Is Box Blight affecting your hedges? I am a Tree Surgeon tackling Box Blight across West Sussex, so if you do notice any symptoms why not call and I can advise you on the next steps. If it's caught early on there are things we can do before having to take drastic action.
Box blight affects box-hedges turning your leaves to go brown and fall, leading to bare patches within your hedge and Box Blight is in the local area of West Sussex. You might also see other symptoms such as black streaks and dieback on some of the younger stems, but before you call me, place some of the leaves in a plastic bag with a moist tissue to check a few days later (as box blight spreads in warm, moist conditions), if these symptoms appear after doing this it’s time to call in professional help. Box Blight originates from a fungus Cylindrocladium Buxicola which affects the leaves and stems.
Drastic action will mean having to remove the hedge completely as the whole hedge including the roots will be affected. If you don’t remove and decide to maintain and control the problem with fungicides the amount of money you would end up spending in trying to maintain the problem will be ample and there is no guarantee that it will reduce the spread of the disease.
Oh and if you are going to be doing some gardening make sure to clean your garden tools in between working on the infected trees/plants and the non-infected trees.
Find out more on managing your Box Blight here
And if you’d like to see what else we’ve been working on, check out my instagram.