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Australian Native Plants

Help! What is doing this to my lilly pilly's?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hi everyone,

My Backyard Bliss (Syzygium paniculata) lilly pilly's are in distress - I need some help please! I bought 5 very healthy 1.8m plants and kept them in their nursery pots for a few months before transplanting to planter troughs.

Since then there has been increasing leaf fall from the bottom of the plants, to the point where the bottom half of each plant is now almost bare. The top of the leaves have taken a bit of a dusty look, whilst the undersides have white spots. They just gradually die and fall off. The leaves at the top of the plant look fine with plenty of new shoots, just some minor leaf curling.

When I planted in the troughs I added Osmocote, I water daily (twice on very warm days), give the occasional hit with Seasol and have also sprayed with Confidor on the recommendation of the nursery last week.

Any thoughts/advice very welcome as I don't want to lose these plants!

Thanks in advance :)

Rog

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Comments (4)

alisonoz_gw
9 years ago
I'm sorry I really can't tell what's happening with those patches on the leaves. Salt build-up? insect eggs?

My first suggestion is to take all the pics and some leaf samples back to where you bought the plants, and see what they can suggest.

It may just be transplant shock. Maybe the location of the tubs is more exposed than where they were kept, and they are struggling to harden off.

I can't really tell what the material of the planters is... if concrete there'd be some possible leaching?

Maybe just the narrow pots and exposure is too hot?

Could be over or under watering, too much fertilizing, probs with the potting mix.

suggest you take some samples of all, including the potting mix brand, back for help from the providers.
finnblake
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I have exactly the same thing happening... haven’t worked out the cause... any further update? Interesting I think I have almost identical troughs as well...
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kxr26
Original Author
7 years ago
hi finnblake, a couple of years on and they have really struggled the whole time they have been planted despite a lot of attention. No one was able to identify the issue I described above despite reaching out on multiple forums, insecticide companies and nurseries. Plenty of suggestions to try but nothing 'fixed' them.

All in all, they've been disappointing and haven't met my expectations, yet I persist with them....
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