Until about ten years ago, the boxwood was considered an uncomplicated, easy-care and versatile tree that could be used in the garden. Since then, however, the formerly popular evergreen tree has been plagued by stubborn pests such as the box tree moth or fungal diseases that are difficult to combat, such as the notorious dieback. This is what you can do to stop the box tree from dying.

The box tree moth can kill a box tree

Effective measures against the box tree moth

In 2007, the box tree moth, a small butterfly, which migrated from East Asia, appeared in Germany for the first time. The adult moth has so far only laid its eggs on the boxwood, the caterpillars that hatch from mid-March are initially only inside the bush and eat the whole plant bare from here. Control is difficult because several generations develop each year, which infect the bushes again and again even after successful treatment. To get rid of the caterpillars, you need to be persistent and keep doing the following:

  • Collect caterpillars regularly from mid-March
  • The animals become active at temperatures of around ten degrees Celsius
  • at best, vacuum with a leaf blower, a high-pressure device or a vacuum cleaner
  • Pull bushes apart and cut out webs
  • Control caterpillars biologically, for example with Bacillus thuringiensis or Steinernema carpocapsae

Above all, it is important to keep removing caterpillars and webs to prevent the development of adult animals and thus new generations.

Boxwood turns brown and dries up - you can still do that

If the leaves of the boxwood turn brown and entire shoots seem to be drying up, the fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola, which causes the shoots to die off, is probably behind it. This occurs above all when the leaves of the boxwood are practically "softened" by incorrect watering or prolonged rain: the pathogen needs wet leaves in order to penetrate them. After infection, the fungus spreads rapidly at temperatures of 25 °C and more. You can prevent the disease by

  • make sure that the leaves are not permanently wet
  • the boxwood is in an airy location where moisture can dry off quickly
  • the infestation pressure is also lower in sunny locations
  • Do not water the boxwood from above, but only from below
  • as a preventative measure, you can treat healthy plants with a suitable fungicide
  • Duaxo Universal Pilzfrei from Compo, for example, is suitable for this

tips

If the box is infected with the shoot dieback, you should cut back vigorously to the healthy wood and then treat it with the fungicide already mentioned. Plant remains and leaves should be swept up from the ground, and the top layer of soil should be removed and replaced with fresh substrate.

Category:

Vegetable garden