Boxwood Winter Kill Issues

[@tammygillettVictoryGarden]

this spring at church we had some damage over their first winter . I trimmed them back and then had surprise frost. So I had to run over and cover a long row like yours bc I wasnt sure if the cut edges be at risk. next year waiting longer

[@melindakantner9202]

You have great knowledge and information to share. Thank you for taking the time to help others!

[@jamesharburger8626]

Outstanding video. Addressed my problem perfectly. Thanks

[@skylerquinton1367]

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[@robertokai9921]

@Skyler Quinton instablaster :)

[@skylerquinton1367]

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[@skylerquinton1367]

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[@robertokai9921]

@Skyler Quinton no problem xD

[@IrvingNolasco]

this is so sad to hear. i live in south texas we just had a winter storm like never before my box wood hedge was so tall and green now i need to cut them all down :( thanks for the info btw!

[@michelelara5982]

Same here, I’m in Houston and I had a hedge of round pruned boxwoods, maybe half of them are burnt and won’t be coming back.

[@johnnovie3168]

us too, I'm in San Antonio, was hoping that there were some treatments we could use for our boxwood bushes, unfortunately not, 😕

[@teepam1522]

I’m in Dallas and same thing happened

[@bobbiwithane]

If you trim them during hot days can that kill them? I may have 🥺

[@WascoNursery]

Typically temperature does not hurt plants when they are trimmed. Trimming too much off at one time (of live growth), over / under watering, or fertilizing too much can kill them.

[@brandonnauman5917]

One of my three boxwoods looked exactly like these where it is basically full straw color. When I started to trim off the “dead” foliage, I noticed that every stem I cut was still green/alive inside. Do you think this boxwood has a chance to come back if the wood is still alive? Thanks!

[@WascoNursery]

Unfortunately, if the stem has no leaves / buds to grow from, the stem will eventually turn brown and die no matter what you do.

[@robertcruz5454]

Yes sir, I have a question. Here in the hot summers of June, July, I made a grave mistake and I transported about 8 Japanese boxwoods I had in the front yard to the background. Sadly about half of them died & turned yellow dry. Can you give me your thoughts as to why some made it and the others died? They were matured, big and beautiful. I had them soaked in water for about 30 minutes each while transporting them.

[@WascoNursery]

it probably relates to the percentage of roots that were cut versus what was left intact. You never know when transplanting something how wide it's roots spread. There is always a risk when transplanting more mature plants.

[@bdwolf3638]

Just the information I needed. Thanks.

[@WascoNursery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sherileepoetcmt]

3 days below zero IN A ROW in Pueblo, CO seemed to almost kill a line of boxwood I planted this last fall on my property. Will try cutting back brown leaves, but I have a feeling it is going to result in uprooting them and replacement. Can you recommend another privacy plant I might put in their place that would survive these brutal polar vortexes now dipping as far as into Texas? I was thinking maybe a few tall grass plants???

[@WascoNursery]

The panicum grasses (aka Switch Grass) would be a good choice as would Arrowood Viburnum.

[@lorraineorourke7480]

what about winterm jem boxwood, is it hard for NYS

[@jennyrico1861]

Do you know about eugenia topiary. I left them outside in the winter and the leaves don’t look good at all. Can you help? Thank you

[@WascoNursery]

Eugenia is more tropical - where do you live? In our area, Chicago, IL, Eugenia left outside would be dead.

[@yvonnebrown6067]

My 4 boxwoods died in the April freeze on 2019. I waited for the next 2 years and only a small portion of one bush survived. I am now ready to replace them. Do I just cut them down and remove root and transplant new one?

[@WascoNursery]

Yes. Cut them to the ground, then use a shovel to pop them out of the ground.

[@zaydawalsh3533]

I learned so much..thank you.

[@rosereal2319]

What kind of boxwood that I can grow in Zone 3, we always have a harsh winter every year..Any suggestion please? Thank you

[@WascoNursery]

Honestly, boxwood aren't going to be too hardy in zone 3. I would suggest Chicagoland Green if I was going to risk it...but you'd be better served by a hardier plant.

[@DJDOUBLE077]

This can also be lack of drainage...hence root rot. These plants prefer soil amendments such as COARSE sand improving drainage. They are sensitive to too much water. The only ones I had success with are in a raised bed. I'm realizing how important this is after losing many myself to the same condition...it really sucks. 😕

[@WascoNursery]

Most evergreens prefer well-drained environments compared to moist or wet areas. This specific case was due to winter damage, but we do see several cases each year of people overwatering boxwood and other evergreens. If you have wetter areas dwarf hemlock are great and tolerate a fair bit of moisture.

[@DJDOUBLE077]

@@WascoNursery thanks for the response. My boxwoods did great for two years but then the yellowing became a major issue. I haven't given up yet but it hurt my ego a bit. I'm going to give it another try to see if it's something I'm doing or if it's no longer worth planting box. I'll try propagating only the ones which look healthy and haven't been affected.

[@vin.handle]

How about spraying it with something like Wilt-Pruf to prevent the plant from drying out during the winter and even summer months?

[@WascoNursery]

In hindsight that may have helped some of the boxwood winter kill but the polar vortex during late winter of 2019 was brutal and probably would’ve killed many anyway. That being said I do recommend spraying broadleafed evergeens and other susceptible evergreens with anti-desiccant to prevent winter burn.

[@vin.handle]

@@WascoNursery Thanks, I am also going to try an anti-desiccant this summer for the first time to protect against the mid-day summer sun and heat.

[@vin.handle]

@Zoe Diedova I hadn't considered burlap. I was considering something called shade cloth. Is burlap something that garden professionals use? I'll likely use a combination of methods to protect against afternoon sun and heat in July and August.

[@sandyhayes9628]

I’m in Denver -any contacts out here that you know of that can help me with this very issue? I think I’ve lost all of mine after a weird weather last October.

[@vin.handle]

@@sandyhayes9628 I haven't used Wilt-Pruf yet, but a number of nurseries in my area of Zone 7 swear by it for the plants they keep in pots outside in the winter. Reviews on Amazon were also very positive. I am going to use it this winter because I had the same problem. Here is the website. wiltpruf.com/

[@gottago_joe]

Thankyou for the video am down in south texas and most of mine died last year due to the snow and ice (which is rare!) that we got, I'm planning on digging them up could you suggest another type of shrub I could plant that will not be so sensitive to the weather I'm in San Antonio Texas and looking to make a hedge row

[@WascoNursery]

Hello, if you’re looking for something like what you had, maybe just go with a more northern hardy version of boxwood. Green Velvet Boxwood is very common in the trade and can handle -20°F

[@tinac7921]

The soil is too wet u need to but some gravel so moisture drains do not water box on top akways water at root

[@charlieb6001]

Thanks, Matt. Interesting video and confirms what has happened to my hedge here in UK. 😥 btw Off topic. I detect some Northern Irish in your accent, is that your region or are you originally from Ireland?

[@WascoNursery]

Thanks for watching. No Irish in me…born and raised in the Midwest of the USA

[@jamesn7156]

Are Winter Gem ok for Northern Illinois? I planted a couple this year. $10 from Home Depot. Do I need to turn these into house plants?

[@WascoNursery]

sorry for the slow reply, for some reason some comments were hidden from me. Winter Gem is just so-so in terms of hardiness for No. Illinois. Definitely not the hardiest.

[@lalaydade3364]

I am afraid we have boxwood blight on our large mature hedges. They have leave spots like a fungus and new growth is yellowing and falling off. I live in Oklahoma city and have no idea how it happened? I have noticed the bark is bad too, it has a grey/black veining. Some area's on each bush are just bare "dead" and there are these ugly leave spots. I am beyond sad! It may have been the 2021 freeze? I thought we had lost them but in spring they bounced back a bit just not very healthy looking. We trimmed in spring and it got worse. I hate that we have to find a way to remove this area that has been an important part of our front yard. We love to put Halloween and Christmas light on them, they are the bones of our front garden. I am wondering if anyone has suggestion for replacement plants?

[@WascoNursery]

Sorry to hear about your boxwoods. It is unlikely that they are getting Boxwood Blight, since it is very uncommon in the US. However, if they are dying for some other reason, I recommend Yew Bushes (Taxus sp.), Arborvitae Bushes (Thuja occidentalis 'Woodwardii' - or similar), or deciduous plants such as dwarf lilacs (Syringa meyeri - or similar). All of these make good replacements for boxwoods, depending on the location.

[@ElenaAshe]

How many months does new growth on boxwood need to harden for winter?

[@WascoNursery]

At least 1 month.

[@tammygillettVictoryGarden]

What kind is planted here? WhT zone are you?

[@WascoNursery]

Zone 5

[@URBLuvd]

Trim boxwood in the spring not the fall to give new growth time to harden off.

[@JustinJohn-j4r]

Your friend's name is King?

[@tinac7921]

When u grow them small like that they will all catch what the other has u need to plant them a foot apart

[@WascoNursery]

This is inaccurate information-boxwood grow very well next to each other and if they are spaced a foot apart as you suggest they would still “catch” whatever a neighboring plant has.

[@kayl0427]

Great video 👍🏻

[@chrisandpattyfowler5108]

Thanks! That helped

[@WascoNursery]

Glad it helped!

[@MrNeon88]

Your boxwood is suffering from box blight due to fungus from the colour of the leaves

[@WascoNursery]

Actually, the damage shown in this video is due to winter damage. Boxwood blight is becoming a more prevalent issue though, especially in the UK.