Question From:
Meg in newcastle, newcastle New South Wales
Nature of problem:
Lily Polly over mains sewage line at the back of property
Type of Plant (if known):
Lilly Pily
Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
Nil
Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
Mixture
How often do you water the plant:
Often
How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
6
How long since you planted it:
7 years
Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
No
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:
Seasol
Upload photo if available:
Other Comments:
Hi there, we have what looks like an old clay sewage pipe that runs the back boarder of our property. I planted two Lilli pills over this pipe 7 years ago and now they are about 4 meters high.
We replaced some house pipes which lead us to dig up the area where the trees were to attach the new piping and it was about 1.6m deep. The trees where only 2.5 meters then.
I was wondering if I should remove them as they could interfere with the sewage system or if it’s safe to leave them in?
Kind regards,
Meg
Answer:
Hi Meg, Lillypillies are mongrels for getting into pipes – particularly old clay pipes. Clay pipes all leak with age and attract roots, which then grow into them. If you put in a new plastic sewerage system in that area, all will be OK. The problem is leaky clay pipes, rather than the lillypillies. Don
