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Buxus going yellow

Martin GardenerMartin Gardener Posts: 70
in Problem solving
I have a buxus cone shaped plant that I bought fully grown about 3 years ago. I repotted it when I bought it and it has been in the same pot since. This year the leaves are very yellow in places and there seems to be little growth. I am wondering if it plant is infected? Or does it need to be repotted?

I water it at least weekly, it never gets dried out. I got some buxus feed from the garden centre and added this every two weeks for the last three months, however I see no major improvement in growth or yellow leaves disappearing. The plant is getting less dense, I can now see right through it :(

See the yellowish leaves here https://ibb.co/eVXDxJ and here https://ibb.co/eVXDxJ

This is how the plant looked when I bought it https://image.ibb.co/hM4hrd/IMG_20161002_WA0001.jpg

Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I have the same problem on a box ball and came to the conclusion that on mine it was probably down to sun scorch, having previously re-potted into good J.Innes 3 with added manure and slow release fertiliser pellets. It was too heavy to move into the shade so I resorted to putting a garden umbrella over it while the heatwave continued.
    Obessed or what!  Now that it's got cooler, I have very cautiously hand clipped most of the crispy brown leaves off. It's a good green underneath.  I would suggest that you also repot as above, possibly in a slightly bigger pot and see what happens.  If this doesn't get better in a month or so, it could well be the dreaded box blight in which case I'm afraid you will have to dispose of it.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    It looks like sun scorch to me as well, Martin, is it in a sunny spot? It's possible that the water splashed onto the leaves. I have some places like that on my box plants,  as Lizzie says you can carefully trim off the worst bits.Now the weather is cooler, it should recover.
    Like the idea of the umbrella @Lizzie27 !  :)
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    My OH thought I was mad!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I agree with the others with sun scorch. Also, be aware that growing in pots, you will need to be more careful in the hotter months with watering. The size of the shrub means rain water cannot get right into the plants, so you will need to water around the base carefully making sure not to water from above as there is more risk of fungal infections and leaf burn should the sun come out before drying up.

    I have also propped up umbrellas over my plants in the past, not just to shield from sun, but also from excessive rain! I'm sure the neighbours thought I was crazy! 
  • Martin GardenerMartin Gardener Posts: 70
    Those photos were from two months ago. See these photos which I took yesterday. Lots of the leaves have turned a purple\black colour. I'm not sure this is sun scorch?

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I have had a look at the photos. The leaves look to be suffering from a fungal infection, and pretty common if the leaves have been damaged previously, as seen on your earlier photos. Your shrubs are a bit stressed right now, but will recover.

    Just make sure you minimise shearing in the damp/wet weather and keep the blades clean and dry when shaping. Make sure the plant is watered consistently but also check regularly over the winter months that the pot is not blocked at the bottom. 
  • Martin GardenerMartin Gardener Posts: 70
    Borderline said:
    I have had a look at the photos. The leaves look to be suffering from a fungal infection,
    Thanks. Do you think it is box blight?

    I see these two items recommended on Amazon. Would they be the ones to go for?

    TOPBUXUS HEALTH-MIX, https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EWMLAOG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Scotts Miracle-Gro Fungus Clear Ultra https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0017RMKGM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I have never tried any of those products. It’s torally up to you if you want to try, but from my experience, fungal issues tend to be about either a plant’s health and surroundings or whether certain plants are more proned to it.

    I have only grown Buxus in the ground, never in a container. I suspect they are harder to manage and you need to make sure the soil gets watered and has decent drainage. Try to only prune once a year for now to minimise stress and limit spread. 
  • Martin GardenerMartin Gardener Posts: 70
    Thanks. The plants are in the same pot since I potted them from three years ago. I'm thinking of taking them out of the pots, removing some of the roots, replanting back in same pot with john inness 3. Would this be a good idea or it may stress the plant more?
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    That sounds like a good idea. Sometimes, the soil can be quite heavy. You can add some grit into the soil to make it more free draining. 
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