Buxus Blight

Garden Problems

Buxus blight is a disease of boxwood (box) hedging plants. It causes dieback and browning off of leaves and shoots.

Identify the problem
Buxus blight (box blight) is a disease caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola. It has become common in the UK, Europe and in New Zealand.
Buxus blight causes dieback and browning off of leaves of boxwood, which drop off. Stems become bare and sometimes with dark streaks.
To help identify the disease, place a few leaves in a plastic bag with a moist tissue for a few days. If white spores form, it is box blight. Spore masses of volutella (a similar dieback disease of box) will look pink.
How to solve the problem
Prevention
- We advise using PLANThealth Buxus Blight BusterorFungus Control to prevent spread of buxus blight
- Sterilize garden implements when trimming the buxus.
- Improve air flow around plants.
- Clear up and burn or dispose of dead leaves and other material around affected plants.
- Apply PLANThealth Buxus Feed to strengthen roots and stems, and stimulate resistance to disease.
Curative
If your buxus are already infected:
- Prune out all badly infected limbs. Sterilise your pruning equipment with dilute bleach or meths between plants.
- Clear away leaf litter from in and under the buxus.
- Spray PLANThealth Buxus Blight Buster or Fungus Control onto the foliage and drench the roots using a watering can.
Did you know?
- Buxus blight is also known as Box blight and is caused by two fungi - Cylindrocladium buxicola (UK), Cylindrocladium psuedonaviculatum (NZ) and Volutella buxi.