I forgot to add I put the Scott's Turf Builder down 2 days ago (Saturday) and I put my Nitrogen down about 1 week ago (fast dissolving pellets). I also put miracle grow on the plants a day after we planted them. I also have a typo the shrubs have been in the ground for 2 weeks not 1 week. Also we dug close to them to put a "trim" in Sunday (were about 6 inches from the shrubs)

wow ....

so they are recent transplants ... with out of the ordinary heat immediately after planting...

then you fertilized the soil ..

then you used the scotts ... isnt that double doing it???

and may i presume dad thru some fert in the hole at planting ????

all i can say is .... wow ... YOU GOT SPRING FEVER BAD DONT YOU GUYS????

any one of the reasons listed above could be the cause of your damage ...

all you can do.. is wait and see how they respond to whichever factor caused the damage ...

why are you using scotts and adding nitro at the same time??? and the whole spray thing??? those are your issues ...

and why did dad.. leave all the grass around the plants ... does he plan on some weed whipping in between the plants .... and did he do anything other than tip the plant out of the pot .. and stick it in a hole exactly the same size ...

on some level.. i think this post is about assigning blame ... and i dont think either of you can walk away blame free ... hows that ... thats called the blame tightrope.. lol ...

as for the pic.. all i see is some droop probably due to the heat wave immediately after planting .... but they arent the best pix ...

all you can do is see how the rebound ... PROPER WATERING will be very helpful ....

remove all grass for about a foot each side.. and for the entire length of the hedge.. and mulch properly ....

good luck

ken

ps: except for PROPER watering.. leave them alone for now ... what is your soil type???? clay????

Same thing I do on my yard(s) since I was 10. I put down the nitrogen every 2 weeks till it gets to 80-90 daily then its once a month. I put scotts down once in April then March to "build" the turf before it gets super hot. There was a 2 week "break" with the Nitrogen and Scott's so its not like I bombed it. Its my "routine" and its always worked well for each yard. I wish I had before and after shots of the current yard as in 2 years it has transformed, another 2 years and it will look fantastic.
I myself never messed with shrubs so I stayed away from them with the nitrogen/turf builder so with luck all they need is some better weather.
Soil is not the best its a dirt/clay type of soil with a lot of rocks. Also we plan to mulch but was too windy last weekend so that is the goal for next week.

Appreciate the advice.

thats a lot of fertilizer for grass ...

do you mow every 45 minutes every day all summer ... lol ...

but hey.. dont get me wrong.. if it works for you.. thats fine with me .. if you are happy.. i am happy ... but along boring story ...

way back in suburbia.. i used the 4 bag $100 scotts product.. i had to mow about every 3 to 5 days ... if i didnt want to jam the mower ...

after about two years.. and all the crabgrass was gone.. i started buying 12-12-12 .. or 16 cubed.. or 19 cubed.. for 8 bucks a bag.. and only applied it in spring and fall ... and reduced my mowing to once per week.. and saved about 84 bucks per year ... and i could see no difference in the lawn ....

then i moved to 5 acres.. of what would probably be called a meadow rather than a 'lawn' .... couldnt afford fertilizer for all that .. and low and behold.. i mow about ever week for June.. and then it all burns out .. and i dont mow again until fall ... or once every second week if the weeds start bothering us ...

the point.. if i have one.. even if you have been doing it this way forever.. is it really worth it ???

regardless ... IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY .. then all the power to ya .... just giving you a story ...

give the boxwood a month.. and let us know whats going on.. only time will tell ...

ken

Waaay too much fertilizing going on here :-) Yes, it's possible the Turf Builder caused problems - much more nitrogen than most ornamentals need or can absorb and it could cause burning of foliage and/or roots. Then hitting newly planted shrubs with MG is just adding to the issue. And if it was the Turf Builder with weed control, all bets are off on how well the boxwood may survive - herbicides cannot tell the difference between a desired plant and a weed and if misapplied, will kill both.

FWIW, you are overdoing the lawn fertilizer applications as well. Most turf care sources recommend applying nitrogen based ferts only every 8-10 weeks during the growing season and only altering the rate of application based on time of year. Excessive nitrogen applications will create conditions that are conducive to disease and insect problems, increase the need for more frequent mowing and reduce drought tolerance/increase the need for irrigation, which in many areas of the country can pose some significant issues with respect to water rationing. But biggest reason for not going nuts with lawn fertilizers is that they are the largest contributing factor in this country - far more so than even agricultural sources or commercial/industrial sources - to the pollution of groundwater and streams and lakes.

If you are in the lawn care business, you might want to take some classes (free seminars are available at many nurseries and garden centers or through professional associations) on the approved methods of lawn care and the growing movement towards organic or natural lawn care. It's better for the environment and better for your customers and therefore better for you. There is even an Organic Lawn Care forum here on GW that has a number of professional participants and offers excellent advice and help.

Well I suppose I should clarify here. I use a basic 40-0-0 blend (got it for free about 400 pounds of it) fast dissolving to green my yard. I put a small amount down (set to 2 on my broadcaster) each application so in reality I really don't use a lot of it. To give you a idea 1 50 pound bag lasts me 2-3 years of doing it from Feb to Oct. I also use mix a 0-6-8 that is dirt cheap to "balance" it out. I put this down once every 12 weeks to give my yard the rest.

Anyways I finished up my project with my father last night and we layed about a inch of mulch down around the bushes. I then put a soaker hose on it all night at 1/5 pressure and it soaked about 10 inches down. Most of the yellow leaves are green now and only 1 plant did not improve at the top (one I know I hit with TB) but its looking much better.
Appreciate the help and so far it looks like it was just not enough water. The mulch will take care of a lot of issues as far as this area goes so I will soak it 1-2 times a week once summer hits hard here. Till then once a week seems like it will do the trick (depending on the soil that is)