Neglected Lily Pilly's - replace or grow Murraya in between to cover fence?

[Shelley55]

HI looking for some advice from the community as have had conflicting advice from people working on my house.  Have some old Lily Pilly's that were neglected and have grown into trees.  Have had them cut back to encourage growth at the top of them to screen out second floor house.   Aim is create a green screen to cover the fence and height to give me privacy.  I have had alot of conflicting advice and am very confused.  Photo attached of what I am dealing with.

Landscape designer told me to plant out in-between them with bamboo Clumping bamboo & Giant bird of paradise and underplant with Philodendron Xanadu and cardboard cycads

Arborist who cut the trees back said bamboo would die and need to plant some shade hardy plants in-between (he did not know what). He feels Lily Lily's will thicken at top if feed well.

Advice from the nursery is they have had it and to start again

I am so confused!

[EricL]

Hello @Shelley55 

It sounds like you're dealing with a tricky situation, and I can see why you're getting mixed advice. Your old Lilly Pillies still have some life in them, but whether they will fully achieve your goal depends on how well they respond to feeding and care. If they were neglected for a long time, it may take a while for them to bounce back and thicken at the top.
 

If you want to give them a chance, feeding them with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer like Scotts Osmocote 1kg All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser and regular watering should encourage new growth. You can also try a seaweed solution to help with root and foliage development. Lilly Pillies can be quite resilient, so with patience, they may fill out enough to give you the privacy you’re after.
 

As for planting in between, the choice depends on the amount of light reaching the area. If it’s shady, bamboo may struggle, and you’d be better off with shade-tolerant plants. Philodendron Xanadu and Cardboard Cycads are good choices for underplanting because they thrive in partial shade and will add a lush look at ground level. 

If the Lilly Pillies don’t improve after a few months of feeding and watering, then starting fresh might be the better long-term option. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Shelley55]

Eric

Thanks for the response ... I have already given them some Seasol and Powered (https://www.bunnings.com.au/powerfeed-1kg-all-purpose-controlled-release-with-troforte_p2962231) with seaweed ... plan is to do that monthly.  Your advice matches the different things I have been told ... wondering if I could just add new Lily Lily's in-between the ones I have?   Thinking either goodbye neighbour or backyard bliss and grow them up so they all blend in.  Do you think that would work?

I am not sure what variety of Lily Pilly these are.

Shelley 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Shelley55,

The PowerFeed 1kg All Purpose Controlled Release With Troforte is a slow-release fertiliser and should only be applied three times a year as directed. Using it monthly could damage your plants. It's okay to apply Seasol monthly.

You could plant Lilly pillies between them. However, I'd give the existing ones a chance. If they respond well to being cut back, they could bush out and screen adequately. It would take several years for immature Lilly pillies to grow up and fill the gaps.

Mitchell

[Shelley55]

Thanks Mitchell x