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Diseased boxwoods #763180

Asked July 22, 2021, 9:15 AM EDT

Hi, Growing in my backyard are 40 year old boxwoods that are planted in two long rows. Over the last 4 to 5 years, an individual plant among healthy plants will show the following sequence of disease symptoms: one branch will stop growing, its leaves will turn bronze, and then the leaves will fall off. Then another branch or two will repeat the same sequence, and finally, all the remaining branches repeat the sequence until the plant is dead (see plant pic for disease progression). There are no obvious black cankers like those associated with boxwood blight, but I do see some white speckles on a dying eaves and stems (see closeup pic). It looks like I'll eventually lose all of the boxwoods unless I can find an effective treatment. Please help me! Can you tell me what the problem is, and how do I treat it? Incidentally, I work on the College Park campus so that I could bring some samples to the Plant Sciences Building, if you are still located there. I am really grateful for any assistance that you can provide me. Gratefully, Todd C

County

Expert Response

We viewed your photos. This does not look like boxwood blight. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/boxwood-blight

We see some symptoms of volutella, a fungal disease  https://extension.umd.edu/resource/volutella-blight-disease-boxwood (diseased branches can be pruned out);  boxwood mites ( For light infestations, use a strong spray of water from a hose to dislodge the mites); and possible planthoppers (twig closeup photo) No control is necessary. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/planthoppers-flowers

These are normal problems on boxwood. 

Left photo - boxwood on left (off color and declining) looks like a possible root, cultural, or physical injury. Look around the base of the plant and the trunk for problems. 

Root issues - Check around the base of the plant to see if there are any physical injuries, signs of chewing, and vole tunnels. Voles (type of meadow mouse) are a big problem with boxwoods. They feed around the base of the plants and the roots. The mild winter we had was favorable for voles. Mulch should be thin no more than and inch or two and keep away from the base of the plants. Boxwoods are shallow rooted. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/voles 

Check the soil drainage. Boxwood require good drainage. Make sure there are no downspouts  dumping water in the root zones. If so, divert  to another area. 

If there has been any root disturbance or digging in the area, this can affect the roots. 

Brown Boxwood in the middle - we cannot tell if it is part of the boxwood on the right. Look around the base and trunk. Look for broken branches, physical injury, etc. 

No chemical controls are recommended. At this point, we recommend that you monitor for the above issues. At this point, we recommend that you prune out the dead/affected foliage when it is dry. Remove old fallen leaves and diseased leaves that have accumulated in the branch crotches.The boxwoods need to be thinned back into shape, not sheared. Thin the boxwoods to improve air circulation and light penetration. See the above link for a pruning video and how to manage and diagnose boxwood problems.

Also, if your boxwoods are located in full sun, they prefer some afternoon shade. They have a shallow root system so water during dry periods and make sure mulch is no thicker than an inch or two and away from the base of the plants. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/boxwood-diagnose-manage-and-prevent-common-problems

Marian

Hi Marian,

Thank you for all of your advice!

Gratefully, 
Todd

***************
Todd J. Cooke
Research Professor and Professor Emeritus of Plant Biology 
Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
Phone:<personal data hidden>
Web: https://cbmg.umd.edu/faculty-1/research/toddcooke/

On Jul 22, 2021, at 12:57 28PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

The Question Asker Replied July 23, 2021, 11:46 AM EDT

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