Pests and Diseases

Re: Box Blight again

Kizzypug — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:57:46 GMT

Thanks Boggy, I'm pretty sure that it's Box Blight, although the Pugs did get the blame initially

The above photo was from earlier this year, after I had trimmed the box

and the above is as it is now - the Pug, Uncle Cecil, is not guilty.

I think that I'm going to have to dig it all out [:'(] I like the idea of the Ilex Crenata Convexa. I've found some online, what distance apart would you recommend planting ? bearing in mind that this is going to be kept as a low hedge.

Re: Box Blight again

bogweevil — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:47:03 GMT

If you are sure it is box blight, there is unfortunately no realistic cure and you will have to remove all that are infected and replace them with ones that you must hope are uninfected. Unaffected ones will almost certainly get it, infected ones are unlikely to recover but it should not persist in the soil so in an extreme case you might have to clear the whole lot, give it a year to to be safe and start again. Even then it is hard to be sure that you are not buying infected plants or that infected plants don't lurk next door. Other alternative low hedges might be needed. I rather like Ilex crenata convexa. Boggy

Box Blight again

Kizzypug — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:45:31 GMT

I notice that there have been other posts here about Box Blight, I have some questions that haven't been addressed, or not that I noticed.

Firstly, what the heck am I going to do about it, I have it in the box plants in the parterre, I accused the boy Pugs at first, but even they couldn't pee that much I think about one third of the box is badly affected and about another third is partly affected and the last third seems OK at the moment. Should I remove the badly affected plants and burn them or will just cutting them down hard be enough ? Should I cut out as much as I can of the blighted areas in the partly affected plants, and will the unaffected plants get it in due course ?

Will I be able to replant box in this area, and what preparation should I do if I'm going to put in new plants ? If it is not wise to replant Box what could I plant, anyone got any suggestions for low growing hedging that is disease resistant ?

Any suggestions would be very gratefully received.