@Fairygirl , I apologise if my message was insufficiently clearly worded. I agree absolutely that the orange-ness is nothing to do with caterpillars , environmental stress and ( less likely but possible according to vitax ) nutrient deficiency. I just meant that my box nicely greened up with some fertilising ( very weak, mostly seaweed tonic so not heavy feed as such ) and plenty of water. Mine are also in containers ( albeit v big ones) so I thought my experience might help OP.
(Thank you for the info re the blight resistant varieties , I am/was already aware of them and recommended them a few weeks ago to MIL who is in somerset, don't have blight here ( so far anyway) - caterpillars decimate the plants enough to leave plenty of airflow!!!
Thanks everyone for the responses, they’re really helpful. I appreciate it.
I wondered whether it was because of too much water retention because the soil always feel saturated, clearly not.
These plants were planted in a decent depth of soil, but I’ve never checked whether the depth has reduced / sunk over time, so I will do that and replant if need be.
When planted they were planted with compost (yes, multi purpose) and accompanied with feed / growth liquid. I’ve used the latter since but not with any regularity. Similarly, I’ve not added compost on a regular basis either.
I’ll post a couple more photos tomorrow (when it’s light) as it would be great to get your advice on other parts of this hedging (not in the photos) as there’s a mixture of healthy / thriving buxus and orangey buxus. It would be good do know whether what’s been highlighted above is also the underlying issue with those too.
Oh - no need to apologise @Desi_in_London. I probably wasn't overly clear either. I just meant it was important to know how the plants were planted, and in what medium, because feeding alone won't help, and can be detrimental if a plant is struggling The moth/caterpillar is causing a lot of problems. Very difficult.
That's good to have that info @phillbo_. The problem is probably the compost and the fact that it hasn't been renewed or refreshed ,and therefore the plants are short of nutrients. Compost isn't really enough in terms of sustenance for shrubby plants long term. That's also why the level looks very low in the pix. It sinks down considerably over time, and the plants drop with it. However, the drainage is also important, so it might be worth removing one of the plants to see what the conditions are like if you think it could be the opposite, and they're permanently damp. They do look as if they've been subjected to dry conditions - ie climactic, possibly long term depending on where you're located, but the opposite could also be true, so the soil conditions at the base of those containers/patio edgings are important too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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(Thank you for the info re the blight resistant varieties , I am/was already aware of them and recommended them a few weeks ago to MIL who is in somerset, don't have blight here ( so far anyway) - caterpillars decimate the plants enough to leave plenty of airflow!!!
The moth/caterpillar is causing a lot of problems. Very difficult.
That's good to have that info @phillbo_. The problem is probably the compost and the fact that it hasn't been renewed or refreshed ,and therefore the plants are short of nutrients. Compost isn't really enough in terms of sustenance for shrubby plants long term. That's also why the level looks very low in the pix. It sinks down considerably over time, and the plants drop with it.
However, the drainage is also important, so it might be worth removing one of the plants to see what the conditions are like if you think it could be the opposite, and they're permanently damp. They do look as if they've been subjected to dry conditions - ie climactic, possibly long term depending on where you're located, but the opposite could also be true, so the soil conditions at the base of those containers/patio edgings are important too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...