How to rescue my dying little Lilly Pilly plant?

[frsurjo]

 I bought 3 of them a few months before. . This lil one seems dying any idea how can I rescue it?

thanks in advance. 
Faz 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @frsurjo. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about Lilly Pilly care.

You might like to start by reading through this helpful guide: How to diagnose a sick plant. The key to determining the cause of this issue and remedying it will be the difference between this plant's care/location and the others. If this is the only plant that is ill, then there must be something different going on. Is there poor drainage in this area, and the soil is constantly wet? Or is it not being watered adequately? Is this plant in a more exposed position? 
 

The fact that the internal leaves have died off first is a little peculiar. Let me mention our resident horticulturalist, @Noelle, to see if she has any thoughts.

Here's another great guide: How to grow and care for a Lilly Pilly. 

If this were one of our plants, I'd recommend you take advantage of our Perfect Plant Promise.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[frsurjo]

Many thanks Mitchell for your kind response. Few facts as below

- area Campbelltown nsw

- 3 of them side by side 1m apart. All of them were very healthy until last week when this one turning drown. 
- few other new natives also growing well. 
- well drained area

- soil is bit wet due to heavy rain few days before. 

keen to get a solution before I totally lost it

thanks

Faz

[MitchellMc]

Can you please dig a small hole down 10cm next to the plant @frsurjo. How damp is the soil? Is it bone dry, or is it saturated?

I'm not sure about you, but where I am in Sydney, we've had next to no rain apart from one downpour the other day and a few very light showers. How often have you been watering the plant, as it's been quite hot? That doesn't explain why one of the three is ill, though.

Mitchell

[frsurjo]

Thanks for the suggestion. Did as you’ve mentioned, neither dry nor saturated. It’s just normal. Have plenty of other plants, hedges and herbs inder my care. At this moment I water them once a week. All others are thriving but this poor fella isn’t

[MitchellMc]

Hopefully, @Noelle can provide some advice @frsurjo, but let me also mention @mich1972 to see if she has any thoughts.

Mitchell

[Noelle]

Hi @frsurjo 

It does seem strange that one of three is showing symptoms of not liking where it is growing, while the other two seem reasonably happy.

In addition to the watering scenarios mentioned by Mitchell, some other thoughts come to my mind:

1.  The roots of this plant may not be growing out into the surrounding soil but are circling around in the root ball the tree developed in the pot. This would tend to create symptoms of lack of water  which could affect the older leaves first.  These leaves are often considered dispensable by a plant so are shed first, in an effort to save the growth tips at the end of shoots. Generally as trees age, the older leaves are shed as most of the growth and food processing occur in younger leaves.

2.  When this tree was planted. inadvertently a sump may have been created, with the planting hole filling up with water each time it rains or you irrigate, so drowning the roots. This could be because the soil varies across your property, with quite different soil structures in close proximity or, if you backfilled around the plant with a lighter soil or potting mix, moisture could drain into and remain in the planting hole for enough time to damage the roots.

3.  While the plant looked healthy enough when you bought and planted it, it may have already been under extreme stress and the trauma of planting has been the final straw.

Given Bunnings has a Perfect Plant Promise and many other garden retailers also offer similar plant warranties, I'd be seeking to have it replaced with a healthy specimen asap.

[MitchellMc]

Great advice @Noelle!

Mitchell

[frsurjo]

Thanks for the great advice 🙏

unfortunately, lost my receipt. Will try today visit in person and try my luck if I can get a replacement. 

[MitchellMc]

If the plant was purchased from us @frsurjo, the team in-store would be more than happy to try and locate your receipt on our system for you.

Mitchell