Help My Lily!

[SusanLisa]

<P>One of my oriental lily's is in bad shape. I think its got a disease? It has small black blobs of sticky stuff on it which I can only describe like tar which is slowly killing it? I've tried looking it up on the internet but I can't find anything. Has anyone got an idea what it could be? Ta x </P>

[Thunderbird+]

It could be one of several fungal infestations thats caused these spots.
Remove all dead and diseased leaves and burn them, then spray plants with fungiside 'mancozeb' will do it. Good Luck.

[nickmo]

Contact the Lily Society at the RHS and they will give a definitive - give as much detail about the problem, the species, soil etc. http://www.rhslilygroup.org/index.html

[SusanLisa]

Thanks for your answers guys (Hi Nickmo). On advice from my dad, i have used a hand sprayer & squirted off the blobs which turned out to be little red creatures in disguise! I have removed them, washed the lily down, cleared the top soil and covered the ground with a bin bag. Im going to do this a few times a day and hopefully that will get rid of them. x

[n00dles]

Hi SusanLisa,

These red guys....are they little beetles, bright red bodies and black head and legs, (undercarriage dark)? If so they are the dreaded lilly beetles...(used to get them only in Surrey and adjoining counties - but now more widespread).

They always come in pairs, so if you find an odd number - look for the other one! Before picking them off, put a sheet of paper under the leaf they are on, because they will jump down immediately to the soil , and you won't find them.
I hope to goodness that you do not have these little monsters. Take advice given about spraying....

Good Luck

[nickmo]

Hi Sooooo - info here on the little darlings: http://www.uoguelph.ca/pdc/Factsheets/Insect/L ilyLeafBeetle.htm
happy picking . . .

[SusanLisa]

Ive just made the mistake of checking these answers while on my dinner at work, so i am now feeling a bit sick after looking at that factsheet link! ha ha. (But apart from that, very helpful ta) x