Escallonia hedge dying?

Aslorn

The hedge has taken a turn for the worse again. Currently not too bad but several yellow and black spot leaves. Back to spraying and fertiliser. I still think it is better than previous years though so fingers still crossed. I'm using RoseClear and general purpose fertiliser

bunkadoo

hi, any updates on the hedges? my 6ft high one out the front stands leafless for the first time. it was always the healthiest looking in the street. last summer they were covered in black spots and now they are all gone. im sure the unusually harsh irish winter we had was instrumental in this. i really really want to go out and start cutting into it but am unsure if i should at this time of year. i have very rarely pruned it in the past and thought that is why it has come on so well over the 7 years it has been there. any advice?

Aslorn

Hi, I'm afraid I've a similar problem. Last year seemed to have licked the problem (I used roseclear and sprayed regularly - I don't know if this actually helped). This winter all the leaves dropped off and some are now coming back but all have the dreaded black spot. I also think weather is the issue. This year I'll try fertiliser at the roots and more roseclear. Fingers crossed!

bunkadoo

can you actually cut it back at this time of year? the tops are all dead looking and id love to get the cutters out to it. is thisz the wrong time to do this? im not a gardener by any means.

woody1

hi
i put down a new escallonia hedge 2 years ago and now after 2 very hard winters it look like its dead to me it took a battering last winter and i was surprised to see it come back reasonably well but this year i think has finished it off all of the branches are woody and brown no sign of green anywhere or any buds would ye think its a gonner or is it worth giving it another while

can anyone reccomend any alternatives hardy ones given the winters weve been having and probably will be having exposed / breezy site

have to say i was tempted to put in leilandii ( i know ) before i put the escallonia down and id be tempted to go that direction again

Aslorn

Woody,
I'd give the escallonia another season or two. It can seem to die right back and come back again. You should start to see new leaves soon. Its worth carrying on as it's a beautiful hedge. As to putting in leilandii! My first suggestion would be don't, if you are still considering it I'd refer you to my first suggestion!. I have some and I am seriously considering having them taken out!

woody1

ok we'll see how it goes for another few months and if there are any signs of improvement we'll leave it alone
so alternatives to leilandii then bear in mind this is a windy site

Brookfields

Hi - really pleased to find this thread. I was wondering about the Escallonia hedging we have on the ditch in our front garden. Similar problem as those everyone else is experiencing... the leaves developed black spots, turned yellow and all fell off. I did notice that just one plant went completely yellow and died - I probably should have removed this and the rest may have been OK. The hedging is now bare which is not great as we planted this hedge in order for our front garden to be private. I am hoping, after reading back through the whole thread that the hedge will start to bud in April and come back fully by the summer. I'll give it some time and see how it goes - would be a shame to pull it up after the time and money spent on it.

We are just making a decision about another hedge to plant elsewhere in the garden. We are going to go for either Griselinia which is lovely light green leaves and stays green all year round but I have just been told that this can die off too from the results of prolonged bad weather. The other option is to plant Laurel, which is the one I think we are going to go for. This seems quite hardy, with bigger light green leaves and seems to grow quite well in this area (Wexford).

pd1234

Hi, new to this website but find it very informative. I have an escallonia hedge about 200ft in length, 5-7ft high and 3-4ft in depth. During and after winter 2009 it lost 80% of its leaves. During and after winter 2010 it lost all its leaves. It is now completely bare. I brought some small cuttings into local co-op. They advised me to cut it down about 2-3ft and cut it back. Then apply a fertilser 10-10-20 at beginning of April. There are some small buds of new growth on the hedge thou you have to look hard to find them. Another tip is to slice off a piece of bark (like pealing a carrot) about 3-4" above ground level. If inside is greenish or whiteish and sappy it is not dead. Will keep you informed.

Worztron

I have heard from someone that there is an escallonia blight across the continent and is also here. Can someone else confirm this?

White dargo

Worztron wrote: »

I have heard from someone that there is an escallonia blight across the continent and is also here. Can someone else confirm this?

My hedge developed the black spots in the winter of 2008-09. It recovered in April 09 but the same problem recurred in the Autumn. The hedge recovered again in April 2010 but the problem recurred again in the winter just gone. Halfway through April now and there is no sign of a recovery this year. In fact it seems to be as dead as the proverbial dodo

I came across a message board today http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about4629.html There seems to be some informed opinion on there that the disease is Mycosphaerella escalloniae.

Possible solution here http://www.garden.ie/gardeningtroubles.aspx?id=1230

Worztron

White dargo wrote: »

Possible solution here http://www.garden.ie/gardeningtroubles.aspx?id=1230

Hi White dargo. Could you repost that link, it does not work.

White dargo

Worztron wrote: »

Hi White dargo. Could you repost that link, it does not work.

Working at this end Worztron . Here it is again anyway .

http://www.garden.ie/gardeningtroubles.aspx?id=1230

Worztron

White dargo wrote: »

Working at this end Worztron . Here it is again anyway .

http://www.garden.ie/gardeningtroubles.aspx?id=1230

Cheers White dargo. Yes, it works fine. That website must have been down when I tried that link earlier.