Pest identification
What's eating my podocarpus 'maki'?
Scale insects
Signs: Fixed brown bumps on stems; yellow or dropped leaves; honeydew and sooty mold on foliage
Control: Scrub off with a soft brush and horticultural oil; apply insecticidal soap spray, targeting crawlers in the active season; repeat applications every 14 days
Spider mites
Signs: Pale stippling and dullness on narrow leaves; fine webbing on shoots in hot or dry conditions
Control: Boost humidity; rinse foliage with water; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap, especially to leaf undersides, weekly until infestation clears
Mealybugs
Signs: Cottony white clusters at branch forks and on new shoots; leaves become sticky and stunted
Control: Remove manually with alcohol swabs; treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap spray on a weekly schedule for a month
Keep podocarpus 'maki' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Podocarpus 'Maki' pests — FAQ
What is eating my podocarpus 'maki'?
Podocarpus 'Maki', often grown as a houseplant or patio container shrub, is most often troubled by scale insects on its dense stems. Spider mites cause stippling in dry air or heat. Mealybugs settle at stem nodes. Outdoors in frost-free climates, aphids and sooty mold can appear on new growth in spring.
How do I get rid of scale insects on podocarpus 'maki'?
Fixed brown bumps on stems; yellow or dropped leaves; honeydew and sooty mold on foliage Scrub off with a soft brush and horticultural oil; apply insecticidal soap spray, targeting crawlers in the active season; repeat applications every 14 days
How do I get rid of spider mites on podocarpus 'maki'?
Pale stippling and dullness on narrow leaves; fine webbing on shoots in hot or dry conditions Boost humidity; rinse foliage with water; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap, especially to leaf undersides, weekly until infestation clears
How do I get rid of mealybugs on podocarpus 'maki'?
Cottony white clusters at branch forks and on new shoots; leaves become sticky and stunted Remove manually with alcohol swabs; treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap spray on a weekly schedule for a month