What is the most likely cause of the ill-health of this lilly pilly (see photo)?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @O-J. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about your Lilly pilly's health.Could you please share a closeup image of one of those lower leaves that has the semicircular bite marks out of it? I suspect that the culprits are Lilly Pilly Beetles (Paropsides calypso). The beetle and larvae in large enough populations can devastate bushes in a matter of days. Since this is a newly emerging pest, there hasn't been a whole heap of testing done on treatment.
If you inspect the bushes, can you find any bright green beetles or larvae? If it's not Lilly pilly beetles, it could potentially be caterpillars, which can be sprayed directly with Yates 750ml Ready To Use Nature's Way Citrus And Ornamental Spray.Please let me know if you have any questions.Mitchell
Many thanks for your reply Mitchell Mc. I'm not seeing any beetles or larvae, although I was told when/after I put them in (about 18 of them) that they would probably get smashed by lilly pilly beetle.
Interesting @O-J. Who told you that about the beetles? Have there been outbreaks in your area?
Let me call on our resident horticulturalist, @Noelle, to see if she has any thoughts.
Mitchell
Many thanks Mitchell...great service! It was a local business owner, who told me about the LP beetles. He told me to take the shrubs out again even though I had just put them in...and I think he was probably right!
I don't know of any outbreaks in the area. I'm in Stumpy Gully Rd about 3.5kms north of Balnarring.
It seems to me that If I sprayed alternately with Neem-oil + Eco-oil, white oil and Contender, I would just about have everything covered.
Hi @O-J
I'm not aware of any outbreaks of lilly pilly beetle in southern Victoria, and I'm not all that far from you. I've certainly never seen it locally although I know it exists in warmer, more humid regions. There's a great article on this pest here. It includes methods of control and these products are available in Bunnings.
The damage certainly looks to be a chewing pest as the shoots and leaves have been completely destroyed. Perhaps a closer look may highlight exactly what it is but to me the damage looks to have been caused by a caterpillar.
OK, that's really helpful Noelle, thank you. I thought LP beetle had come down this far, but obviously not.
What spray therefore would you recommend?
Hello @O-J
Let me tag @Noelle to make them aware of your question. I was going to suggest using Yates 50ml Baythroid Advanced Insect Killer For Gardens because it has a broad plant and pest coverage. But let's wait for Noelle's recommendation.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
I agree, @EricL or the combination of eco products referred to in the article I mentioned earlier - eco-neem plus eco-oil.
Just wanted to alert all readers of this discussion that the wonderful Noelle has shared a comprehensive guide How to diagnose and revive a sick lilly pilly. I trust you will find it useful.
Thanks,
Jason
Many thanks @Noelle for your response a couple of weeks ago. I've actually cut a number of the Lilly Pillies right back, because there was more dead wood and damaged growth then healthy growth (see photo). I've done this before and they do come on again. I'm just wondering however, is there any point in spraying the trunk and branches that are left before any new growth even appears, to discourage the caterpillars?!
It looks like some new growth is appearing, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pre-spray to ensure it isn't destroyed before establishing.
Thanks, @O-J
Most of the home garden insecticides available are contact poisons. That is, they will only kill pests when they are sprayed directly on to them. These sprays generally are not residual (they do not remain active on plants for more than a day or so and are readily washed off by rain) and they are not absorbed by plant tissues (that is, they are not systemic). In my opinion, spraying when there are no pests present probably is not going to do anything much to help the trees. It's important to keep an eye on the regrowth and spray immediately if you see any pests at all.
