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Nematodes
LadyDi
Posts: 22
I recently got a dog and didn’t want to use some of my methods for slugs bait ,eg beer traps So I thought the above would be a good idea but all my evergreens are turning yellow 😔
Help have I done them harm by using this ?
I thought they were ok to use on all plant beds and veg etc
Any help much appreciated ,thks lovely knowledgeable people
Any help much appreciated ,thks lovely knowledgeable people
0
Posts
Do you know what varieties your evergreen shrubs are ? It could just be coincidence that they are turning yellow and due to some other reason.
it said to apply when soil over 5 degrees constantly which it has been last few days,and they had to be used by end of week as they had an expiry date.
i used as per instructions,dilute in water then use that to add water and apply
My evergreen are topiary all are bux,but it’s only the ones I applied nematodes too that have gone yellow.
The ones in the pots are all still very green
Thanks
Any chance you could post a photo please ?
Hi,
Some photos posted ,no I don’t see any webbing.
Thanks for helping
I have a feeling it might be box blight, but l'm not 100% sure. I think @Topbird and @B3 had this problem, from looking at an old thread. Hopefully one or both of them may be able to confirm.
Well the discolouration does look similar to the after-effects of box blight but, if the discolouration has definitely only appeared after applying the nematodes, then perhaps that could be the culprit. Never heard of that before though. Could also be frost damage or hunger.
Personally, I have never, ever had a problem with slug damage to buxus - lots of other things but never buxus. If you thought the leaves were being eaten by something last year that is more likely to be the box caterpillar.
Box are tough old plants so, for now, I'd concentrate on giving them a good feed . I wouldn't use any more nematodes on them as I think that's a waste of time and money. Inspect them regularly and if you see any signs of the dreaded box caterpillar you can decide at that stage (and at that stage only) whether you want to go down the route of using an insecticide. Never, ever use insecticides 'just in case'. Like most of my forum friends I very rarely use insecticides because they are indiscriminate and kill off the goodies as well as the baddies.
As far as I know the box caterpillar is still confined to the south of the country but is spreading northwards. If you have a bad infestation it may be time to switch to yew or another topiary plant because they'll probably return year after year.
If you see tell tale signs of box blight appearing (mainly dark spots on the leaves) you can use a fungicide (Bayers) or a non-fungicidal product like Top Buxus - both of which should help to keep it under control. My hedges certainly succumbed to blight again in the very wet autumn last year.
Good luck!
So in summary should I just keep feeding them ,should I cut it back a bit ?
There are, however, also some small branches which are definitely Norwegian Blue dead. They can be cut out.
PS. Hope you understood the Monty Python reference!