Mr Grinch's Garden

The Ilex Crenata have been removed. They are just not doing well. Ive had to bin two plants and whilst the others are living, they look sick with only a little growth. Im amazed actually as the soil is amazing, friable loam based with added compost. The Box cones next to this have massive root growth but these after i had taken them out and potted them up show hardly no root growth, very odd. Will replace now with Box.

The Sobusa tree's are not look good at all. Definate young branch die back. One looks worse than the others.

Trimmed Box hedge for first time a few weeks ago, now to get it all the same height.

G

 

I fear i have Box blight. Make or break for my formal garden.

The newly planted ones seem to be suffering, especially those in full sun. The odd stem dieback happens, even losing the odd plant is normal (lost three not bad bearing in mind i've probably planted over a 100 in the garden). This looks different, browning of the plant again happens and i have found they green up again in winter when the hot sun is not there but the odd plant has splotches that is not good. Thinking about it, perfect fungus weather, muggy hot conditions.

G

 

Sorry to hear that - adopt squeaky-clean hygiene, don't prune anything (maybe not at all next year) and cross fingers

 

To be honest i have had enough Kristan. I just cant have what i want in this garden. The Sorbus get Fireblight and ones looks like it wont make the winter, the box seems sick, the condition are not conducive to the type of garden i want.
The Yew that i planted 2 years ago looks like its on its way out, needle drop everywhere, the Buddleia always looks ill (yellowing leaves and poor growth), always thought these things would grow anywhere. The roses are still looking not that great. The two bare root ones i planted have had poor growth and haven't looked well and ones i do have get black spot and look terrible this time of year. Chlorosis type leaf's in the Hibiscus, Witch Hazel, Roses.

The only things that do well are Day Lily, Helenium, Rudbeckia, Hydrangea, Astilbe, Cornus, Sambucus. Basically plants that any 5 year old could grow.
Even the good old Aquilegia over the past 2 years have been poor.

Not a happy G.

 

The Fireblight and Box Blight may just be bad luck - lots of Box Blight doing the rounds of course ...

The rest sounds like some underlying problem. It might be something you've mentioned before, but if so I've forgotten, sorry, can you remind me if there are problems with the soil / garden pls?

 

Clay, wet in winter, can be dry in summer, doesn't drain that quickly but no plant sits in standing water for any length of time, 12 hours tops in very wet periods. Over the last 8 years i stuck so much compost into these borders and still to me, its getting worse. In fact, the plants did better the first few years i was here when i just stuck them in with a bit of multi purpose and left them to it.
But the place confounds me. If wet was the problem, then the plants would rot off in winter, they dont, in fact the Box looks healthier. I have Dahlia that have been in the ground and come up every year. Even tulips seem to come up (not all mind but some) and they hate wet.

I forgot, Magnolia, Aster, Mallow, Weigelia also do well. Basically, everything that doesn't mind clay and all easy plants to grow. Anything a little testing....... FAILURE. Planted a Hebe, in the summer, withing 3 weeks it looked like it was dying even after watering.

I have thought about having everything out, double digging with more compost but im not sure it will do any good.

G

 

Might be worth having the soil tested - perhaps it has some mineral in it that some things hate?

Dunno if the RHS have such a service, for example?

 

It's so disheartening when you've put in so much hard work to have this happen. Do your immediate neighbours have similar problems in their gardens Mr. Grinch? I agree with Kristen, it does sound like there's something in particular going on with your soil.

 

Not that i know of Sheal. One neighbour has a similar plant garden like me but have used all the plants that do well in my garden. They have been here 25 years so maybe they got sick of flogging a dead horse like me.
More plants that do well, Ferns, Hosta, Geum, Crocosmia. All the plants that do well, love clay so maybe its me that is the problem planting the wrong thing in my garden. Perhaps it doesn't matter how much work you do, the underlying condition prevail eventually.
Its still confusing though, after a tricky start, my Magnolia looks great, no issues but they like acidic soil, i put other plants that like a bit of acid, Witch Hazel, Hibiscus, Rhodo and they either die or look sick.

The Box is the most galling though as its the fundamental structure to the garden. I could imagine it without box.

G

 

I agree with Kriten and getting your soil tested. Have you tested for PH or the water content of the soil first of all? I picked up a probe that measures both for less than a tenner from B&Q and it might help out. Once you find out what the problem work with it rather than fighting it. This may mean you will have to tear up your formal design and go for a more relaxed one if you can't have box hedging etc. If you keep trying to fight your conditions ,adding tons of compost etc then you are going to not enjoy it and create more frustration for yourself. I found this from personal expierence.

It's either that or move house if it bothers you that much....

 

I think Witch Hazel and Hibiscus can be "persuaded" with some acidifying agents (Sequestred Iron and some Sulphur), but Rhododendrons are a complete non-starter as they need properly acid. However, if you hanker after Rhodies?? then have a look for Inkarho rootstock ones

http://www.rhododendrons.co.uk/Category/41/lime-tolerant-rhododendrons.aspx

Sorry, forgotten if it was you? but someone on here has added/switch to Ilex crenata - that might be an option, or perhaps Euonymous (bigger leaf, much faster growing, but I think will clip to small hedge reasonably well, but because fast growing will need clipping several times a season).

I doubt their accuracy, pH probes need calibrating against known pH stock solutions ... and personally I think Mr G's soil needs testing for unexpected minerals / compounds

 

@Kristen ...Mr G tried Ilex Crenata but that has succumbed too...

It's such a shame after all your hard work Mr G...It must be something in the soil,but what? we need to get to the bottom of it
Gutted about your Buxus ,are you absolutely certain it's blight?

 

I concur with everything Loli has said. Gutted for you after all your hard work and hopes & dreams.

Had thought I had remembered that you planted Ilex crenata, had no recollection that it had not survived.

Probably No Blinking Use At All but we have a stretch of Yew hedge which died repeatedly ... we grew on plants to maturity, in containers, and then planted out and, touch wood, that seems to have solved the problem. I have plenty of "space around the back" for the sort of caper though, so may be advice as useful to you as a chocolate fire-guard

Worth checking the spots on the leaves of Box to make sure it looks like Box Blight. If you are an RHS member I think you can send them a sample to check, although I think it likely they'll take one look and diagnose, rather than spending time checking carefully.

 

Yes tried Crenata aswell and it looked sick. They lived but struggling and no growth and that was in a raised part with fresh top soil. Ive had them out, planted them up and guess what, they are looking more alive. I pulled up the Yew yesterday, after two years easily came up with no root growth. Im told they hate cold, clay soil so again this could be the issue.

I think its just an all round "pain the arse" garden. When its dry, its desert conditions but when its wet it like bog (well not quite but almost) The extremes are doing some stuff in. Saying that the original Box put around the patio looks great now its established. Doesn't bronze in sun at all and very green.
As for blight, i think it is as i say perfect conditions for it in my garden, wet humid soil. I have taken out the worst effect plant and picked off the leafs of some on other plants. See what happens, as you say i wont cut them at all. A shame as the one i hooked out had decent root growth and i really did have to pull it, again confusing as if poor conditions then these things would not have such a good root growth.

Ive tried iron feeds on Witch hazel and Hibiscus and does no good.

G

 

It seems to me it would be worthwhile getting your soil tested? The RHS offers this service, or at least they did, but I can't seem to find the relevant section