How do i save my hedge?

jay22

For the past few months our hedge is getting worse. It works as a fence for us and now you can see through it. I’m not sure if it’s due to the rain we have been having or it’s pests. Half of it is pretty good but I can see it dying slowly. Has anyone had this issue or suggest what I can do to save it? Thanks

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @jay22. It's fantastic that you've joined us, and many thanks for your question about hedge care.

It's a bit hard to tell from the images, but do you have any idea what type of hedge it is? Perhaps an Escallonia Rubra or Tecoma Capensis?

Can you tell our helpful members a little more about the situation surrounding its decline? When did it start, are there any visible bugs on the leaves, have you fertilised at all, how's the drainage in this section, anything different happening at this end of the fence than the other?

Having an established hedge start to die that has survived many years and different conditions indicates something has changed. I suspect it's either a disease or some type of pest. If you can post a close-up image of some green leaves that are starting to be affected, it might assist in diagnosing the issue for you.

Mitchell

jay22

Thanks Mitchell

It’s a Tecoma Capensis.

There has been no reason for its decline other than it’s been raining a lot this past few months. I saw the neighbour got fibre and the construction was completed right next to the hedge where it is dying but I’m not sure that would be the reason.

Looking closer at it, I can’t see any bugs and it seems dry at the base of the hedge. It started around a a few months ago but I just assumed it was the rain so I thought it would come back slowly. I took some closer photos

thanks for your help

MitchellMc

Thanks for identifying the plant for us @jay22.

Given the wet conditions you've been experiencing and the brown spots on the leaves in the bottom picture, I'm starting to suspect some type of fungal infection or root rot. Fungal infections can manifest themselves as brown dots on the leaves that increase in size and merge together, turning the entire leaf brown before it drops. Remedies include ensuring adequate drainage so that the roots are not constantly moist, pruning away infected areas and destroying them away from the garden, clearing away all plant debris on the ground around the plant and applying copper-based fungicides.

Let me mention two of our knowledgeable plant experts, @Noelle and @Adam_W, to see if they had some thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Adam_W

Hi @jay22 , I'm thinking there may be a couple of things happening here. As @MitchellMc was leaning towards fungal problems sound like a distinct possibility however... can you fill us in a little more on the 'construction' work you mention for fibre? How much digging they did etc.

For a general purpose, low-tox fungicide, especially when you are not quite sure what you are dealing with, I've found a phos-acid based product such as Anti-Rot can be really effective.

EricL

Hi @Adam_W

Do you think it's worth digging into the roots to see if there is any root fungus? Some of the worker's tools may have been carrying contaminated soil from their last worksite and have now introduced that infection into the hedge.

Eric

Adam_W

@EricL as a rule it's better not to disturb roots any further reality is you may not even really be able to tell much anyway.
Yes, pathogen could have come in with tools but what I'm thinking is more likley is that roots were damaged during the work then wet weather followed which is the perfect scenario for a fungi that normally couldn't do much damage to roots being able to 'infect' the plants roots.

jay22

Hi Adam

I spoke with my neighbour and he said there was already a fibre cable sticking out so the worker didn’t have to do much other than bend the cable.

so I guess it is a fungal problem. When I get out of level 4 lockdown then I will go buy some products

thanks for everyones help!