How to treat spotty leaves on Lilly Pilly Resillience?

[RonDavisScott]

Hey there,

We recently acquired 6 mature (100L) Lilly Pilly Resilience trees and we've noticed that 3 of the 6 have these spots showing up on their mature leaves and the leaves that form this also eventually drop off. New growth doesn't show any sign of it yet, 2 of the Lilly's are planted and the rest are still in their bags.

Doesn't look like sooty mould, but was hoping someone here might be able to help.

We also noticed that 2 of the Lilly Pilly's are drooping from the top, bottom of the trees looks ok so far, we thought maybe this was just down to the stress of being moved.

Trees get a 50/50 mix of shade (in the afternoon) and sunshine (in the morning), planted ones are in a clay-type soil, but this is also affecting the ones still in bags.

[EricL]

Hello @RonDavisScott 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about how to treat the spotty leaves on your Lilly Pilly.

Are the leaves of the other plants in the same condition or are they showing a pronounced infection on the leaves? Can you also please take a photo of the other infected leaves and its bottom side. I would also like to request for a photo of the other infected plants. Any extra information you can provide such as your watering schedule and if you've used any fertilizer on your plant will allow our members to better diagnose what's affecting your plant.

Thanks

Eric

[mich1972]

Good evening @RonDavisScott. Welcome to the Workshop Community. That’s a great question to share with everyone. From the looks of the single leaf you are holding it looks like a bacterial spot on your Lillypilly. A fungal infection. Can I please ask what State you are in ? Do you get a lot of rain ? Do you water at night ? I’m going to tag the wonderful @Noelle  and get her expert knowledge on this. 

[RonDavisScott]

Hi there,

Im in Queensland, the trees have only been on our property for around 2 weeks now. When they were droped off I was told to water morning and night for the first few weeks but I'm wondering if they've been over watered now.

We havent had a lot of rain yet, its showered perhaps twice in the 2 weeks we've had them, but then adding on the amount I've watered, it could be excessive.

I was watering morning and afternoon (4pm) and have since stopped that and am going to only water when the lower soil starts to dry out.

Here are some more photos of the undersides of some of the leaves. The planted tree in the photos is one of 2 in the ground with the issue, then the photo of the trees in bags, the 2 on the right have this issue, the one of the left doesnt.

[mich1972]

Thank you for sharing the extra information and photos. I’ll wait and see what Noelle and Adam thinks. I wonder if it’s getting too much water in the late afternoon. 

[Noelle]

@Adam_W - what do you think?  Looks like disease in my opinion but not sure if its bacterial or fungal?

Drooping of the tops of trees could be due to root loss if the trees have recently been lifted and bagged for the move to their new home, @RonDavisScott , @mich1972