Whatever killed the hedge sadly also seems to have killed my new neighbor’s hedge too. Maybe box tree caterpillars?
UrbanManc
Use red robin and while you’re at it, remove those conifers, they’re nothing but trouble
PM_me_tiny_Tatras
It’s not dead, its leaves have been eaten 🐛. They will grow back slowly. You’ll need to apply pesticides (e.g. Provanto Smart Bug Killer) fortnightly until late autumn if you don’t want to replace it.
Japanese Holly (*Ilex Crenata*), Dwarf Photinia Red Robin, Escallonias and Privet are some alternatives.
h4tess
Privet is extremely robust.
phoenixfeet72
Some lavenders would be a nice addition there. Much more interesting, pollinator friendly, maintainable and pretty than a privet hedge!
Not going to reach 6 foot but will definitely fill that hole nicely
peonyhen
It’s been a good year if you’re a box caterpillar. They’ve caused problems for us too. The hedge might not actually be dead. Defoliated and vulnerable, but it might come back.
What we did:
1.BLASTED with the hose. This achieved 2 things – knocked loads of the caterpillars off for easy pickings for the birds and also washed away the webbing the caterpillars leave that also protects them from predators too.
2. Cut it back by about a third. The roots and stems are undamaged by the caterpillars. Again, it opens things up for the birds to get the caterpillars and reduces stress across the whole plant.
3. Treat it with TLC – mulch, fertilise, water.
4. Repeat with the hose when you see the caterpillar webbing.
And we have buds of new leaves coming through.
I can’t comment on the efficacy of the pesticides as we don’t spray.
Doris_Stokes
Barbed wire.👌🇬🇧
Sasspishus
I think hawthorn is a brilliant garden hedge. A bit spiky, but excellent for birds and bees and insects of all kinds! Grows quickly, grows tall if you let it, and it can be cut way back without dying.
Entire_Eggplant_5898
Wild flowers
mooserider2020
Lavender makes a lovely alternative to a hedge and looks and smells brilliant
Ukbutton
A live one… Sorry
UnlabelledSpaghetti
Lonicera nitida could achieve a similar look and is pretty robust.
Paracompass
A blackberry one? Might take some time to grow though but then you get fruit sooo win win?
Tink_GB
Do what every selfish, un-enviromental one is doing to stop others parking outside…turn it into a driveway…councils are killing our gardens by agreeing to destroy wildlife habitat
mitchyk84
A live hedge
DickSpin79
Topbuxus XenTari Boxwood natural insecticide works every time for me
IKnowWhereImGoing
I went for Texas Privet for our hedge. It’s evergreen, compact, flowers beautifully and the bees love it. It is very happy in its full-sun spot in pretty ropey clay soil on the front. If left unchecked it can get to 7-8 ft tall, but it responds very well to being firmly pruned once a year (plus it didn’t even die that one time a neighbour hacked the hell out of the poor thing). I guess a lot depends on how much privacy you want, plus the existing light levels in your home.
Fuq2asshole
2 dead hedges?
Zal_17
A couple of years ago I planted some Lambs Ear that I got cheaply at B&Q after they were on death’s door there.
They’ve spread now and cover the ground wonderfully, they’ve probably multiplied tenfold. Bees absolutely love them too, and really nice looking in summer. Need a little maintenance in winter though to remove the dead bits.
Fine_Gur_1764
We lost a whole hedge to box caterpillars this year.
Lavender would look lovely.
Talwin3k
Mutant Venus flytrap to get rid of all the irritating ppl trying to sell you stuff you don’t want
WeHaveBeenLied2
Tank mines
thewingsofcastiel
An alive hedge?
dervlen22
Rosemary hedge .
I planted a rosemary as a low hedge , planted in a W shape formation .
Loads of insect life ( bee’s especially ) and it evergreen
Think I’d want to figure out what killed a clearly healthy plant first tbh or you could be on a losing battle of some form of blight or pest or some nastiness.
33 Comments
Unfortunately this previously lovely box(?) hedge appears to be dead. Would really appreciate any recommendations on what to replace it with!
* Orientation: South-East facing
* Location: South-West England
* Soil type: Unsure – clay-y?
* Target final height: 3-6ft
* Target cost: £Affordable
Whatever killed the hedge sadly also seems to have killed my new neighbor’s hedge too. Maybe box tree caterpillars?
Use red robin and while you’re at it, remove those conifers, they’re nothing but trouble
It’s not dead, its leaves have been eaten 🐛. They will grow back slowly. You’ll need to apply pesticides (e.g. Provanto Smart Bug Killer) fortnightly until late autumn if you don’t want to replace it.
Japanese Holly (*Ilex Crenata*), Dwarf Photinia Red Robin, Escallonias and Privet are some alternatives.
Privet is extremely robust.
Some lavenders would be a nice addition there. Much more interesting, pollinator friendly, maintainable and pretty than a privet hedge!
Not going to reach 6 foot but will definitely fill that hole nicely
It’s been a good year if you’re a box caterpillar. They’ve caused problems for us too. The hedge might not actually be dead. Defoliated and vulnerable, but it might come back.
What we did:
1.BLASTED with the hose. This achieved 2 things – knocked loads of the caterpillars off for easy pickings for the birds and also washed away the webbing the caterpillars leave that also protects them from predators too.
2. Cut it back by about a third. The roots and stems are undamaged by the caterpillars. Again, it opens things up for the birds to get the caterpillars and reduces stress across the whole plant.
3. Treat it with TLC – mulch, fertilise, water.
4. Repeat with the hose when you see the caterpillar webbing.
And we have buds of new leaves coming through.
I can’t comment on the efficacy of the pesticides as we don’t spray.
Barbed wire.👌🇬🇧
I think hawthorn is a brilliant garden hedge. A bit spiky, but excellent for birds and bees and insects of all kinds! Grows quickly, grows tall if you let it, and it can be cut way back without dying.
Wild flowers
Lavender makes a lovely alternative to a hedge and looks and smells brilliant
A live one… Sorry
Lonicera nitida could achieve a similar look and is pretty robust.
A blackberry one? Might take some time to grow though but then you get fruit sooo win win?
Do what every selfish, un-enviromental one is doing to stop others parking outside…turn it into a driveway…councils are killing our gardens by agreeing to destroy wildlife habitat
A live hedge
Topbuxus XenTari Boxwood natural insecticide works every time for me
I went for Texas Privet for our hedge. It’s evergreen, compact, flowers beautifully and the bees love it. It is very happy in its full-sun spot in pretty ropey clay soil on the front. If left unchecked it can get to 7-8 ft tall, but it responds very well to being firmly pruned once a year (plus it didn’t even die that one time a neighbour hacked the hell out of the poor thing). I guess a lot depends on how much privacy you want, plus the existing light levels in your home.
2 dead hedges?
A couple of years ago I planted some Lambs Ear that I got cheaply at B&Q after they were on death’s door there.
They’ve spread now and cover the ground wonderfully, they’ve probably multiplied tenfold. Bees absolutely love them too, and really nice looking in summer. Need a little maintenance in winter though to remove the dead bits.
We lost a whole hedge to box caterpillars this year.
Lavender would look lovely.
Mutant Venus flytrap to get rid of all the irritating ppl trying to sell you stuff you don’t want
Tank mines
An alive hedge?
Rosemary hedge .
I planted a rosemary as a low hedge , planted in a W shape formation .
Loads of insect life ( bee’s especially ) and it evergreen
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-rosemary/
How about some nice euonymus
It’s not dead, it’s resting.
A live one
A small moat?? /S
Fucking box catepillars
Red Robins
Think I’d want to figure out what killed a clearly healthy plant first tbh or you could be on a losing battle of some form of blight or pest or some nastiness.
privet