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SEASONAL INFORMATIONBoxwood Care
Root DiseasesRoot Rot — Both English and American boxwoods are susceptible to this disease. Symptoms include poor growth and off color foliage. Leaves are at first light green and may turn yellow, bronze or straw colored. Leaves turn upward and lateral leaf margins roll inward. Poor drainage is the main cause of this disease. New plantings should always be made in well drained soil. Avoid planting in infested soil unless drainage can be improved. Planting in raised beds will help. English Boxwood Decline — English boxwood decline is a slow but progressive decline occurring primarily in plants 20 years of age or older. Symptoms are similar to root rot but usually follow drought and not wet periods. Sections of foliage turn light green and later the infected plant turns yellow and then straw colored. By the time symptoms are observed, the root system has been severely impaired by root rot. Every effort should be made to maintain plants in a high state of vigor. Since drought stress is believed to be a main factor in causing this disease, it is especially important to water plants deeply and regularly during drought. Do not replant infested areas with English boxwood. No fungicides have been found to be effective in controlling this disease. Root-feeding Nematodes — Damage to roots of both American and English boxwoods can occur from several types of nematodes. Feeding on the roots causes symptoms that including stunting and browning. The decline is gradual and large sections of the plant gradually turn yellow or bronze. There are no effective controls on established ornamental plants. Providing good growing conditions allows plants to survive some root injury to nematode feeding. Foliar and Stem DiseasesVolutella Stem Blight — Before new growth appears in the spring, leaves on the tips of twigs turn orange, bronze or straw colored. Infected twigs die back and dark brown to black canker is easily seen after cutting away some bark. Prune out infected branches to healthy tissue. Discard all prunings. No fungicides have been shown to be effective in controlling the disease. As you can see, Boxwoods have several enemies but with proper planting and maintenance, these enemies can be kept at bay. In summary, the most important factor is drainage. Well drained soil is key when planting.
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Contents copyright ©2006
by Park Landscape Services. All rights reserved.
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The
boxwood is one of the most traditional and popular plantings seen in the
Atlanta area. Its formal appearance lends itself to use in many situations,
hence its popularity. Along with its popularity, however, comes a plethora
of problems. Some of the more common problems and suggested treatments are
listed below.