There was a question yesterday regarding "bumps" on the leaves of a Lilly Pilly shrub here in Townsville.
The most likely culprit would be Psyllids, (a lot easier to spell than say!), these are microscopic insects that suck the sap from the leaves which creates these lesions. They are impossible to see with the naked eye so the problem can be confusing to diagnose.
The first line of defence is to try a strong dose of Molasses (20 mls per L) and spray that onto the leaves, make sure you cover both sides, this can have the same effect as an Insecticide, I don't know how but it does work.
The best Organic Insecticide is Pyrethrum, this needs to be used in the morning or evenings when it is a bit cooler, Pyrethrum is purely a contact spray so the longer it stays wet on the plant the better the result will be.
Spraying in the heat of the day means the spray will evaporate quicker than the Pyrethrum can kill the pest.
Another more primitive way of removing pests is to "hose" the plant, a strong stream off water actually blasts the pest off the plant and the force generally kills them. I had a few Mealy Bug on my Hibiscus yesterday, I grabbed a small trigger pack with water in it and just used the pressure of the squirt of water to nuke them.
All Good
Be Happy
Barry
The most likely culprit would be Psyllids, (a lot easier to spell than say!), these are microscopic insects that suck the sap from the leaves which creates these lesions. They are impossible to see with the naked eye so the problem can be confusing to diagnose.
The first line of defence is to try a strong dose of Molasses (20 mls per L) and spray that onto the leaves, make sure you cover both sides, this can have the same effect as an Insecticide, I don't know how but it does work.
The best Organic Insecticide is Pyrethrum, this needs to be used in the morning or evenings when it is a bit cooler, Pyrethrum is purely a contact spray so the longer it stays wet on the plant the better the result will be.
Spraying in the heat of the day means the spray will evaporate quicker than the Pyrethrum can kill the pest.
Another more primitive way of removing pests is to "hose" the plant, a strong stream off water actually blasts the pest off the plant and the force generally kills them. I had a few Mealy Bug on my Hibiscus yesterday, I grabbed a small trigger pack with water in it and just used the pressure of the squirt of water to nuke them.
All Good
Be Happy
Barry
