Privet hedge issues

[peatff]

When I was a gardener on the schools we used to find privet hedges yellowed and dropped leaves after prolonged dry spells, they are very greedy and watering can help a lot.

[likeitorlumpit]

we had a customer who was slowly but surely losing his boundary hedge to honey fungus . We tried most things and he even got armilotox people to come and treat the soil- to no effect. The disease continued- 1 or 2 plants (privet) a year. In the end we removed 3 healthy ones further from the dying ones. and planted yew in the gap. Still there today and no more dying privet.

So it is possible and there is light at the end of the tunnel although this is drastic and the client won't want you digging out healthy plants- you've just got to.

Having said that, as the ground is dry under the conifers on your site, I wouldn't recommend yew unless you can keep watering in the first couple of seasons. You could try bamboo:lol: but be warned!!!

[RDB logs]

we had a customer who was slowly but surely losing his boundary hedge to honey fungus . We tried most things and he even got armilotox people to come and treat the soil- to no effect. The disease continued- 1 or 2 plants (privet) a year. In the end we removed 3 healthy ones further from the dying ones. and planted yew in the gap. Still there today and no more dying privet.

So it is possible and there is light at the end of the tunnel although this is drastic and the client won't want you digging out healthy plants- you've just got to.

Having said that, as the ground is dry under the conifers on your site, I wouldn't recommend yew unless you can keep watering in the first couple of seasons. You could try bamboo:lol: but be warned!!!

 

Cutting the chain seems to have worked for my privet hedge as well. I cut a gap and dug the soil away. The old stems have a massive crop of mushrooms every year. I assumed the hedge was doomed so coppiced right to the ground, and it seems to have bounced back better than ever!

[Arborowen]

Cutting the chain seems to have worked for my privet hedge as well. I cut a gap and dug the soil away. The old stems have a massive crop of mushrooms every year. I assumed the hedge was doomed so coppiced right to the ground, and it seems to have bounced back better than ever!

 

Thanks all for your help!

 

I will use these responses to structure an attack plan for the resident.

 

cheers!!