Dying conifer hedge, any ideas?

[armybloke]

Do you know the species of conifer?

It looks like Carulaspis sp. If it is then it can be controlled with inceticide in June or July. Look for yellow or pale spots on the leaf.

[TArrryan]

Thanks for your help everyone, with this new knowledge I will have a closer look next week when I visit. Might even make a special visit, looks good to the client too!

 

Thanks once again and I'll report back asap

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Yep, tight clipping + conifer aphid = that.

[Arbgirl]

Does no one think that lighting that chiminea that close to the hedge (particularly if the prevailing wind blows the heat towards the hedge) would cause this damage too? They chuck out a lot of heat!

 

How long has the decking been down too? Did they sever or damage any roots when installing it?

 

I agree it does look to have been trimmed to close as well...

[Dean Lofthouse]

soil has been moist all year here. there is a second length of conifer hedge on the other side of the garden that's in perfect health. if its a disease I have to try and protect it too.

 

 

 

I would test the moisture content of the soil beneath the conifers, soil depth can vary over a matter of feet, you only have to look at lawns to see the dramatic effect soil depth variation can have.

 

Most of the conifers I have come across like this have been due to shallow soil and dryness and that is despite wet summers

 

If the soil appears dry an irrigation system wouldn't do any harm

[Scottie]

Looks like there are patches of conifer mites. Needs a spray of Bandu (Deltamethrin) and Susthane (Myclobutinal) at the beginning of the growing season and then at the end. This may need to continue for a couple of years to break the growing and breeding cycle of the mites and aphids. Also cutting the hedge so tightly doesn't help to fight the mites, just like everybody else has said previously.

 

Check out the Bartlettuk web site for more details.