Why is this awful thing happening?
As always, Grumpy knows.
The latter disease attacks the English boxwood.
Credit:Nadya Tkach/Getty Images
Above ground, the damage from either looks like this.
Whole branches die, and the foliage drops.
Dig up the afflicted plant, and you’ll see why theleaves turned brown.
A diseased boxwood. Photo by Steve Bender.Credit:Photo by Steve Bender
Most of the roots have rotted away.
Boxwoods can only grow with roots.
What Can I Spray to Cure My Boxwoods?
When both diseases are present in the soil, spraying won’t help.
Infected boxwoods will die when these diseases are presentit’s as simple as that.
So How Can I Prevent These Diseases?
Healthy plants seldom get sick.
It makes sense, therefore, to give boxwoods the proper growing conditions to keep them happy.
Boxwoods thrive in full sun or light shade.
Most importantly, they like loose, moist, fertile soil that drains quickly.
So don’t plant in low spots where water pools after rain or at the foot of a downspout.
And water them deeply during summer droughts.
Drought stress promotes English boxwood decline.
Don’t wet the foliage when you water.
Splashing water can spread disease.
Can I Replace My Dead Boxwood With Another Boxwood?
For additional reading on using and caring for boxwoods, exploreboxwoods for every landscapeorboxwoods for pots.
