How to care for Lilly Pilly?

[ashleigh22]

      

Hi I’m just wondering if anyone has some advise on caring for my Lilly Pilly. We have about 27 plants along a fence line to hopefully create a screen. Some plants are doing great but others are struggling. My husband trimmed some about 12 months ago and they haven’t recovered . I’ve had so many mixed messages on whether to trim them or leave them and just wondering  if someone could give some advise. We are currently in autumn (Melbourne) unsure if I should put mulch down, cut back ect. The ones doing well are ones that didn’t get trimmed. Any advise would be much appreciated 

Community manager's note: Check out How to diagnose and revive a sick lilly pilly for expert advice.

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @ashleigh22. It's great to have you join us. I'm sure you'll find the community offers loads of handy ideas and inspiration for new projects as well as helpful advice and support whenever you need assistance. 

The Bunnings team has a comprehensive guide How to grow and care for a Lilly Pilly that you should find helpful. The guide mentions that the general rule of thumb is to prune lightly after a growth flush, but Lilly Pilly can certainly tolerate a hard pruning if required.

Let me tag one of our amazing horticulturists in the community, the lovely @Noelle, to see if she can identify from your photos what might be causing some of your plants to struggle.  

Thanks,

Jason

[Noelle]

Hi @ashleigh22 

The lillypillies that have been trimmed are producing new growth on top, which is where I would expect them to. It is natural for shrubs to grow upwards towards the brightest available light, not from lower down on the bush (unless the top has been completely cut out).

The lower branches that have been trimmed have had their growing tips removed, so will tend to product less vigorous side shoots, leaving them looking scrappy. 

The shrubs left untrimmed have a full, rounded shape and are doing well - so leave them alone until they form a continuous hedge, at which time the sides can be clipped to produce a neat face / edge to the lawn. 

The others will recover fullness in time, but not until the next flush of growth occurs in Spring. Any really vigorous shoots growing from the base of the plant right down close to the soil should be cut right off to encourage stronger growth further up the main stem.  Keep the weeds down too, to reduce competition for nutrients and moisture.

I wouldn't mulch at this stage - that too is best in mid Spring to help retain moisture in the soil over Summer.

[ashleigh22]

  

 

Thank you so much for all your helpful tips. So just to check I've got this right. Don't touch them just let them grow & they should eventually recover? Just remove any vigorous growing branches if there are any? I've attached a couple more photos in one of them I have put an arrow on a branch, would that be a vigorous one you would cut off?  Thanks again for your time 

 

[Noelle]

Hi again @ashleigh22 

The arrowed branch should remain for the time being - but remove the 'fluffy' stuff beneath it, close to the ground.  This isn't going to amount to anything over time but draws nutrients away from healthier growth in the interim.  Do the same to others that have been trimmed - remove the fluff close to ground level.

[ashleigh22]

    

Hi all!

back again with some Lilly pilly questions. 

Living in Melbourne Victoria and trying to grow a hedge along our fence line. Trees are approx 5 years old. Some doing great other struggling. Left them through spring as suggested to thicken up which some have but some haven’t. Just not sure whether to continue to leave them til just before next spring and trim or what I should do. Some have flowered and now have berries and are looking a little sparse up top. Others have some patchy holes and some have produced small amount of new growth to the top only even after tip pruning. Any suggestions welcome, will attach photos of the ones that I’m not sure of/struggling. 

[EricL]

Hello @ashleigh22 

If these are the latest photos of your Lilly Pillies, I suggest following @Noelle's advice and that is to trim the bottom of the plant so that it does not draw away nutrients from the main body of the plant. 

Have you applied any fertilizer to the plant recently? If not, it's time to consider applying some to improve and bolster growth. At the moment I'm afraid it is still a waiting game, and the best you can do is to give your plants more nutrients and wait for it to grow bigger.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[ashleigh22]

Thanks for your reply Eric. I fertilised in spring and watered with some Seasol a couple of weeks ago. I’m a bit confised as where to trim the bottom of the plant as I’m wanting a hedge from the ground up so if I trim the lower branches won’t this leave the trunks visable? 

[EricL]

Hello @ashleigh22 

If you prefer to have full coverage that is perfectly fine. However, any growth that does not contribute to the overall coverage of the wall, I suggest trimming off. The goal is to get enough growth from the Lilly Pillies so that you get that hedge height you're after. Just keep looking after them and they will eventually grow bigger.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[JRM2023]

Hi Ashleigh,

its highly likely that the trees are being eaten by insects. Do many of the leaves have bumps on the top of the foliage and indentations on the underside? If yes, psyllids are the culprit. Severe infestations can cause the tree to appear like it’s sick and not growing. The second likely culprit are Lilly Pilly beetles, they eat the outside of leaves inwards. I’d recommend getting some Neem Oil and spraying it thoroughly throughout the trees on a regular basis, and if you wanted to go stronger use Baythroid Advanced. With pesticides, always follow the label and practice safety for yourself and others. Don’t spray if rain is forecast within two hours.