I would have usually lightly trimmed my box hedge in September to keep it crisp for the coming winter months. Unfortunately, last year’s invasive ‘box tree moth’ caterpillar attack took its toll. When I spotted the invasive and deceivingly attractive silvery-white and brown moth, I knew trouble was coming my way.
I waited to see if the plants would recover, but sadly, they didn’t. The trouble with these caterpillars is that they eat into the stems, and once that happens, it is game over. Earlier in the year, I cut the dead plants back to the ground and dug out the roots. Getting the roots out was surprisingly hard. Why I was expecting it to be an easy task, I don’t know. Having heavy clay soil did not help the task either.
