What’s wrong with my Lilli Pilli?

[kyliekyliee]

Hi, 

My Lilli Pilli’s look like their dying. One in particular looks far gone, the others aren’t as bad. They are 3 years established, I never normally water them because I thought they were drought tolerant. I’ve watered them twic in the last 2 weeks and it rained. I’m in Brisbane so it usually rains once a week anyway. I fertilised them about 3 months ago. No obvious pests but there is some pale white spots under leaves. They were planted in a new bed with new soil and mulch. There are almost no new shoots. 

Thanks for reading 

kylie

 

 

 

[mich1972]

Good afternoon @kyliekyliee and sending you a warm welcome to the Workshop Community. 
Great question, looking like your Lilly Pilly needs a good pruning, especially the lower twiggy branches. Feed it with a liquid fertiliser, Charlie Carp is a great one to use, I use it on everything. If your soil looks sandy, add some soil improvement to it. I’ll check in with the awesome @Noelle and see what she recommends 😊

[Noelle]

I agree with @mich1972 .  Some fertiliser and some cutting back to encourage new growth. The lower part may never fill out completely but it will look better in time if those twiggy areas are cut back.

[kyliekyliee]

Thanks, yes I will give them a prune, it’s been a while. I looked again this morning and I can now see leaves have been eaten but I don’t see any pests anywhere. The white marks i mentioned run off when I wipe them. 

[MitchellMc]

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

It's terrific to see that you've already received some excellent advice from our knowledgeable members. Keep us updated on the progress of the plant after adding some fertiliser. 

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

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[kyliekyliee]

Okay thank you. I shall prune this wkd and get some fertiliser as suggested. 
Kylie 

[Scbowra61]

Hi Kykieliee,

I had similar issue with my Lillypilly.  I tried everything.  In the end I had to add some soil improver and organic manure and I dug a bigger hole. It's going well now. Don't have the soil too close to the stem as might end up with root rot.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Scbowra61, and thanks so much for jumping straight into a discussion.

I trust @kyliekyliee appreciates your input and experience.

We're keen to hear more about all your projects and plans around the house and garden. Please feel free to reach out whenever you need assistance or would like to share a project with the community.

Mitchell