I have this Boxus (I think) bush in my yard. I am in Southern New Jersey.
The bush has a section, as the lower left in the picture, that appears to have died a tragic death.
How can i care for the injury it has sustained?
Shall I remove the affected area? Remove the entire plant? Spray it with something?
Many thanks!
I think you mean buxus aka boxwood. extreme weather, over or underwatering will stress the plant to the point of death. IME, I have cut off the dead spot and very slowly the plant has filled up and recovered. However, it is a slow process and you'll have an ugly plant for a while. Most people take them out. Ck the soil for dampness or lack thereof and rectify b/c if condition continues you will most definitely lose entire plant.
I see an air conditioner behind these plants.
The hot air blowing out of the AC can dry the air around the boxwoods leaving them vulnerable to spider mites and other pests.
I would do the following:
1) Cut off the dead material, but about half way. If where you cut it is moist, and a little bit of green shows, then stop at that point, the plant could recover from there. If where you cut is dry and brown or tan, then cut off a bit more. Or, if the branch is broken, then cut it right below the break.
2) Check the soil for moisture. Stick a freshly sharpened wood pencil in the soil. Use a fairly new one (long) and stick it in 6" or so. If the wood comes out dark, that is OK, it is wet in the root zone. If the wood does not change color this is bad, the soil is dry down that far.
3) Deep soak the plants by laying a hose near them, and moving it around them to about 4-6 spots and running it slowly for a long time. This will vary with the soil type. The idea is to deep soak, then allow some air into the root zone before watering again. You might just need to do this a couple of times in the spring, but more often in the summer. If you get a good rain that can count as a watering.
Thank you both for your valuable advice. I will implement your strategies this weekend.
