Boxwood/ peyonese issues - Ask Extension
I have a boxwood that has some areas that are struggling and a pink peyones that had healthy buds but some are blackening but some look fine and are b...
Knowledgebase
Boxwood/ peyonese issues #867771
Asked May 09, 2024, 3:07 PM EDT
I have a boxwood that has some areas that are struggling and a pink peyones that had healthy buds but some are blackening but some look fine and are blooming?
Harford County Maryland
Expert Response
Unfortunately the boxwood photo is too small for us to see clearly to diagnose. Do you have a larger version of the file that is at least 1MB in size you can resend?
You can also use our boxwood diagnostic page to compare symptoms to typical boxwood ailments. From what we can see, and based on the most common questions we get, Volutella Blight is a frequent cause of branch dieback, especially when boxwoods are pruned regularly by shearing the tip growth into dense shapes.
The peony symptoms look like Botrytis (also called Gray Mold), a common disease in wet weather that can affect flower buds, petals, and/or foliage. "Blasted" flower buds -- those that die before opening, turning brown -- can be killed by a variety of factors, but Botrytis is a frequent culprit. All you need to do for now is to snip off the dead buds and throw them out so they don't develop or spread more spores. Using a fungicide is not warranted and will not cure any existing disease, and while its use might suppress some infection going forward, the need for regular repeat sprays, the risk a spray may pose to other organisms (like pollinators), and the potential for ineffective treatment are all reasons we generally don't recommend their use in this type of situation.
Miri
You can also use our boxwood diagnostic page to compare symptoms to typical boxwood ailments. From what we can see, and based on the most common questions we get, Volutella Blight is a frequent cause of branch dieback, especially when boxwoods are pruned regularly by shearing the tip growth into dense shapes.
The peony symptoms look like Botrytis (also called Gray Mold), a common disease in wet weather that can affect flower buds, petals, and/or foliage. "Blasted" flower buds -- those that die before opening, turning brown -- can be killed by a variety of factors, but Botrytis is a frequent culprit. All you need to do for now is to snip off the dead buds and throw them out so they don't develop or spread more spores. Using a fungicide is not warranted and will not cure any existing disease, and while its use might suppress some infection going forward, the need for regular repeat sprays, the risk a spray may pose to other organisms (like pollinators), and the potential for ineffective treatment are all reasons we generally don't recommend their use in this type of situation.
Miri
