What is happening with these boxwoods? (pics)

13 years ago

The other 30 or so are fine... just these 2. They are next to eachother. At first I thought it was because I hadn't watered enough early in the season, but on the porch above them are some impatiens in planters. The impatiens ended up with spider mites which I am currently treating. You can see in one of the pictures there is webbing on the boxwoods. Are they infested and maybe this is where they came from? From what I've read, the damage doesn't look like mites... The leaves look fine (no white discoloration) it's just they are dying out on the inside.

I notice grayish garden spiders (the ones that look like wolf spiders) on the webs... so maybe the webbing is from them and not mites. Any opinions?

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Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
spider mites dont make webs ... unless i killed that brain cell ...

go walk under the biggest tree you can find.. interior leaves are few ... no leaf can live in the dark ... so, interior browning or leaf loss should be normal.. especially as your grow so lushly ...

i would look to mechanical injury.. like how was all that pretty mulch applied.. or was the bed rototilled.. or a lawnmower ... or the drunken mailman fell in them ....

look at the back of the leaves.. for any type of bug ...

but you also might have a problem from the spilling water from the planters above ... i dont think there is any proof that boxwood like a waterfall scenario ... especially if you are fert'ing that above.. and burned that below ....

ken
joannemb
Original Author
13 years ago
The very teeny tiny red mites I see on the impatiens (2 of which have no more leaves left) do spin webs... see link below.

They are about 2 ft. away from the porch, so there is no one walking by them, no one mowing by them.... and I water the planters right into the soil---so there is no water spilling on them. The mulching---now, that could have been an issue. Just made me wonder when a man at the nursery mentioned "Well, spider mites don't just hop up onto your impatiens... look around, what is nearby--where could they have come from." Only thing by them is the boxwoods, 2 of which are damaged. Just want to head off any issue this time from the start--if there is indeed one. If I had caught the impatiens earlier I might have been able to save the gonners.

Here is a link that might be useful: spider mites
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User
13 years ago
Joann,
I think you are right.
I can see webs myself.
I recently bought a pesticide made by Raid that is totally natural from Walmart and used it on my wisteria and my roses. (The wisteria was really bad).
It works!
Try it on your boxwood.
Early in the morning.
Spray it where those little fine webs are and some on the inside.
Please post back when you get a chance, I am curious to see if that clears the situation up for you.
joannemb
Original Author
13 years ago
Well, I treated them with an organic spider mite spray, and routinely am spraying them down with the hose. I also bought some neem oil and am spritzing them with that as well just as a preventative measure since I clearly have spider mites in the area (by the new guineas.) I did happen to ask someone at the nursery who asked if I could bring in a sample of the damaged leaves.... I replied that there are really no damaged leaves to bring in... just die back and a scattering of leaves on the ground below. She said it sounded like normal evergreen shedding, and as long as I have green tips I'm in ok shape. Any opinions?
auhort1990
13 years ago
I honestly do not think its spider mites. The leaves do not have any sign of the mottling that is spider mite damage. I know spider mites can make webs but I usually see the webs when there is a severe mite infestation and alot of damage. As for your problem though, I have no idea.
gracie01 zone5 SW of Chicago
13 years ago
I have the same thing on just one of mine. I think the large male dog next door is using it for making his territory.
joannemb
Original Author
13 years ago
gracie---I never thought of that! I catch the black lab next door (who is never on a leash) doing that quite often in my bushes. Never thought it would really harm them though... Little stinker.
joannemb
Original Author
13 years ago
It IS the dog! I caught him again going through the beds and guess which shrubs he went to do his business on? The 2 that are dying out in the middle! I said something to my neighbor (nicely) and will hopefully keep him from continuing this, but will these 2 recover next year? Should I do anything to encourage new growth, or just leave them be and be patient?
gracie01 zone5 SW of Chicago
13 years ago
It could be that the urine is killing the leaves only. In that case they should recover.