Help!!! All my bushes are dying!

[Lucasandster]

Hi everyone! I’m a garden/landscaping newbie here. We moved into our home (Virginia) and pulled out some 30 year old box woods that were starting to brown. We replanted with azaleas, and English boxwoods, as well as some knock out roses. Everything is dying! One thing at a time slowly turns brown and dies. Help! Our gardening center said it was a fungus— but this is my third year to be spraying the same copper fungicide and it seems to be doing nothing! Advice???

 

[Lucasandster]

Oh- here is one more photo of the cedar tree/bush

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum @Lucasandster . You must be really fed up with this situation!!
It seems that your land is maybe contaminated with something, and maybe needs to be tested ..... the other thought I had was the fact that it looks like you have planted on a fairly steep slope, and maybe the ground has dried out ?
Maybe one of your fellow Americans on these forums will have better ideas?? Perhaps it would help if they knew which area you are in?
Good luck - don't forget to let us know how you get on with this

 

[zigs]

Welcome to the forum

It's odd that so many things are dying, think Tetters may be right with a soil problem.

 

[Chuck]

Fungus doesn't usually attack completely different species of plants at the same time. I think @Tetters is correct, some kind of soil contamination.

 

[Lucasandster]

I did take a soil sample to the garden center and they gave me an additive because it was too acidic. Every time I dig I find little white grubs— could they be causing this problem??

By the way— I am LOVING your advice!!! Thank you!

 

[Chuck]

I did take a soil sample to the garden center and they gave me an additive because it was too acidic. Every time I dig I find little white grubs— could they be causing this problem??

By the way— I am LOVING your advice!!! Thank you!

The tests we are talking about a nursery would be clueless about. You don't need to know about soil Ph or which nutrients you may need. You need to find out what chemicals or heavy metals are in the soil.
Have you taken a limb of one of the plants to your soil extension service or state run agricultural dept?
And No, the grubs wouldn't cause this type of damage.

 

[Silentrunning]

Start with your county extension agent. They can tell you where to take a soil sample if they are unable to do it themselves. Some questions- how do your neighbors plants look? Was this ground native or was fill brought in when the house was built? Are you watering with well water or central water?

The fact that even the established Boxwoods were failing really worries me. If you are on well water, don’t drink it for now. Get to your county agent today and take one of your dead plants roots and all. If your agent is like ours they will be all over this. I would get on this TODAY! Your problem may be more serious than just dead plants. They just may be the Canary in the coal mine.

Warren County PCB Landfill - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Tetters]

@Chuck and @Silentrunning .... thanks for the input. This problem is too difficult to know how to advise from the UK, and your local knowledge was really needed. It seems so important to me that this could be a really serious issue.
@Lucasandster, I think we are all glad you came to the forum. Please keep us in the loop.