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Privet hedge dying?

djbyrne26djbyrne26 Posts: 5
in Problem solving
In the last week I have noticed a section of our Privet (I think) hedge is dying. The leaves on this section are going brown, the branches look ok to me but near the base I have found an area of black/brown oozing. Does anyone know what this could be and what I should do about it? Thanks in advance.

Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    That doesn't look like a privet bush to me I'm afraid. the oozing would indicate a canker of some sort and I'm afraid the bush is probably dying.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Doesn’t look like privet to me either, when did the hedge last get a good pruning, you could try cutting it back and remove the dead branches but I’m not sure it will recover. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • djbyrne26djbyrne26 Posts: 5
    Haha, I was never sure it was a Privet but my hedge knowledge is severly lacking. It would have had good prune in the autumn. 
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    It’s Elaeagnus ebbingei, and as Lizzie has said, it’s probably canker.
    East Anglia
  • djbyrne26djbyrne26 Posts: 5
    Thanks very much for identifying the hedge! If its canker do I just cut the whole thing down? 
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    The trouble with that is it will leave a gaping big hole. Is it one bush or several? I don't know much about canker on stems - have you tried googling it? I expect some of our more knowledgeable posters might be able to advise.  
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • djbyrne26djbyrne26 Posts: 5
    It is the end plant in a line of 3, I started on google to no avail, that's why I posted here. Hoping for someone with much more experience then me to offer some advice.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    edited May 2019
    @djbyrne26   I also tried googling on 'canker in shrubs' after I posted and there wasn't a lot of detail. Basically the only thing advised was to cut off and burn the diseased branch if that is possible. It seems there is no treatment an amateur can buy to treat it. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. You just might be able to save the rest of the bush if you're lucky but that looked like a main trunk to me in the photo.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • djbyrne26djbyrne26 Posts: 5
    @Lizzie27 I was beginning to think cutting it down was our best/only option and you are right the last photo is the trunk and quite near the ground, so it's all or nothing if we cut it. Thanks for your help.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    No probs @djbyrne26, only sorry that it doesn't seem possible to save it.  On the bright side you might find that the extra space will give the bush next to it more room to spread out. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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