Help please Leylandii castlewellan brown patches?

[shei111]

Hello Weve got a 10 foot high 3 foot wide thick castlewellan leylandii hedge at least 27 foot long, weve noticed this year that it has some very dead looking brown patches on it its not all over the hedge but we have about 5 foot long so far half way up. Its not in the shade and has been kept well trimmed over the years can some one throw some ligh on the problem please, could it be aphids ? thanks alot sheila

[Kayleigh]

Hi Sheila,
Could it be wind scorch, winter damage maybe..

[shei111]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Hi Sheila,
Could it be wind scorch, winter damage maybe..

Hello Kayleigh well it could be we havent a clue really I just went up top of garden and felt it between my fingers and it just crumbles away bit of a worry, never mind perhaps other members know what it could be thanks anyway for your reply sheila

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by shei111

Hello Kayleigh well it could be we havent a clue really I just went up top of garden and felt it between my fingers and it just crumbles away bit of a worry, never mind perhaps other members know what it could be thanks anyway for your reply sheila

This is a problem that seems to have come into prominence over the last year or so. I have it in some conifers in my garden, the guy next door has just taken down a couple that had just got worse and worse.

In all cases, I can find at least one cause of stress. The worst of my conifers is the one in a line that is in very dry ground (virtually under the porch (Porsche?)), the ones next door have outgrown the tubs they are in, and when we dug them out (I bash things and look after his computer, he cuts the shared lawn), they had Vine Weevil problems, not many but some.

None of these problems are likely to cause the damage that has been apparent, but I have been told that there is some beastie (can't be more accurate) that is very difficult to see that is causing this damage.

Not much help, sorry. Dig it up and plant something more interesting.

[Seajay]

Have you only just noticed it or was it there last year? A very bad infestation of red spider or conifer aphid could cause the damage but I doubt if either are around in any great numbers at the moment. Another possibility could be one of the cankers. They can run some distance up the side of the trunk and any branches contained in the area will be affected. You will need to have a close look. Insects can be controlled and canker is unlikely to kill a leylandii tree.
It is a shame as Castlewellan Gold makes a beautiful hedge if looked after and contrary to popular opinion is excellent for wildlife. I have one kept to 6ft and clipped to a wedge shape. It is like a marquee for birds in winter giving warmth and protection as well as insects.

Colin

[therealbobbo]

Has it been cut back too far,some cypresses dont grow back,if they're cut back,past geen growth!

[shei111]

Thanks so much for replies I will go and check it out for canker aphids this morning. yes its a beautiful hedge its very neat and its been well looked after before we moved here I was told it was trimmed may and september every year its never had to be cut drastically because of its twice yearly trims, an as you say its a haven for wildlife,its a back garden boundty so I definately dont want to lose it. thanks so much, Im still open to more suggestions if anyone has them sheila

[shei111]

Originally Posted by Seajay

Have you only just noticed it or was it there last year? A very bad infestation of red spider or conifer aphid could cause the damage but I doubt if either are around in any great numbers at the moment. Another possibility could be one of the cankers. They can run some distance up the side of the trunk and any branches contained in the area will be affected. You will need to have a close look. Insects can be controlled and canker is unlikely to kill a leylandii tree.
It is a shame as Castlewellan Gold makes a beautiful hedge if looked after and contrary to popular opinion is excellent for wildlife. I have one kept to 6ft and clipped to a wedge shape. It is like a marquee for birds in winter giving warmth and protection as well as insects.

Colin

Hello colin we have given the hedge a good medical with a magnifying glass cant seem to find any creepy crawlies of any sort. We first noticed the hedge going brown january this year. As ive said its a very mature hedge always been well maintained both sides and top I wouldnt have thought by the looks of it that its ever had a drastic cut back , we did wonder whether it is possibly dry at the roots ? because as you know with a very thick hedge it can still be very dry even after torrential downpours ? sheila

[Kayleigh]

Hi Sheila, you could try a feed. I don't know what else to do. You seem a better gardener than me anyway.

[shei111]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Hi Sheila, you could try a feed. I don't know what else to do. You seem a better gardener than me anyway.

Hello kayleigh I did give them a good soaking tonight with hose , I will do that every night for a month to see if that helps, it may be too late for the first lot with brown patches , but if it is water shortage I should be able to save the other 20 odd feet from going brown See how it goes from there thanks alot sheila

[Seajay]

Sheila, are the patches circular as you stand and look at the hedge or do they start from ground level and go so far up the tree? What I am getting at is if it is water shortage the older branches will probably be kept short of water at the bottom and go brown. If the patches are in the centre of the hedge wall as you stand and look at it then it is aphids, red spider or the disease called canker and what is happening sap is either being taken by insects or stopped flowing by canker. Some cankers emit a resin from the trunk or branches, did you see anything like that? The canker patch could be on one side of the trunk and could be as long as a few feet thus encompassing several branches which will die thus producing brown patches.
Should the patch be from ground level please remember if a tree stands in water it can be as bad as having none at all. You weren't hit by floods last year were you? The water table may be very high but water problems are in my opinion extremely unlikely as it is an old and established hedge.
Another possibility is damage from chemicals or a bonfire?
If this doesn't help I'll try on the net and see if there is any new disease on the loose. I'll also check and see if trees affected by canker can be removed and replaced by the same species/variety straight away or whether you have to wait 100 years Young plants will quickly grow to fill any gaps if you revitalise the soil. It will look odd at first but in a few years time all will be well I'm sure.

Colin

[shei111]

Originally Posted by Seajay

Sheila, are the patches circular as you stand and look at the hedge or do they start from ground level and go so far up the tree? What I am getting at is if it is water shortage the older branches will probably be kept short of water at the bottom and go brown. If the patches are in the centre of the hedge wall as you stand and look at it then it is aphids, red spider or the disease called canker and what is happening sap is either being taken by insects or stopped flowing by canker. Some cankers emit a resin from the trunk or branches, did you see anything like that? The canker patch could be on one side of the trunk and could be as long as a few feet thus encompassing several branches which will die thus producing brown patches.
Should the patch be from ground level please remember if a tree stands in water it can be as bad as having none at all. You weren't hit by floods last year were you? The water table may be very high but water problems are in my opinion extremely unlikely as it is an old and established hedge.
Another possibility is damage from chemicals or a bonfire?
If this doesn't help I'll try on the net and see if there is any new disease on the loose. I'll also check and see if trees affected by canker can be removed and replaced by the same species/variety straight away or whether you have to wait 100 years Young plants will quickly grow to fill any gaps if you revitalise the soil. It will look odd at first but in a few years time all will be well I'm sure.

Colin

Hello colin thanks for the reply I will answer your questions as we go; the patches are from top to bottom, there was no resin evident, we do not use chemicals and have not suffered severe flooding ,we dont have bonfires and behind the hedge on the other side its just a meadow it is not farmed, the council just cut it once a month in the summer.We did go around to the other side and it too is brown. When you feel what was green hedge between your fingers its now brown and crumbling, Id hate to think how quick it would go if a match was put in it. Under the hedge its as dry as chalk The hedge stand on level ground and we have never had water logging problems are soil is also nuetral I did a test when I first started planting all the birches etc.Thanks for your help much appreciated sheila

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by shei111

Hello colin We first noticed the hedge going brown january this year. As ive said its a very mature hedge always been well maintained both sides and top I wouldnt have thought by the looks of it that its ever had a drastic cut back , we did wonder whether it is possibly dry at the roots ? because as you know with a very thick hedge it can still be very dry even after torrential downpours ? sheila

If the symptoms began in January the cause is very unlikely to be drought or insect attack. Wind scorch would likely appear most prominently on one side only , however scorch could be the entry point for a fungal disease. The following US site gives a good list of the potential culprits:

Diseases of Leyland Cypress

Pruning and removal of the dead elements seems essential, followed by spraying with Bordeaux Mixture (copper based and accepted in organic contexts) as a precaution.

CM

[Seajay]

Hi again Sheila Well that's good there are no signs of canker!
The soil is always dry under a conifer hedge - the feeding roots are outside the leaf canopy. I checked on the RHS web site and if it was conifer aphid it strikes very early in the year and moves on so what you need to do is get the hedge moving again. Feed it and water it and if poss mulch along the length of the hedge both sides. Cut out the dead wood and burn it. This will leave gaps which would eventually fill but you can box clever and pull some branches around from the sides with rope and tie them to other trunks to hold them were you want them, partially filling the spaces. You should have a lovely hedge again quite quickly.
One caveat is to be careful when trimming. Do not cut too far into the old foliage in the Autumn as the tree will not have time to regrow before the onset of bitterly cold winds in Winter. This could also be a cause of brown hedges. When we get an easterly here in Lincolnshire during a bad winter it is like a knife of ice.
Anyway hope alll this is of some help.

Colin

[shei111]

Hello Well we decided to spray the entire hedge with bordeaux mixture as advised by a member, thats about all we can do for now so we will keep our fingers crossed . many thanks for all your help it is very much appreciated sheila

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by shei111

Hello Well we decided to spray the entire hedge with bordeaux mixture as advised by a member, thats about all we can do for now so we will keep our fingers crossed . many thanks for all your help it is very much appreciated sheila

Hi Sheila, I think a feed would really help it.