How to treat disease on hedging plant?

[nicolamilsom]

Hello! I am trying to find out what kind of hedging plant this might be in order to identify the disease it has, and how to treat it?

It might be some kind of Lilly Pilly (non-flowering) but I'm not sure. Usually, the leaves are a dark, glossy green all year 'round but they are all yellowing/have pink spots and looking quite sick. Any help would be very much appreciated! 

 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @nicolamilsom. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about diagnosing a sick plant.

You might like to start by reading through this helpful article: How to diagnose a sick plant.

In regards to the plant variety, I'm not entirely sure, as that leaf shape is commonly seen on several types of plants. Could you please take a shot of the overall plant, including its trunk? Let me tag a couple of our knowledgeable gardening experts @Noelle and @mich1972 to see if they have any thoughts.

To determine the cause of the sickly behaviours, we'd need to know more about any changes the plant has experienced and your care of it. When was the last time you fertilised?

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[mich1972]

Good morning @nicolamilsom @MitchellMc  I am not sure what the plant is , it looks like a nutrient deficiency. Im thinking , it may need a good application of Trace Elements . I’ll wait for @Noelle to have a look 🌿😊

[Noelle]

Hi @nicolamilsom and @mich1972 

Like @MitchellMc I'm not sure what the tree is but it doesn't look like a lillypilly leaf to me.

I'd like to know how widespread the yellowing leaves are because, from the photos, it looks like just the odd leaf and lower down on the stems (or closer in to the centre of the plant), indicating perhaps this could be normal shedding of old leaves, which even evergreen plants will do from time to time as they grow.

If it's just the odd leaf here and there, I wouldn't be too stressed about it - it's when the entire leaf cover starts looking like that there is quite likely something nutritional or disease-related going on.

As it's the start of spring, now is an excellent time to give all your plants an application of a complete fertiliser (one which includes all the trace elements as well as the majors like nitrogen, potassium, iron, sulphur, etc). Read the label instructions and apply accordingly.

[nicolamilsom]

Hi @Noelle, @mich1972 and @MitchellMc

Thank you so much for your time and help with this issue! A friend also suggested a fertiliser and said that it looked like a Photinia Robusta but there has never been any red foilage, just glossy dark green.

I have also attached some images of the overall tree/shrub and trunk as suggested by Mitchell.

I'm very grateful for your advice, many thanks,

Nicola

NicolaThis tree had been growing behind a child's Wendy House so the leaves only grew from at the top section (we've removed it, hence the bare trunk!....I'm sure it will begin to sprout leaves once it gets some sunshine on this area)This tree had been growing behind a child's Wendy House so the leaves only grew from at the top section (we've removed it, hence the bare trunk!....I'm sure it will begin to sprout leaves once it gets some sunshine on this area) 

[Noelle]

Hi again @nicolamilsom 

Apart from the bare trunk where the playhouse was previously, the overall health looks OK.  There is definitely not overall yellowing of the leaves - it looks just to be the older leaves.

A complete fertiliser now would be most beneficial.

[nicolamilsom]

Many thanks Noelle