griselinia littoralis

Messynessy · April 2022

I had a new griselinia hedge planted by a gardener. The two on the end seem to be dying and the rest are not looking so good either. I’ve dug one out and put it in a pot as the end two, worst affected, were very close together. How can I help them please?

Plantminded · April 2022

That looks like leaf spot which Griselinia can unfortunately suffer from. You were right to remove the infected shrub as the fungus can spread quickly to neighbouring plants. The next thing to do is to remove the infected leaves and then decide whether to use a fungicide or a natural treatment. The attached link gives further details Griselinia Hedge Problems - Hopes Grove Nurseries

However, may I also suggest that you speak to the gardener about the source of these plants as they may have already been infected before being planted in your garden. Not an easy situation to deal with! If he is reasonable, he should seek recourse from the supplier on your behalf.

Pianoplayer · April 2022

Hi - I am also wondering about two other things: 1) have they been watered regularly? New plants need a lot to help them get established, and often hedges can be in a bit of a `rain shadow` eg if near a fence 2) the recent frosts might have damaged them.

Fairygirl · April 2022

Unfortunately, a lot of 'gardeners' - aren't.

Did he/she not give you any info on aftercare?
A photo of the rest of the hedge would also help, and info about how the ground was prepped, and when they were planted. Were they pot grown, or bare root?

Tanty2 · April 2022

I know this might seem like heresy, but Griselinia can be chopped right down (I sawed some of mine off at about four inches out the ground) and they will grow back. Immediately

I'd be tempted to lop this one off a little higher up and see what kind of growth comes back. I bought my Griselinia hedge from Trevena Cross Nursery online and got beautifully healthy, vibrant plants for a fantastic shipping price. Even the littlest plants I bought weren't as spindly as this one. I do think replacing your 'gardener' might be the healthiest thing for your garden

Plantminded · April 2022

I'd give the gardener a chance to redeem himself first before taking any drastic action. I'd also rule out frost damage as a cause, it tends to affect the youngest leaves at the tip of the stems and yours look still green.

Messynessy · April 2022

Thank you everyone. I’ve contacted the gardener, but no reply yet due to the bank holiday. He said to give them a shower but they shouldn’t need much water (?) I wasn’t convinced so I’ve been watering them when it doesn’t rain. We’ve not really had any frost here (south coast) so I don’t think it’s that. The sight is a border between lawn and a raised bed. It’s completely exposed so could wind have been a problem?

I’ve pulled off the damaged leaves on all of them and watered with baking powder for now. They were bare roots planted with compost and bonemeal.

Messynessy · April 2022

This is the only have photo I have at the moment. The soil is clay. There’s a day lily on the right but it’s not as close as it appears.

Plantminded · April 2022

These look like quite large plants for planting as bare roots. First check that they are planted at the right level - the point where the root and stem conjoin should be level with the soil surface. As your site is exposed, your plants will benefit from staking to avoid root disturbance. The plants will establish better if you reduce the stems by a third - this gives the roots time to establish themselves in order to support the stems and foliage above (the original root system will have been disturbed/broken/reduced when the plants were removed from the growing field). The plants should be kept moist but not waterlogged. A mulch of bark chippings or similar will help to retain moisture. Griselinia are quite robust plants and are often recommended for windy coastal situations so once the roots have had a chance to establish themselves your plants should do well now that you have removed the diseased/damaged foliage. Hope this helps!

Messynessy · April 2022

I noticed on a couple of them there are roots visible on the stems so I don’t think they’ve been planted deep enough either. We previously had a post and rail fence in the position but decided to replace it with a hedge. It’s dividing a sloping lawn from a raised bed down to a patio so it’s quite dangerous as we have small children. The gardener suggested griselinia and the size. I would have been happy to source and plant them myself but my other half wanted the job done quickly and properly. He already thinks they are too small and doesn’t understand they need time to establish. That makes cutting them back an issue. They are between 80-100cm. The raised bed they’re in is clay with slate chips on top so would have taken me a while to prep. Plus I’m only a beginner so I hoped it would be worth the investment. How often should I put the baking powder and should I put it on roses I have nearby as a preventative measure? Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it.

Plantminded · April 2022

As the rest of your plants look quite healthy (from the distance in your photo!), just keep an eye on them for the next two to three weeks. If they still appear to be struggling then have another think about reducing the height of the stems. These plants are fast growing and can grow 20-40 cm in a season. Trimming also encourages multiple budding further down the stems which will produce a thick hedge more quickly.

If your rose nearby is well established, I wouldn't be concerned about any disease spreading now that you have removed the damaged leaves.

Once your Griselinia gets established you will be pleased you have put it in that location in your garden - it makes a very attractive evergreen screen. I've been growing it for over 15 years as a hedge and as individual specimen shrubs and it has been very reliable and easy to maintain.

griselinia littoralis

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