What's eating my totara?

Totara (Podocarpus totara) is a robust New Zealand conifer with few serious pest threats. Scale insects and aphids occasionally colonise new growth, while caterpillars and possums (in NZ gardens) can browse foliage. Remove scale by hand or use horticultural oil; inspect new shoots regularly in spring.

Yellowing or bronzing of needles; sticky honeydew residue on foliage and beneath the plant Scrape off colonies manually; apply horticultural oil or neem oil spray in late winter before budbreak; repeat in early summer

Clusters on new shoot tips causing distorted, curling growth; sticky honeydew promotes sooty mold Blast off with a strong water jet; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; encourage natural predators such as ladybirds

Irregular chewing of young foliage and shoot tips, sometimes webbing present Hand-pick small infestations; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for larger outbreaks; avoid broad-spectrum insecticides to protect beneficial insects