Box Blight in the Gardens
For a number of years the disease of box blight has been present in the garden hedges but we have been following a prescription to manage the disease and our perseverance has paid off. Combining treatment with fungicide and feeding improves plant health and therefore resistance.
Other steps include improving local soil conditions to promote plant vigour and reducing the width of the hedges to improve airflow and reduce humidity. Some of the hedges have become very wide which has resulted in the centre of the hedge being affected yet the two sides where there is more airflow still healthy. In these cases, we are removing the centre and one side and the results to date look promising as this picture shows.
Good hygiene is essential so a strict regime of cleaning tools and removing and burning cuttings has been adopted.
It is likely that box blight will always be present in the garden and will consequently have to be managed as part of routine husbandry.
The RHS link below gives good background info.