Oleaster Limelight Infestation

RelievedSheff

We moved into our new build house a few years ago now. Planted around the front of the house is an Oleaster Limelight hedge.

It has been growing really well for the last couple of years and filled out nicely.

This spring it has developed an infestation of tiny winged insects. There are loads of them. They look to be sucking Sap from the leaves and leaving sticky residue everywhere.

The hedge is now visibly suffering and dropping leaves at an alarming rate.

We have hosed it down a couple of times which did get rid of some of them and we have sprayed with soapy water. There are now a lot less insects visibly but the hedge is still shedding leaves.

Interestingly the house opposite ours with the same hedge is suffering the same but other properties on the estate with the same hedge don't seem to be affected.

Any ideas on what we van do for the hedge will be gratefully recieved. We are keen to save it as we have a lot of it and it will cost a small fortune to replace!

ka7e

RHS has a page on the control of the Elaeagnus Sucker - the pest that seems to have been the cause of the problem. There are various pesticides you can use, but it seems they overwinter and emerge to cause damage in Spring, so they may have laid eggs for next year.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/elaeagnus-sucker

 Maybe a foliar feed might help the hedge recover?

[Deleted User]

I have grown various Eleagnus varieties, over the years, and they can suffer from seasonal outbreaks of pests but they're an excellent, and hardy, plant and will overcome the pests you speak about -  either use an insecticide or just leave it be and it'll be fine.

If the plant's shedding leaves it could be from when you hosed it down aswell as from the application of soapy water - 
Both of those actions can have a negative effect if done at the wrong time of day and the wrong days weather - if it happened like that it will be that causing the leaves to drop as it's suffering and could possibly die/die back in areas.

If you give a bit more detail on those points a more definitive answer could be given.

RelievedSheff

Both times it has been hosed down have been during the evening. I don't think that is the cause of the shedding though. Our neighbours have not hosed theirs off and that is shedding just the same. If anything theirs has shed leaves more than ours. Theirs is completely bald in places!

Last weekend we completely removed all of the leaves and bark chippings from underneath the hedge and took them to the tip. We replaced the bark chippings with fresh.

Today we are going to pick up the leaves it has dropped this week. There are quite a lot more to pick up again.

Rightly or wrongly we trimmed off some of the fresh growth last week which seemed to be the worst affected and was distorted.

We do hope it will make a come back. It was looking great until the insects arrived!

RelievedSheff

A few pictures. Sorry these were taken through the windows so not the best quality!

twopenny

Does everyone have bark chippings at the base?
I'm wondering if the insects are over wintering there. Maybe breeding as they are thriving in close properties.

fatbelly

I bought a RoseClear2 at Lidl yesterday for £4.49. 

I'd hit with that

Woolsery

Eleagnus tend to change their leaves at this time of year anyway. They're good shrubs, but on my light soil they can succumb to high winds and it's a rare winter when one doesn't fall over. Smaller plants kept trimmed like those in the pics will probably be OK in this respect.

RelievedSheff

twopenny said:

Does everyone have bark chippings at the base?
I'm wondering if the insects are over wintering there. Maybe breeding as they are thriving in close properties.

All of the gardens with hedges have bark chippings around the base. It could be that they winter in there I suppose.

Maybe we should have waited until winter to change ours.

Oh well. Too late now!

RelievedSheff

Woolsery said:

Eleagnus tend to change their leaves at this time of year anyway. They're good shrubs, but on my light soil they can succumb to high winds and it's a rare winter when one doesn't fall over. Smaller plants kept trimmed like those in the pics will probably be OK in this respect.

Funnily enough we did have an end one fall over this winter. We assumed someone had reversed into it as its the end one by the drive.

It's upright again now with a stake to support it.

[Deleted User]

I have my shrubs in a barked area too, never had issues with that, ever.

I would think your plants are being affected by weather (winds, rain, sun) or in a too dry or too damp environment - and would be inclined to just leave them be for now.

The 2 latter points i mentioned result in leaf drop - if the soil's regularly damp/wet or drying out will always do it - to many plants.

If you're on clay soil aerate it and break it up - plants don't like damp feet over winter nor baked feet in the drier seasons.
If you're on thin poor soil bulk it up.