#Boxwood blight resistant varieties free#

If you have a problem with box blight, the fungicides tebuconazole (Provanto Fungus Fighter Concentrate) and tebuconazole with trifloxystrobin (Provanto Fungus Fighter Plus, Toprose Fungus Control & Protect) carry label recommendations for use against this disease and can be applied up to six times per year. Chemical controlįungicides are unlikely to be effective against box blight unless combined with the other strategies to control. Podocarpus acutifolius, Podocarpus nivalis and cultivars of these species have performed especially well. Podocarpus has proved a particularly strong candidate in the trials at Wisley, coping with both the extreme heat of summer 2022 and the extreme cold of December 2022. The following all have small leaves and can be clipped into formal hedging styles:īerberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea Nana ’ AGM To be completely safe, choose an alternative hedge or topiary plant. Ongoing trials of a variety of compact evergreen shrubs at RHS Garden Wisley are showing promise as alternatives. Infected material should be bagged to avoid dropping debris around the garden and binned (not composted)įeed plants that have been cut back with a general purpose fertiliser to aid recovery.

Remove fallen leaves from the centre and around the base of affected plants and strip off the surface of the topsoil.

Cut back or cut out affected parts of less severely attacked box plants or valuable specimens you are trying to save.

Dig up and destroy badly affected box plants or less important plantings, especially if trying to safeguard prized plantings.

Further steps can be found on our page box blight: managing outbreaks. If the disease does break out steps should be taken to reduce its spread. Use mulch under plants to reduce rain splash. Clean pruning tools with a garden disinfectant or mild bleach solution between different areas of the garden and between gardens to minimise unwitting spread of the disease.Īvoid overhead watering as box blight thrives in humid conditions. Prune a hedge with a convex top rather than flat and prune only in dry conditions. Reduce the frequency of clipping to create more ventilation throughout the plants (regular pruning creates dense foliage and less air movement). Inspect plants for early symptoms as box blight spreads very rapidly in warm and humid conditions and is difficult to manage. Taking cuttings from healthy box in your garden will reduce the risk of introducing the disease. Commercial nurseries may use fungicides which suppress but do not kill the fungus, and this isolation technique will allow time for suppressed disease to become visible.

#Boxwood blight resistant varieties free#

Hold any commercially sourced plants in isolation for at least four weeks to confirm they are free of infection before planting out.

For more detailed information, see our page box blight: keeping it out. If your garden is free of box blight, or you are yet to plant box, there are steps that you can take to minimise the risk of it arriving and to prepare the garden for its possible arrival. If chemical controls are used, they should be used only in a minimal and highly targeted manner. The RHS believes that avoiding pests, diseases and weeds by good practice in cultivation methods, cultivar selection, garden hygiene and encouraging or introducing natural enemies, should be the first line of control. RHS Flower Show Tatton Park - 17-21 July 2024.RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival - 2–7 July 2024.

Malvern Autumn Show - 22-24 September 2023.