Boxwood dying - Ask Extension
Hello, I have some boxwood plants in my home in Rochester hills, MI. I see it is dying since the winter. I was wondering if this is because of the har...
Knowledgebase
Boxwood dying #791317
Asked May 17, 2022, 5:13 PM EDT
Hello, I have some boxwood plants in my home in Rochester hills, MI. I see it is dying since the winter. I was wondering if this is because of the hard winter, or because of a disease? What is recommendation? Cut the dearth part? Or keep it ? I already put fertilizer since a month ago and don’t see an improvement. I see it is expanding. Thank you in advanced for letting me know your advice.
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
If the yellowing leaves and defoliation is getting worse I would suspect Volutella, a fungal infection of boxwood.
During dry weather, prune dead branches and prune to thin the plant so that there is good air circulation within the canopy. Sanitize tools with disinfectant wipes between cuts. Remove all dead leaves and fallen leaves from around the plant. Apply a fungicide to protect new growth in the spring and in the fall. Spray to obtain very thorough coverage of leaves and twigs.
See the attached article to learn more about fungicides that are effective:https://www.tnstate.edu/extension/documents/Boxwood%20Volutella%20blight%20factsheet.pdf
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
If the yellowing leaves and defoliation is getting worse I would suspect Volutella, a fungal infection of boxwood.
During dry weather, prune dead branches and prune to thin the plant so that there is good air circulation within the canopy. Sanitize tools with disinfectant wipes between cuts. Remove all dead leaves and fallen leaves from around the plant. Apply a fungicide to protect new growth in the spring and in the fall. Spray to obtain very thorough coverage of leaves and twigs.
See the attached article to learn more about fungicides that are effective:https://www.tnstate.edu/extension/documents/Boxwood%20Volutella%20blight%20factsheet.pdf
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
