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hi. Each spring and summer my Lilly pilly curly and shrivel, particularly new growth. They get plenty of water and I spray with baythroid. What could it be?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @jwfrabklin. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about Lilly Pilly care.
It sounds very much like classic psyllid or mite damage, particularly since the newest growth is the first to curl, shrivel and distort. The brown-and-white speckling you are seeing fits that pattern. In Perth, this often happens to non-psyllid-resistant Lilly pilly varieties, and unfortunately, it is not caused by watering or nutrition; tiny sap-sucking pests cause it. This is also why the problem returns every spring and summer, no matter how well the plants are cared for.
Even though you have been spraying with Baythroid, the pests that usually attack Lilly pillies are not well controlled by it. Baythroid is a good broad insecticide for aphids, thrips, mealybugs, caterpillars and whitefly, but it does not control mites and it is unreliable on psyllids. These are the exact pests that cause these symptoms. Psyllids leave blistering and puckering on the newest leaves, and mites cause that fine white or bronze speckling and a shrivelled look.
A close look at the underside of the newest leaves normally confirms things quickly. Psyllid damage shows dimples and distorted development while mites leave that fine dusty stippling.
A switch to a horticultural oil or eco oil usually works far better, because these products smother the pests physically rather than relying on chemical poisoning. Regular oil sprays through spring and early summer generally keep the new growth clean, and pruning away the worst-affected tips helps the next flush come through healthy.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
It's general advice which suits a whole range of plants @jwfrabklin, including different varieties of Lilly Pilly like Acmenas.
Mitchell
Hi @jwfrabklin
@MitchellMc is correct the leaves are reacting to being eaten alive and - curling up.
Every year Aphids attack our Lilly Pillies and I have a recuring calendar reminder to prepare for their early summer arrival because they prefer milder summer temperatures.
I do a general prune which removes most of the infected leaves.
I spray with that from Bunnings.
Our Lilly Pillies will complain and send me 'we need water' messages by developing one or two small dry spots.
I am not a Green Thumb and apparently you should not water during the heat of the day so I use self watering spikes with 2L milk containers which keeps them happy between watering sessions.
Cheers
This is what our Lilly pilliies are looking like at the moment. Does this look like mites or something different?
Hello @jwfrabklin
What you’re seeing on your Lilly Pillies actually looks normal rather than a sign of mites or psyllids. New growth on many varieties naturally comes through in bronze or copper tones and can look a bit soft, bumpy or slightly curled at first. The leaves are still developing, so the cells haven’t fully expanded yet, which makes them appear uneven or wavy. As they mature over the next couple of weeks, they normally straighten out, firm up and turn a consistent green.
Pest damage, like psyllids or mites, usually shows obvious signs such as hard bumps, blistering, distortion, speckling or fine webbing. None of that is visible in your photo. If the leaves feel soft and flexible, it’s almost certainly just healthy new growth. If you ever notice hard, persistent bumps or more pronounced distortion, feel free to send a close-up and we can check it for you, but right now your plants look to be growing just as they should.
Eric
