Sickly privet hedge?
SarahJH2
Posts: 2
Hello!
We've got a lot of very well established hedge (must be 30 years old or more) - mostly privet, but with smatterings of other stuff (hawthorn, yew, etc.) In a couple of places the privet is looking a tad sickly. In one area we have patches of die back, with some spotting on nearby leaves:
In others we've got less die back, but spotting and yellowing of leaves:
Have come across reference to 'honey fungus' but not sure that that presents with leaf spots? Had a very quick look and couldn't see any of the signs at first glance - but then the base of the hedge is chock-a-block with ivy (which could be part of the problem??).
Grateful for any thoughts / advice people may have - can't say that cutting the hedges every year is our favourite activity, but the birdlife does love them!
Many thanks for any help!
Sarah
Posts
It'd be a good way of getting the debris from the bottom of the hedge Buddyboy - maybe the neighbour would let her do it from their side of the hedge and blow the debris through to Sarah's garden where it could be cleared up and burnt?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Depends how nice the neighbour is though...
I think the gunk collecting round the bottom of hedges is often an issue of some kind, and good airflow is a big factor with the health of a hedge. We often forget about that bit
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Although, of course at this time of year the debris in the bottom of hedges is just what the hedgehogs need for hibernation
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A happy medium perhaps
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
At our last house the neighbour's garden was like that - at least we got the benefit of the wildlife who lived there and came into our garden to play and disport themselves
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks Buddyboy - that's really useful - will proceed as advised and keep my fingers crossed! The neighbours are friendly, so can sort things out with them no problem - besides which their crimson maple tree is shedding leaves all over our garden at the moment!
All gardening intervenes with 'natural' growth, but it does beg the question as to what we should expect from our gardens. To fight nature in order to create a received idea of what is 'right' seems mad. But many people feel affronted when it is suggested that they not use chemicals to the extent that they do. They see it as a right to poison their own space, because it is their own and because it is 'bad science' to eschew chemicals.
Armillaria is not a plague. It exists primarily to recycle nutrients in dead wood, making them more accessible to insects to digest and return to the soil. We should consider this as a way for the garden to recreate it's balance, which may take several years.
are we about to see all the old HF and general fungal thread resurrected?
In the sticks near Peterborough
Nothing til now.Jo
In the sticks near Peterborough
Looks like it does
In the sticks near Peterborough