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What's Safe To Spray On My Wax Myrtles?

14 years ago

Hello Everyone!

About 5 months ago I planted 4 Wax Myrtle shrubs. Things were going up and down because I am new to this and I was over watering them and stressed them. They seem to be doing better now. The problem I am having is that I want them to grow but something keeps taking the new tips and somehow binding them together to form like a cocoon of some sort with eggy looking things inside. (sorry) I usually spray it with water and pick it clean with my fingers. I just don't have the energy to keep doing this day and night!!

Some branches are fine but some are just not growing due to whatever it is and it seems to be munching on the new leaves also. I have seen brown grasshoppers also. I just want my shrubs to get established and want these critters OFF, whatever they are.

Does anyone know?

What would you recommend that I spray on the leaves to keep these pests off without hurting my shrubs?

I am lost!

Thanks for any advice!

Halime

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Comments (3)

brownthumb65
Original Author
14 years ago
Wow, not 1 reply?
User
14 years ago
It's hard to visualize this problem without a photo.

Does the cocoon resemble thick webbing? Also, how large is it?

Is what you are seeing resemble what is in the following link?

Here is a link that might be useful: Fall Webworms
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I am, by no means, an expert on this shrub, but I have a great number of them on my property, all having grown in wild. They tend to grow on the edges of woodland, which says to me that they need some sun. I see them in my neighborhood in full sun, and in our area, that's ALOT of sun. The most common way of pruning and shaping them here is to arborize them: choose a few large stems that are growing in pleasing angles, and then remove all the branches on them from the ground up to the desired height. Remove all the other stems by cutting them to the ground. The ones around our area that get regular shearing look unpleasantly wild and very woolly (in my opinion). I would give the plant time to form its own natural crown. It won't take long. I assume you know that they sucker quite alot, which is the only reason I leave them in wild situations. They are very attractive shrubs otherwise.
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Thanks Susan for the holler ;o). Wax myrtle is Myrica cerifera. I have read articles where the early settlers would use the wax of the berries to make candles and have seen this wax for sale somewhere on the web and it wasn't cheap. I would like to make this wax for my own use and again while I've seen directions for doing so on the web I would like to hear someone say, "Yep I've done this and it works." 'Course at that point I would pick their brains for details and ideas of use ;o) Mike Here is a link that might be useful: Wax myrtle
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It will take some time. You can always prune anything outside of your desired shape, anything that rubs another branch and all deadwood. I found pruning advice at the Ladybird Johnson wildflower site. It seems to handle pruning pretty well and theoretically should branch where you cut it so some pruning might help. I wouldn't overdo the fertilization, just a 13-13-13 standard in the spring should supply all it needs and more. It's spring so growth rate should already be fairly accelerated anyway. https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=6776
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brownthumb65
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Sherlock!
Unfortunately they are not webworms. The cocoons are real small and they are right on the tips of the new growth. There are small brownish orangish colored little specks inside the small white webbing.
I usually spray water on them and get it out with my fingers. I have a camera but it is a cheap model and does not do closeup very well. I've seen brown grasshoppers hanging out in the shrubs. It gets my goat because the shrubs are trying to grow yet their new leaves are being munched short. :-(

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