would be 5 to10 years old so this is a bit of a blow. Any suggestions?
For the Snark was a boojum you see
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16/04/2012 09:53 AM
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Hi Snark, Sorry to hear about that. When you say appear to have died, I guessing that you've had a little scratch of the bark on the main stem to see if looks dead in there? Any sign of holly leaf blight? If they really seem to be goners and there's no damage above ground, that has to point to root death. I'd dig one up and have an inspection, there could be Phytophthora or Rhizoctonia going on. Did you use mycorrhizae at planting time? I've read that these should help a plant resist those other nasty fungi. Good luck, Ed
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17/04/2012 08:35 PM
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- Snark
- Suffolk
- 12 Jan 2011
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266
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The stems actually still look quite green but on affected plants all the leaves first lost their gloss and then went beige and crispy like 2 month old Christmas decorations!The affected plants are oddly scattered around.3 in one hedge and 2 in another.I didnt use mycorrhyza that long ago although I probably would now.These plants have been growing for several years now. I'm not familiar with holly leaf blight.
For the Snark was a boojum you see
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18/04/2012 01:47 PM
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It's a relatively new one (recorded in the UK in 1989, according to the RHS). We haven't seen it first hand. The affected leaves are supposed to fall off quite quickly. http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/disease/holly-leaf-blight http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=175 Does that sound like what's affecting your plants? Ed
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18/04/2012 09:01 PM
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- Snark
- Suffolk
- 12 Jan 2011
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266
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Thanks for the helpful links. No it doesnt look like that.No black spotting and all the leaves entirely crispy.
For the Snark was a boojum you see
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19/04/2012 08:52 AM
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- madmuncher
- Nottinghamshire
- 20 Mar 2010
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140
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Phytophthora is something I'm very familiar with..sadly. And it can wipe out perfectly healthy looking mature plants very quickly leaving crispy brown plants behind..like they would have scorched. Sometimes you can see white fungal growth near soil level where its afftecting the plant..and you get strong mushroomy smell as well. Garden where I work we had bad attack last winter..and although we did dug all affected bushes up and burned it all....we still had one victim this winter. There is no preventative measures as such, but trying to clear all affected bits away as much as possible...cleaning your tools well afterwards too!! Don't transplant any plant material from that area for while as it can be spread in the soil even if the plant itself is not effected. If you can..burn dead material so it don't get passed on elsewhere..if you can't, chop it all fine and dispose it in amongst the domestic waste. I would not put any into recycling stuff! You might have to wait and see that the problem will clear away before replanting with new shrubs..they can be infected as easily as the established plants.
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21/04/2012 08:55 PM
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- Snark
- Suffolk
- 12 Jan 2011
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266
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The odd thing about the hollies is that the death is so patchy. 2 out of 3 in one place. A run of happy healthy thorn. ,another dead holly and so on. The bark on the main trunks still looks viable but it is a bit difficult to get in to dig at roots as the hedge is between 2 heavily wired fences to protect against livestock. A couple of the casualties are not even in the same run of hedge with open field between.Today I spotted a plant with half of the leaves dead and 1/2 still alive -a whole twig at a time.I might have guessed honey fungus but holly is supposed to be resistant and these hedges were planted on former arable field well away from other woody plants.(We do have honey fungus elsewhere and also various phythoptera)
For the Snark was a boojum you see
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22/04/2012 08:47 AM
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- madmuncher
- Nottinghamshire
- 20 Mar 2010
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140
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That's the way some the plants in oursite died..one every here and there..some partially damaged but eventually the whole plant did get finished and others wiped out in very short period of time. I managed to take few cuttings from those that were partially damaged and luckily they are healthy and produced nice little new plants. But yes..there wasn't in any particular pattern where those dead bushes appeared and not all same species neither..only similarity was that they were all in same restricted area..restricted by concrete paths. Garden next door had massive big birch tree that died in same winter..it was only about 30 yrds away so we just wonder if that has something to do with it..certainly the roots from that tree would reach into 'our' bed too. Who knows..there is not much you can do but 'clean up' afterwards and hopefully be able to replant in future. We are certainly going to give a year 'break' before attempting to fill the gaps in the border.
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02/10/2012 08:31 PM
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- Snark
- Suffolk
- 12 Jan 2011
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266
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Picking this up again after a long gap.None of the hollies were dug up - too busy and mostly too inaccessible in the middle of hawthorn hedges between double wire netting! but more than 1/2 of them are sprouting again from ground level with small clusters of new leaves. I dont know whether this is a last gasp or if they will come back but I wait to see.
For the Snark was a boojum you see
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