Arborist or gardening advice.

[williamalex1]

My two15 year old Topiary trees are dying , infested with spider mites.
I've ordered some Neem oil organic spray to kill the mites.
But will the trees recover, any advice.

 

[Golfmmad]

My two15 year old Topiary trees are dying , infested with spider mites.
I've ordered some Neem oil organic spray to kill the mites.
But will the trees recover, any advice.View attachment 48042View attachment 48043

I would be putting them in larger pots with completely new soil with plenty of watering to get them started.
No advice about spider mites though.

 

[RichA]

Can't quite tell what they are from the pics but they look a bit like box. All the box around us was similarly ravaged by box tree moth a few years ago. They never recovered.

 

[Tashyboy]

They look like buxus, I agree with golf mad, get them re potted. We have a couple of Abu us at the top of the garden. The bloody dog used them as a toilet on one side. They will slowly recover. But I would re pot them treat the Mir pets and see what’s what.
We had a Acer that was riddled with bugs a month or so ago, bugs treated and an Acer feeder put onto soil and they look well.

 

[williamalex1]

They look like buxus, I agree with golf mad, get them re potted. We have a couple of Abu us at the top of the garden. The bloody dog used them as a toilet on one side. They will slowly recover. But I would re pot them treat the Mir pets and see what’s what.
We had a Acer that was riddled with bugs a month or so ago, bugs treated and an Acer feeder put onto soil and they look well.

Yes , Topiary Buxus cones. Here they are in colder weather, and hiding behind my driving range lol..

 

[backwoodsman]

It could be one (or more) of several things but the photos aren't really clear enough to say which. Have a look at the attached to see if that helps.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/problems/box-problems.

It doesn't look like damage from box moth caterpillars. They eat the foliage - so the leaves 'disappear' and the shrub goes bare, rather than the leaves turning pale and/or brown.

In general terms, topiary box, grown in pots, are more susceptible to disease than otherwise. The clipped dense foliage provides a good environment for fungi, viruses, and/or insects to thrive. And being 'confined' in pots creates a more stressful environment than 'open growth'. So control of any problem is twofold. Firstly, clip out the dead bits - and bag & bin them. (Dont put it on compost heap). Then, you need to identify the pathogen and then select the correct chemical treatment. To have the best chance, you need to ditch any 'green principles' you may hold and select the best chemical available and use it according to label instructions. (On the other hand, you will only use limited amounts & will only be treating two plants - so you will hardly be destroying the planet). Secondly, you need to give the plants the best growth conditions you can - re-potting, and good feeding & good watering may all help.

Sadly, there's no guarantee you can save them. And even if you do, it will take some while for new growth to replace & fill in the bare patches. Unless they have special sentimental value, it may just be better to scrap them and start again.

 

[Neilds]

Get your paint out and spray them green, should look great again - possibly only from a distance though

British woman goes viral for bringing dying plants ‘back to life’ with ‘genius’ hack

A woman in England has gone viral after sharing a hilarious solution to restoring several unsightly, dying plants in her garden.

nypost.com

 

[jim8flog]

Box tree caterpillar / RHS Gardening

<p>Box tree caterpillars feed within webbing and can completely defoliate box plants. It is a relatively new insect to Britain. Whilst the adult moth was first reported in Britain in 2007, caterpillars were not found in private gardens until 2011, it has since become widely distributed across...

www.rhs.org.uk

Box Blight Treatment and Advice | BBC Gardeners World Magazine

How to spot and deal with box blight on box (Buxus) plants, plus how to prevent it. Advice from the experts at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine.

www.gardenersworld.com

 

[williamalex1]

Update, Topiary trees and Blue Grass plants now gone, sad. Milo is quite confused.

 

[Mudball]

Jumping on the gardening thread..

Our hedge is mostly laurel but there are a few hollys hiding between them. I have cut them down but they keep growing back.. is there a way to stop them (other than physically uprooting them?)

 

[ColchesterFC]

Cut them as far back as you can, close to the ground. Drill a hole into the stump and pour creosote in. That should kill it.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Jumping on the gardening thread..

Our hedge is mostly laurel but there are a few hollys hiding between them. I have cut them down but they keep growing back.. is there a way to stop them (other than physically uprooting them?)

Or get some tree stump killer, such a "root out". Drill a couple of holes and put it in, it will kill the holly but nothing else.
Also be aware laurel gives off cyanide when cut, so prune it when windy and dont immediatlly load the cuttings into the car to take to the tip....it could kill you.

 

[Mudball]

Or get some tree stump killer, such a "root out". Drill a couple of holes and put it in, it will kill the holly but nothing else.
Also be aware laurel gives off cyanide when cut, so prune it when windy and dont immediatlly load the cuttings into the car to take to the tip....it could kill you.

Is this a wind up??

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Is this a wind up??

Nope
Information is as given by the staff in the poison garden, Alnwick Castle gardens.

 

[backwoodsman]

Is this a wind up??

It's a half truth.

Laurel leaves and fruit contain cyanogenic compounds, so are regarded as toxic. But you do need to ingest quite a bit for any serious effect to take place. Recently cut material does contain quite a lot of aromatic chemicals including the cyanogens - as do many plants - so if you load it in the car, best to drive with the windows open. Else you may feel a bit 'heady'. But it will not kill you - unless you happen to be particularly susceptible.