Privet hedge struggling :-(
superjeans1
Posts: 1
Hi - I have a mature privet that has started to shed leaves and thin out. We had some work done to the wall around it and some new soil put down around 3 months ago. It gets plenty of water but is starting to look in trouble.
Firstly, is this normal and will it likely recover of leaves are lost?
Secondly, is there anything I can do to give it the best possible chance in life?
Secondly, is there anything I can do to give it the best possible chance in life?
Thanks
0
Posts
Privet is classed as "semi-evergreen", ie it can lose its leaves if it gets really cold, and produce new ones the following spring. However, it's most likely to do this when it's a young plant... so maybe there's something else going on here. You say you had some new soil put down; was that to replace old soil or did it raise the soil level around the privet? Might the work on the wall have damaged the roots?
I have to confess , when I hear of "struggling privet" I immediately think of honey fungus.
Google it and see if it looks like yours.
https://www.google.com/search?q=privet+honey+fungus&rlz=1C1CHFX_en-gbGB480GB480&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik9tyy8MzmAhUWi1wKHSWwCiwQ_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1517&bih=730