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Trees and shrubs have died TWICE
Hi....
SO the false red plum trees and privet hedges at the front of our property have been there for a good 30 years or more . The privet goes around the whole property of 1/3 acre and is a good 8 foot tall. Healthy. There is a line of plum trees behind the privet at about 3 foot distance from hedge.
Suddenly 2 years ago, one patch, a length of approx 10 foot of the privet, and 2 trees and some shrubs in the border all died completely within about 6 months - gone!
Weve had all of the plants and trees removed. The soil was totally dug out and taken away to a good depth by professional landscapers. New soil put down, fertilizer and new privet planted - it did well for a while - now its dying again! Ive treated it for honey fungus (not ideal I know but we are desperate) but still they are dying. The rest of the hedge and border (which links to it, there is no brake) is perfectly healthy.
The gas board have been out to replace pipes and so they even checked for me that is wasn't a gas leak!
The front of our house looks such a mess as one half has a hedge and trees and the other half is open to the road to onlookers...plus I dont know what to do now!! Should I replant? WHAT can I replant? Will it be an open ugly space for ever?....We are getting stressed about it now.
ANY advice or suggestions or options would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much
Yours-in-need
Jen xx
SO the false red plum trees and privet hedges at the front of our property have been there for a good 30 years or more . The privet goes around the whole property of 1/3 acre and is a good 8 foot tall. Healthy. There is a line of plum trees behind the privet at about 3 foot distance from hedge.
Suddenly 2 years ago, one patch, a length of approx 10 foot of the privet, and 2 trees and some shrubs in the border all died completely within about 6 months - gone!

Weve had all of the plants and trees removed. The soil was totally dug out and taken away to a good depth by professional landscapers. New soil put down, fertilizer and new privet planted - it did well for a while - now its dying again! Ive treated it for honey fungus (not ideal I know but we are desperate) but still they are dying. The rest of the hedge and border (which links to it, there is no brake) is perfectly healthy.
The gas board have been out to replace pipes and so they even checked for me that is wasn't a gas leak!
The front of our house looks such a mess as one half has a hedge and trees and the other half is open to the road to onlookers...plus I dont know what to do now!! Should I replant? WHAT can I replant? Will it be an open ugly space for ever?....We are getting stressed about it now.
ANY advice or suggestions or options would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much
Yours-in-need
Jen xx
0
Posts
Have you talked to the landscapers again? Did they guarantee their work at all? It might be worth contacting them if you haven't already done so.
I would be very wary of re-planting anything at the moment unless you can identify the problem. If you are a member of the RHS, you can get good advice from them so it may be worth a subscription!
Ultimately you may just have to have a fence instead.
Normally l'd hazard a guess at a weather related problem, stress due to drought etc, but the fact that it happened in the one section and then did it again after all the soil was replaced has me stumped. Did you find any traces of honey fungus?
My only other thought would be some type of weedkiller? If it's near the road maybe the Council have been spraying.
Any photos of the site from when it was looking bad?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...