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Dying privet - and related others?
noeline.smith
Posts: 3
Hello - and help!
My 20ish year old privet hedge is dying in patches. This is happening along the hedge but not necessarily adjacent plants. The first plant began to die at the end of last summer.
The leaves brown and die and gradually the whole plant succumbs. 
In this instance (below) two branches from the same plant are in very different states of health - one fine and one dying/dead.
There are a couple of other facts to consider which may, or may not, have a bearing on this. My old apple tree (estimate 45 years old), which was close to the hedge and wasn't well, I thought with apple canker, was felled by Storm Eunice last year. It appeared to be slowly dying; the bark was flaky and branches dying off - when these were cut, the core of the branch was soft and rotting. As it turns out the whole trunk was rotten inside too.
About 12' from the apple tree is a mature winter honeysuckle and that too appears to be dying.
As all these plants are relatively close I'm afraid they might be being affected by the same ailment - but why aren't adjacent hedge plants?
Looking on line the most common answer to vaguely similar problems is Honey Fungus but I'm not yet convinced as I'm 'missing' some of the common signs. If it is, there's not much I can do anyway other than see what survives and go from there.
I'm really hoping these are not related problems and that my hedge can be saved. If anyone can shed any light on what this might be and what can be done I'd very much appreciate it.
Thank you
My 20ish year old privet hedge is dying in patches. This is happening along the hedge but not necessarily adjacent plants. The first plant began to die at the end of last summer.
The leaves brown and die and gradually the whole plant succumbs. In this instance (below) two branches from the same plant are in very different states of health - one fine and one dying/dead.There are a couple of other facts to consider which may, or may not, have a bearing on this. My old apple tree (estimate 45 years old), which was close to the hedge and wasn't well, I thought with apple canker, was felled by Storm Eunice last year. It appeared to be slowly dying; the bark was flaky and branches dying off - when these were cut, the core of the branch was soft and rotting. As it turns out the whole trunk was rotten inside too.About 12' from the apple tree is a mature winter honeysuckle and that too appears to be dying.As all these plants are relatively close I'm afraid they might be being affected by the same ailment - but why aren't adjacent hedge plants?Looking on line the most common answer to vaguely similar problems is Honey Fungus but I'm not yet convinced as I'm 'missing' some of the common signs. If it is, there's not much I can do anyway other than see what survives and go from there.
I'm really hoping these are not related problems and that my hedge can be saved. If anyone can shed any light on what this might be and what can be done I'd very much appreciate it.
Thank you
0
Posts
Anything else I should look for or any other suggestions as to what it might be?
I do remember that there have been several threads over the last year or so about privet hedges suddenly dying off. Nobody came up with a definitive solution.
So this july/august 2023, I have cut out all the dead pieces back as far as possible to the ground and planted 4 new privet plants in the gaps. I've also noticed that some plants which I cut back have new dark green growth around the base.
I also put some new soil/compost and a dry feed around the base of the hedge before watering well.
So here's hopes for some more new growth!
Privet is VERY susceptible to it.
Some very poorly plants are next to some which look V healthy, so I'd rule out heat / water issues.