Good news for every garden lover: caterpillars of boxwoodmot like leaves of ‘crossed’ boxwood not

It is at the beginning of April and then it is usually time. Green caterpillars with black length stripes on the side that nibble on the fresh green leaves of the boxwood plants in your garden. And if you have them done, they will eat that whole plant bald.

But there is good news for the boxwood fans. The plague pressure, as scientists call it so beautiful, has fallen sharply, it sounds at ILVO, the Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Voedings Research of the Flemish Government.

Due to the many damage caused by the caterpillars in the past, many people have replaced their boxwood bushes with other plants. And since there is now less boxwood in the Flemish gardens, there is also less food and there are fewer caterpillars.

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Whoever left his bushes, who now knows how to do those annoying caterpillars to fight. There are plenty of biological means on the market. That also results in less damage to the boxwoods. But science did not sit still in the fight against those annoying green monsters.

Breeding

“A few years ago we performed a breeding program on the ILVO. We crossed the European boxwood, the favorite menu of the caterpillars of the boxwood moth, with the Asian boxwood. This has made four new cultivars that are resistant, mainly at the fungal disease Calonectria, says Dr. That senior researcher is at the ILVO. « 

Read too. Does the most popular plant disappear from the Flemish front gardens forever?

“We have, so to speak, mixed European blood with Asian blood. Consequence: the new plants are resistant to the fungus. And the caterpillars of the boxwood moth clearly do not like it strange blood”, Says senior researcher Katrijn van Laere.

Twice as expensive

The new cultivars are distributed by Buxusteler Didier Hermans van Replant nv in Beerse. He participated in the project and brings them to the market as Betterbuxus.

« Betterbuxus has to take care of a revival of the boxwood in Flemish gardens and in the meantime, among other things, the famous castle gardens of Versailles and in the gardens of Paleisuin Het Loo in the Netherlands. But also the historic gardens in Alden Biesen, » says Kweker Didier Hermans. They are now divided into almost all European countries, but can only be found in a few garden centers in Flanders. Among others at Van Uytsel in Kontich and Pajoplants in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

For years of research, of course has its prize, says Didier Hermans. They are about twice as expensive as the boxwoods from the large nurseries. « But you don’t have to spray them, which means cost savings and is better for the environment. »

These boxwoods are not on the caterpillar menu

Buxus Renaissance is a low -growing boxwood. Due to his earlier slow growth, it needs to be pruned less.

Buxus Babylon Beauty Rather has light green, small leaves and is also suitable as a ground cover.

Buxus Heritage Is very similar to the well -known boxwood but grows slightly more compact. He has medium to dark green, shiny leaf and requires high fertilization. Can discolour in autumn and winter but once rises to temperature, it gets his green color back.

Buxus Skylight Grows the fastest of the 4 hybrids and is suitable for bulbs, volume applications such as clouds and somewhat higher hedges.