What is wrong with these boxwoods?

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iclavdivs Landenberg, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2011

I've seen so many boxwoods go brown and die over the years!

look at the picture every single one is affected in exactly the same way.

Strange how they're browning from the center but the tips are still green.

If these shrubs are lost - that's going to be an expensive loss.

there's webbing on the leaves (some belong to spiders but I think some are spider mites?)

I think I saw some mealybug clusters too - could that be the problem?

If so I'm thinking that bayer advanced tree and shrub (systemic) should help.

Thanks for ANY thoughts or guesses

(PS - sorry if this is the wrong forum for this - couldn't see a disease forum)

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iclavdivs Landenberg, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2011

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iclavdivs Landenberg, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 21, 2011

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firsttwelve South Bend, IN(Zone 5a) Jul 21, 2011

Boxwoods? Yuck. Why not try some native shrubs? Natives would supply much-needed food and shelter for our stressed wildlife and would need no watering, fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides. Boxwoods do not belong in PA. They rarely do well and have health problems. Stick with natives, you can't go wrong!

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iclavdivs Landenberg, PA(Zone 6b) Jul 22, 2011

Thanks for your response first twelve! obviously want to try and save due to the expense! But I'm trying to think of a broadleaf evergreen native to replace the boxwoods and I'm drawing a blank...

Also .. anyone else want to have a stab at diagnosis/treatment of the boxwoods? (they've been in this location for a few years and now suddenly this!)

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plantaholic186 Winnetka, IL Sep 18, 2011

It looks like winter damage, especially since it's all in the inside. The new growth looks healthy. Mites and mealybugs will not do terrible harm, but spraying them wouldn't hurt too much.

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trackinsand mid central, FL(Zone 9a) Oct 10, 2011

spider mites, on certain plants, can do considerable damage if left untreated. the trick with them is to keep the plant wet/misted with water or a soapy water spray for at least a week. you can hose them down in the evening so that the water sits on the plant over night. normally, night watering is frowned upon because of the risk of fungus but if you have spider mites, it is an easy and cheap way to get rid of them.
in a perfect world, i guess we'd all be using native plants exclusively (lol), but your boxwoods look pretty good to me overall and i don't see a reason in the world not to try and save them. they are a good size and replacements would be costly.

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koshki Grosse Pointe Shores, MI(Zone 6a) Mar 17, 2012

OP, this is kind of a stab in the dark, but do you use salt on your driveway in the winter? Salt damage was my first thought...

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