Box blight

This page and its linked pages are in development. More pictures of this area over the years to follow.

Box topiary

I have planted hundreds of box plants in the garden over the years, many grown from cuttings. I have three main types: standard box, buxus sempervirens; small leaved box, suffruticosa, and a yellow green variegated version, name unknown. I also have a couple of white variegated bushes, and a variety with longer, more oval leaves, which I brought home as cuttings from my mother's garden many years ago.

Most of the hedging and topiary in the garden will be 20 - 25 years old.

Box blight

By 2017 box blight had made serious inroads into the topiary. Despite spraying with Bayer fungus fighter, and attempting to clip out affected areas, the summer saw all parts of these bushes badly affected, with the tell-tale brown leaves way back into the bush. The difficult decision was made to cut the bushes down - saying farewell to eighteen years of careful clipping and shaping.

Other box plants in the garden have patches of blight ranging from almost zero (a few browning leaves) to quite bad (defoliated and lots of brown patches). Some have recovered with cutting out the affected branches and spraying with Bayer fungus fighter. Each is being given every possible chance to recover before it is foresaken.

Box square clipped down

The box was cut at the roots and piled up in situ ready for burning. It was covered with a tarpaulin whenever rain threatened, to allow it to dry out over three to four weeks. Once cut the full extent of the blight was clear, with brown leaves held in the centre of the bushes, and presumably holding the blight in there as well. Every effort was made to prevent any of these leaves blowing elsewhere, or ebing trodden around the garden on boots.

Incinerating the infected bushes

One night in July the incinerator was brought down to the square and all the box bushes were burnt with a powerful blaze. They were put in the bin a few strands at a time, and they certainly burnt well. After an hour or so this carefully clipped topiary was reduced to a few ashes. Very, very sad.

Rather than considering replanting any kind of topiary, it was decided that the paving in the area would be extended and this would become a seating area, probably surrounded by colourful annuals and herbs. There are two yew pyramids in the corners - possibly another two will be shaped in the other two corners.

Zig zags infected

A low box hedge between the pond and the potager has gradually been shaped as a zigzag. By 2020 large areas were infected. In March 2020 I cut out all diseased branches I could see, and vacuumed up the dead leaves as best I could. Then sprayed with fungus fighter, and later with Topbuxus foliar feed. I live in hope that there might be a recovery, but realistically fear the worst. Once again this hedge is suffruticosa, planted from cuttings off other bushes in the garden.

Top of garden

More attacks at the top of the garden, with a large block of box sadly blasted. Again I have cut out all the dead branches, vacuumed up the dead leaves, and burnt the offending wood and leaves. Now its down to wait and see, before considering taking out the whole box form.