Question From:
Tam Luu in Wiley Park , Nsw New South Wales
Nature of problem:
Brown spots
Type of Plant (if known):
Michelia alba
Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
Brown spots underneath leaves
Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
Perlite, peat moss, azalea potting mix, charcoal and gravel
How often do you water the plant:
3 times a week approx
How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
4-6
How long since you planted it:
Repotted it 3 weeks ago
Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
Potting mix has fertiliser
Is the plant indoors or outdoors:
Outdoor
Is the plant in a pot or in the ground:
Large plastic pot
What other treatments have you given the plant:
Pyrethrum
Upload photo if available:
Other Comments:
Is it over watering, insect attacks or too much fertiliser or too much sun?
Thank you Don
Tam
Answer:
Hi Tam, It is hard to tell from the photo, but this looks like scale insects. Spray all over the plant and particularly underneath the leaves with Eco Fungicide. this is a totally safe spray. I suspect scale insects since the spots are concentrated around the leaf veins – scale insects suck sap which flows in the veins. You may see no difference until the new growth appears in Spring. Re-spay in December. Don