privet hedge death throes ?

Help !! i have got a long established Privet hedge which is a border between my neighbours and us and much loved but it appears to be dying , there is now a big bare patch in the middle which appears to be spreading also the weeds that grow underneath !! are also dying please can somebody tell me what if anything I can do about this ?

 

Hi Cathy

Welcome to the forum.

I note that your hedge is "long established" and I'm afraid that's likely to be the cause of the problem. Hedges do not last for ever and privet in particular is prone to dying back through old age.

However there may be a specific cause - honey fungus. In a previous garden, I had an ancient privet hedge that was afflicted by honey fungus which spread from a dead apple tree in a neighbour's neglected garden. I dug out both the dead section of hedge and the healthy plants on either side of it, then treated the ground with Armillatox. It seemed to work and I managed to save the rest of the hedge.

Whatever the cause of your hedge's problems, I'd dig the dead plants out asap. I don't think there's any way of reviving old privet bushes.

 

I suspected honey fungus when I read the title, it affects woody plants and privet is particularly susceptible but you say the weeds are dying as well. Has anything been spilt in that area or has a weedkiller been used, perhaps one that kills weeds in paving? You would need to ask the neighbour as well.
If it is honey fungus then there should be things like black boot laces when you dig round the roots.

 

Now a days usage of chemicals had made this dreadful....This is to be avoided..

 

If the weeds are dying doubt that its honey fungus. I go along with Geoff and flinty.

A couple of questions:
How long have parts of the privet been dead or have they just lost there leaves?
Anything been happening near the hedge recently - new path, extension?
Is the ground waterlogged?
Anybody applied a weedkiller.?

What were the weeds?