Question From:
Roger Munday in Mornington, Mornington Victoria
Nature of problem:
Lilly Pilly Back Yard Bliss growth irregular
Type of Plant (if known):
Lilly Pilly Back Yard Bliss
Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
17 identical Lilly Pilly planted in one row, from one end to the other they gradually change from bushy dark green to half the size light green
Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
loam
How often do you water the plant:
Alternate days by irrigation
How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
Mid day onwards – 5 to 8 hours
How long since you planted it:
2 and half years
Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
Seasol and liquid seaweed
Is the plant indoors or outdoors:
Outdoors
Is the plant in a pot or in the ground:
Ground
What other treatments have you given the plant:
Sprayed in summer for pests as leaves were being eaten – now recovered
Upload photo if available:
Other Comments:
I planted the 17 Back Yard Bliss to form a hedge along the front of my garden. Ever since planting the plants at the northern end have grown faster and healthier than the southern end, the variation is very visible and gradual from one end to the other.
Answer:
Thanks so much for the photo Roger: this enables me to help you much better. Note that the lawn is less green in that area too! Clearly that end of your front garden gets way less water. Investigate why it is so dry, I suspect that your irrigation system is not good enough. You could double the number of sprinkler-heads in that area?? Then make fork holes in the soil every 10cm, right throughout the area. Get some Saturaid and apply it to that area, ie around plants 1-10 from the left? Then put on a sprinkler to cover all of that area for 1 hour every day for 3 days. They could recover quickly, but being Autumn, it may take until November or December to see strong results. Water 1-10 preferentially in future. Lillypillies need lots of water: they are rainforest plants. Good luck, Don.
