Any experienced buxus caretakers?

[buckeejit]

I've just put a load of balls in my front border & have given them a dose of buxus feed.

Is there anything else good to prevent usual diseases & keep them tip top?

We pulled out all the buxus as it had been decimated by hundreds of green caterpillars and I refused to use pesticides (have frogs and newts in garden). Not sure if your type of box will be affected but you will have to keep a look out.

Agh, I knew it was a gamble putting them in & hoping to avoid the pests-we have one very large one in the garden so hoping that's a good sign!

We have a few box hedges and touch wood have never had a problem with caterpillars- the little gits seem to prefer the soft foliage of my David austin roses 🙄

Generally give them a good feed and some top dressing about now, and kept them well watered for the first few years and that's about it. When we originally planted them, it was into a think layer of mushroom compost and they seemed to like it.

Keep an eye out for box blight, especially in periods of mild, damp, un-windy weather. A fungicide such as Rovral, which a reputable gardener with a PA1 and PA6 qualification should be able to obtain and apply for you is what you want for prevention. Make sure they use a different knapsack than the one they put weedkiller in.

Neighbour on our estate has lots of box balls. They look fab.

Also, if you're trimming, disinfect your shears before and after. Insist any professional who works on them does the same.

If you get the moth attack, look into getting the pheromone treatment. Expensive but people have reported good results with it.