My box bushes are dying?

Question

The bushes are dying from the inside first,then the outer leaves go brown.They are 2 years old and in large ceramic pots

Answer 1

Whenever someone has a problem with a plant in containers, one first thinks of watering and rots. So step one in diagnosis is to look at the brown leaves. If they are falling off the branches, too little water; if they stay on the braches, too much water. If this is the case follow the advice already given.

But also look at a few other things.

Boxes are known for "blight", which is a localized twig disorder caused by insects, fungi, bacteria, and/or mechanical injury. That is one reason I never recommend boxes for hedges as at least 1 or 2 plants will suffer from blight and cause holes in the hedge.

Look for insects in the brown area and the surrounding areas. You will be looking for Black Citrus Aphids; Florida Red. Hemispherical, or Magnolia Scales; and Twospotted Spider Mites. If any of these are found use a spray made up of 1 gal water/ 2 T dish soap/ 1 T light cooking oil. Spray in very early morning and that evening use a hard spray of water to wash off dead. Repeat every few days if needed.

Both Fungi and Bacteria need moist conditions. Often boxes are trimmed in such a way that there is no air circulation in the middle. Sprinkle some baking soda on the surrounding areas in the morning. After a few hours wash off completely (any baking soda left on a plant will continue to draw any moisture out of it). See if this stops the spreading of browning out.

Mechanical injury - where they recently trimmed? Has anyone sprayed substances near by that may have been carried by the wind to the plants? Has anything fallen or leaned against them that may have broken branches/twigs? If so you have to just wait it out.

I hope this has helped you to diagnose your problem. Happy gardening.

Answer 2

At this time of year there's a good chance it has some root disease that is related to too much water. Do the pots have drainage holes? If no they need them. Otherwise, for now, stop watering until the top 2 inches of soil is dry and don't fertilize. Fertilizer is just another added stress on a plant in distress. Once the soil dries between waterings, if the root system recovers you should see some new growth. At that point you can use liquid fert mixed at half strength.

Answer 3

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