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I have a row of English box that were affected by Buxus blight at the beginning of the year. I cut them back and have treated with TopBuxus, the product that was recommended by the local nursery. There is no improvement whatsoever, and when I cut back into the dead looking areas, there is no green showing in the stems at all in most of the affected plants. A couple still have some green leaves at the front, but nowhere else.
My understanding is that they really need to be removed and I cannot re-plant Buxus in that area. Would this be correct?
Unfortunately, they are a part of a hedge that goes around my back patio. The area is only narrow and there is no way that I would be able to dig all the way down to the base to remove all soil, it’s much deeper than it looks. It is also goes into the ground below.
Is there anything else I can do or is it really a case of just calling it quits and having to remove all the plants and do something else with this area?
So sorry to hear about your hedge @Tywoodpk.
Unfortunately, from the appearance, I couldn't come to any other conclusion than it's on its way out and likely will not recover.
Buxus blight does not kill the plant's roots directly, so as a last-ditch attempt, you could do an extremely hard prune removing all the affected material. This means all the leaves and any stems with black streaks. You'll need to bag up all the affected material, remove the bark and fallen material on the soil, and dispose of it in your waste bin. Do not compost it. There is an even more extreme way, which is to cut the plants back to the trunk, or even down to the stump just above the soil. The more affected material you can remove the better chance of getting the blight under control.
Let me mention the knowledgeable @Noelle, to see if she has any thoughts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
