Bede is correct the main part of the hedge is 60 feet or so long set in around 60 cms wide of soil with 3 meter drives either side. There is no grass around any of it that is next doors garden which is the other side of his drive. My drive is block & does drain very quickly so no shortage of water I also have dip sticked it to check if it's dry & it is not at all. Plants in the squares were set 2 years ago the other is around 30 years old & was in good condition until a year ago same time. During the Winter through to now June it was doing OK so something has affected this hedge recently. What is the question....
So - the healthy bit has 60 cms of width [or 1 metre, depending on which post is correct ] to grow in. That's very, very different from those tiny little areas the new plants have. They're struggling to get established well enough to cope if they've only been in a couple of years, especially in the weather conditions many areas have had, and there's no way to add new organic material to help them along because of the hard landscaping they're wedged into
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Whether it’s got plenty of soil, lots of water, it’s obviously not thriving, usually that is because it’s stressed in some way, leaving it open to disease and pests. Strong happy plants don’t succumb to damage like that.
If the OP thinks it’s fine in there then so be it.
No point in asking what’s wrong, then dismiss the answers.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
@valesmurkitt If you had the same problem last year but the plants recovered over the winter period and you now have a similar problem this year perhaps it's weather related as already mentioned. The "sticky stuff" is most likely Aphid related - a stressed plant will be more susceptible. Difficult to tell from the pics/information given whether the paving is mortared ( so no rain access ) or what the ground is like underneath the pavers. Whatever it consists of, it will surely have been compressed over the years and the hedge roots may be struggling with that as well as the weather. Obviously any advice given on here can only be based on the info given and you don't actually say how long ago you planted the hedge. From a personal point of view, I'd be tempted to lift some of the pavers to see what the ground is like and go on from there.
I'm sorry I don't have the amswer the OP needs, That's the problem wit forums we don't always come up with the a good diagnosis.
I've tried hard. I grew up with privet in a North country seaside town whre we had lots of privet as did everybody. AS the tide went in and out, the ground water (dialect = ream) went up and down, and drew in damp air whose moisture condensed. No need for rain. Soil: pure sand; who needs organic matter? Certainly not privet.
My problem with youthful over-exposure is that I am quite prepared to say: dump the privet, there are better hedge materials..
BTW. Don't judge my contribution by the spelling; my speeling is spot on; my typing not so good; today withthe curtaind drawn to keeo the roon cool, I can barely see.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Privet thrived in most areas back in the day - it was "the" hedge but things have changed a wee bit over the years in numerous ways I see no reason why any responder needs to apologise for not being able to solve another poster's query. You ask a garden/plant related query and you receive the benefit of others knowledge and expertise/experience. You can take it on board or not - if the advice doesn't help then you look further/elsewhere. Little point in asking for advice if you simply dismiss it out of hand. Perhaps the weather isn't just affecting Privet
This is the third year running that the OP has posted about problems with their privet … each time the problem seems to disappear over the cooler/wetter months.
To me that would indicate that the problem stems from the growing conditions and cultural practice.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
So - the healthy bit has 60 cms of width [or 1 metre, depending on which post is correct ] to grow in. That's very, very different from those tiny little areas the new plants have. They're struggling to get established well enough to cope if they've only been in a couple of years, especially in the weather conditions many areas have had, and there's no way to add new organic material to help them along because of the hard landscaping they're wedged into
This is the third year running that the OP has posted about problems with their privet … each time the problem seems to disappear over the cooler/wetter months.
To me that would indicate that the problem stems from the growing conditions and cultural practice.
You are not referring to the same privet the other was a yellow privet which none of you had an answer for..
Privet thrived in most areas back in the day - it was "the" hedge but things have changed a wee bit over the years in numerous ways I see no reason why any responder needs to apologise for not being able to solve another poster's query. You ask a garden/plant related query and you receive the benefit of others knowledge and expertise/experience. You can take it on board or not - if the advice doesn't help then you look further/elsewhere. Little point in asking for advice if you simply dismiss it out of hand. Perhaps the weather isn't just affecting Privet
I agree & I am not dissmissing it out of hand I am just correcting the so called issues given for the problem..
Privet thrived in most areas back in the day - it was "the" hedge but things have changed a wee bit over the years in numerous ways I see no reason why any responder needs to apologise for not being able to solve another poster's query. You ask a garden/plant related query and you receive the benefit of others knowledge and expertise/experience. You can take it on board or not - if the advice doesn't help then you look further/elsewhere. Little point in asking for advice if you simply dismiss it out of hand. Perhaps the weather isn't just affecting Privet
Posts
That's very, very different from those tiny little areas the new plants have. They're struggling to get established well enough to cope if they've only been in a couple of years, especially in the weather conditions many areas have had, and there's no way to add new organic material to help them along because of the hard landscaping they're wedged into
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Difficult to tell from the pics/information given whether the paving is mortared ( so no rain access ) or what the ground is like underneath the pavers. Whatever it consists of, it will surely have been compressed over the years and the hedge roots may be struggling with that as well as the weather.
Obviously any advice given on here can only be based on the info given and you don't actually say how long ago you planted the hedge.
From a personal point of view, I'd be tempted to lift some of the pavers to see what the ground is like and go on from there.
I've tried hard. I grew up with privet in a North country seaside town whre we had lots of privet as did everybody. AS the tide went in and out, the ground water (dialect = ream) went up and down, and drew in damp air whose moisture condensed. No need for rain. Soil: pure sand; who needs organic matter? Certainly not privet.
My problem with youthful over-exposure is that I am quite prepared to say: dump the privet, there are better hedge materials..
BTW. Don't judge my contribution by the spelling; my speeling is spot on; my typing not so good; today withthe curtaind drawn to keeo the roon cool, I can barely see.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I see no reason why any responder needs to apologise for not being able to solve another poster's query.
You ask a garden/plant related query and you receive the benefit of others knowledge and expertise/experience. You can take it on board or not - if the advice doesn't help then you look further/elsewhere. Little point in asking for advice if you simply dismiss it out of hand.
Perhaps the weather isn't just affecting Privet
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
But that's it the rest of it is affected too..
You are not referring to the same privet the other was a yellow privet which none of you had an answer for..