Diseases and Pests of Boxwood and Their Control

Main insect pests of boxwood

Looper and its control

The larvae of the large-leaf boxwood looper will eat the boxwood leaves, leaving them in a web-like shape or even leaving nothing on the entire leaf. After eating a leaf, they will move on to the next leaf, causing great harm.

The method of preventing and controlling loopers is actually very simple, starting from the pupae and adults respectively. First, in winter and spring, find the pupae on the leaves and destroy them all to prevent them from hatching larvae. Then, use a black light to lure and kill all the adult insects.

Aphids and their control

Aphids not only harm boxwood, but also other trees and plants. Moreover, aphids have a strong reproductive capacity. If boxwood is infected with aphids and is not treated in time, the entire tree will be destroyed.

There are of course many ways to prevent and control aphids. First, weeds must be removed, especially those with insect eggs. It is best not to leave any. The next thing is simple. You can use physical methods to lure and kill the remaining aphids, or you can spray pesticides to completely eliminate them.

Spider mites and their control

The main harm of spider mites to boxwood is that they suck the leaves from the back of the boxwood, causing it to lose nutrients.

One method of prevention and control is to attract some ladybugs, which are the natural enemies of spider mites. When you spray medicine, you must spray the leaves and pay attention to your own safety when spraying.

Main diseases of boxwood

Leaf spot disease and its prevention

Leaf spot disease is also known as leaf blight. The initial symptom is the appearance of brown spots on the leaves. In the middle stage, the spots become larger and larger. In the late stage, the spots will connect into one, eventually causing the entire leaf to wither and die.

The prevention and control method is to collect dead leaves in winter and burn or bury them deep. When planting, choose strong trees to increase the survival rate. Spray regularly in spring to remove sources of disease.

Anthracnose and its prevention

It is very similar to leaf blight, but the lesions start to expand from the edges and become oval in shape. The center of the lesions is grayish white, and in the later stages, small black spots will appear on the lesions.

The method of prevention and control is to collect dead leaves in winter, burn them or bury them deep to reduce the source of disease. If planted in a garden, management must be strengthened to improve the immunity of the trees. Spray some carbendazim wettable powder to remove the pathogens.