Banksia Integrifolia Spots

[bouquet]

Hi all

I'm seeking some information as to what this black spot may be on the new growth on a Banksia of mine. If you rub it, it kinda just rubs off. I thought maybe a kind of mildew. I haven't seen it before on my plants so I thought I'd ask before I hit it with anything.

Cheers

[Grant Bowie]

Can you put up a higher res picture; so that I can zoom in a bit more and have a look?

Tah

[bouquet]

I hope this helps Grant. I did try a higher res pic but the site wouldn't allow it, said it was to big.

[Grant Bowie]

Is the black stuff "poo" from a chewing insect/caterpillar?

Is this tree underneath something else that is getting chewed as there doesn't seem to be any damage on the Banksia?

But also what is the white stuff? If it was more concentrated it could be Mealy Bug, but it is indistinct and I am not sure.

Grant

[bouquet]

Not sure. I will take a couple more pics tonight when I get home. They are under shade cloth on my stands. I have seen little birds in there a bit, darn birds.

I have seen a little bit of scale on some chinese mapels. I think I Will be giving most trees a good hit of an insecticide this winter.

[shibui]

Bit hard to make out in the pictures but just wondering if these are aphids? The white bits could be moulted skins. Try squashing one or 2 and see what happens or, if you're a bit squeamish just poke them and see if they are alive, legs, anything that would show them to be living things.

[bouquet]

Ok another photo added. I hope it is a little better, hard trying to get a good shot with one hand whilst the other is trying to hold a 1 year old.

I have poked them but they don't seem to move at all. They kind of smear when you rub them them.

[longd_au]

I agree with Shibui. They look like aphids to me. Given the picture is not very sharp, the shape is consistent with those of aphids. So is the color.

[shibui]

They kind of smear when you rub them them.

Either insect poo or aphids will smear when rubbed. The quality and consistency of the smear will determine which

I don't have a 1 y/o to help but still managed to get a shot to compare with yours.

aphids 1.JPG

then switched to macro for some better ones

aphids 2.JPG

The ants are a dead giveaway for either aphid or scale. Are there any ants running up and down your banksia?

Here's a closer look. You can see they have legs and some of the older ones have wings.

aphids 4.JPG

All of them are sucking the juice out of the callistemon leaves so I'd better go out and kill them instead of sitting here

[bouquet]

Ok so tonight I actually seen them move and squirm. They are a dark green looking colour and I think the black is their poo.

Is it ok to give all trees, deciduous, pines, junis Aust native a hit with confidor now.

[Grant Bowie]

Ok so tonight I actually seen them move and squirm. They are a dark green looking colour and I think the black is their poo.

Is it ok to give all trees, deciduous, pines, junis Aust native a hit with confidor now.

Yes, if you poke them and they move they are black aphids. Spray them.

Never seen them on banksia before which threw me a bit.

Grant

[shibui]

Confidor is a systemic so use when the plant is active. Now is ok as all plants are growing and will absorb and circulate the poison around the system.
I have used it on elms, pines, juniper but not on banksia yet. No cautions on the pack so should be ok to use on any plant.

Never seen them on banksia before which threw me a bit.

Me too Grant, but currently having them on the Callistemon at the moment, the pics looked all too familiar, even out of focus

[bouquet]

the pics looked all too familiar, even out of focus

I thought I did well using a phone camera in one hand whilst holding a 1 year old that wanted to touch everything in the other

I did manage to get another better pic using macro on my proper camera, just need to get the picture of it onto here.

I did spray everything with confidor at 5ml per 750ml water. Read the instructions wrong and the dose was double of what is should have been, oh well I don't think anything looks fried at this stage.

On another note, I was thinking of removing all new growththat was affected, is this a good thing to do. I mean after all the idea of bonsai is to keep the tree compact so there must be a degree of new growth removal through the growing season, right.

[shibui]

On another note, I was thinking of removing all new growththat was affected, is this a good thing to do. I mean after all the idea of bonsai is to keep the tree compact so there must be a degree of new growth removal through the growing season, right.

All this depends on what stage of development your bonsai is in. Trees you want to grow larger or thicken can be allowed to grow without trimming to get them to grow quicker. Regular trimming will probably slow the growth but trees you want to get ramification to look more 'bushy' must be trimmed regularly. I don't think the aphids will have damaged the foliage enough to warrant removal if the tree is still developing but pruning won't damage the tree either. You'll need to make that decision.