How to revive Murraya with curly leaves?

[Exodus]

Hi, see below photos.

Two of my murraya look very sick for some reason and I am not sure what to do.

One has curly leaves and the other has it too but also brown spots.

I water and seasol all my murraya the same way and the others are very healthy, just these two that really worries me.

Any advice please, helps very much appreciated!

 

    

[JacobZ]

Hi @Exodus,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

Is it possible to get some photos showing where these trees are in relation to each other and the other healthy trees?

To me, it looks like they are exhibiting signs of heat stress and potentially sunburn, which I suspect is due to the proximity to the dark colorbond fence.

Dark fencing absorbs and radiates heat, significantly increasing temperatures, which can cause leaf curl, browning, and scorched patches, which are symptoms present in your murrayas.

For recovery, the focus should be on reducing ongoing stress, encouraging new growth, and avoiding shock while the plants stabilise. Leaves that look damaged are still providing shade to inner growth and stems, which is important near a heat-reflective fence, so do not remove them. Where possible, provide temporary relief from reflected heat using shade cloth or a light-coloured barrier such as a sheet of White Corflute attached to the fence during extreme heat periods, especially for the plant in the corner where heat builds up the most.

Watering of the affected plants should be adjusted to suit recovery rather than routine. Deep watering early in the morning is ideal, allowing moisture to penetrate the root zone before the hottest part of the day.

Continue using Seasol or a similar seaweed tonic every two to three weeks to support root repair, but hold back on strong fertilisers until you see healthy new growth emerging. Once fresh growth appears, a slow-release fertiliser can be applied to rebuild strength, and the plants should steadily improve over the following weeks.

You might like to check out Planting, Growing And Pruning Murraya for some further guidance about caring for your Murrayas.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Exodus]

Hi Jacob, thanks so much. Please see updated photos below. 

[MitchellMc]

I agree with a lot of what Jacob has already covered @Exodus, especially around heat stress from the dark Colorbond fence, but there is one other factor worth checking because it can present very similarly.

The drooping and curling leaves can also indicate over-irrigation. Over- and underwatering often produce very similar symptoms, including leaf curl, stress browning and a generally unhappy look. If the soil conditions in this particular spot are slightly different to the rest of the hedge, for example heavier soil, poorer drainage or water collecting along the fence line, the roots may be staying wet for too long.

Jacob is absolutely right about deep watering, but it is just as important to only water when the soil actually needs it. I would suggest doing a simple check next time you water. Water the plants as you normally would, then come back a couple of days later and dig down around 10 cm near the root zone. If the soil is still very moist or soggy at that depth, hold off watering until the top layers begin to dry out a little. You do not want it bone dry, but you also do not want to be adding more water while the roots are already sitting in wet soil.

This will help you work out whether this section is holding more moisture than the rest of the planting and give you a better idea of how many days should be between deep waterings for these particular plants. Combined with heat reflection from the fence, excess moisture around the roots can compound stress, so ruling this out is well worth doing.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell