Pests and disease
Podocarpus is a tough genus, and most trouble we see traces back to the same root cause: media that stays wet too long.
Scale
Small brown bumps fixed to shoots and leaf undersides. Usually noticed only once sticky honeydew appears, followed by black sooty mould growing on it.
- For light infestations, scrub off with a soft toothbrush and soapy water.
- For heavier ones, use horticultural oil and repeat two weeks later.
- Check leaf axils — that is where they hide.
Mealybug
White cottony masses in branch junctions and on the soil surface. Thrives in high humidity with poor airflow — easy to create when pots are crowded.
Space the benches out, and wipe small colonies off with alcohol on a cotton bud.
Root rot
The most common killer of podocarpus in Indonesia. The symptoms mislead because they mimic drought: wilting foliage, stalled growth, yellowing interior leaves.
If you suspect it, lift the tree out of the pot. Healthy roots are pale and firm; rotted ones are dark brown, soft and smell. Cut away everything rotten, replace the mix entirely, and hold back on water until new growth appears.