Bilal Furkan KOŞAR / Pexels
Shrubs can offer many benefits to your garden . Whether you ’re growing them asan decorative addition for their beautiful flowersor looking togrow a privacy hedge , shrubs allow a wide array of alternative . If your garden is in need of a long-lived shrub with beautiful flowers , then pittosporum , also called cheesewood , is a great situation to start out .
ordinarily discover throughout Asia , Australia , and some parts of Africa , pittosporum is becoming more popular in American garden . This elementary care pathfinder can help you successfully append it to your garden as well !
Bilal Furkan KOŞAR/Pexels
Planting pittosporum
If you ’re planting your pittosporum from seed , you should plant it in the crepuscle . However , older plants see better success when transplanted in the spring . disregardless of when you ’re planting it , you should plant pittosporum in full sunlight to fond shade . Some salmagundi of cheesewood can even tolerate full shade , so do n’t desperation if you have a intemperately shaded garden .
Pittosporum can arise easy in a container , and there are a few blank space where it isbetter accommodate for containersthan gardens . If you exist north of USDA Zone 9 , then your pittosporum may struggle to make it through winter . With proper tribute , you may be capable to keep it in your garden , but you ’ll see more success if you bring it indoors during the winter . Additionally , part of Central to Southern California and Hawaii have reported pittosporum becoming invading or scrawny . develop your cheesewood in a container will help prevent it from hightail it your garden if you be in these arena .
Whether your pittosporum is indoors or outside , make certain to embed it in well - draining soil . This bush likes uniform wet , but it does n’t tolerate stand body of water . For container - get pittosporum , choose a pot with proper drain holes .
How to care for pittosporum
When planted in naturally deep ground , pittosporum does well without plant food . However , if your soil is naturally lack or has been heavily planted , then your cheesewood will appreciate an extra hike . Feed your pittosporum in early bound , before it get to put out fresh growth . Fertilizers with high concentrations of constitutive matter , such ascompost or leaf mulch , are great for pittosporum . A low superman of fluid plant food will also work out if you do n’t have memory access to compost . Pittosporum is tender to overfertilization , so abstemious fertilisation is more effective .
veritable pruning and trimmingcan keep your cheesewood sizeable and keep its size of it under ascendency . Use needlelike , clean pruning shear and start from the bottom of the shrub when pruning . Working your way up and away from the trunk , remove any pathologic , damaged , or debile branches . branch that have grown too close together and are crossed or that are growing up against a structure or another works should also be remove . The fart will cause the branches to rub together , create abrasions that entrust the shrub vulnerable to pests and disease .
you could apply pruning shear to trim your bush , but many gardeners choose galvanising trimmers . To trim your pittosporum , plainly remove the end of the branch . Cut them to be the height and soma you prefer .
Preventing and treating common problems
gratefully , pittosporum is a hardy flora with few common problems . The military issue it does have are wanton to avoid or treat .
Fungal infections
The most common job these shrub face is fungous infection . Overwatering and short drainage are the main sources of this issue . To quash these fungous infection , only irrigate your cheesewood when the soil is dry , and be sure to embed it in well - debilitate soil . If your pittosporum is in a container and you discover it ’s drain more slowly , it could be a sign that the drainage holes in the container are draw a blank , so be certain to remedy this immediately .
However , you ca n’t curb the atmospheric condition , and if your pittosporum is outdoors during showery conditions , then you may not be able to avoid fungal outgrowth . or else , watch closely for mark of fungous infections . Discoloration and scrawny growth are two sluttish - to - spot signs .
you’re able to deal some fungal infection using baking soda or load apple cyder vinegar , while more serious cases may involve a chemical substance fungicide . Additionally , remove any infected emergence with pruning shear . Sanitize the shears subsequently and take out the pruned branches from the garden to deflect launch the spore .
Garden pests
You may find mutual garden pests on the leaves , such as aphids , whiteflies , and mealybugs . keep the leaves good for you is the best way to prevent large infestation , as these pestilence are peculiarly attracted to plants that are already weak or disturbed . Additionally , predator such as ladybugsand garden spiders can help keep the population under control .
There are two blighter that primarily feed in on pittosporum ; to the point that they are nominate after it . The pittosporum shell hemipterous insect is unlikely to cause problem , as it ’s primarily see in Australia and New Zealand . Thepittosporum psyllid may personate a larger terror , however . These minor dark-green pesterer have been see in the U.S. , where they are invasive and have few predators to control their population . They exit large welt on the undersides of leaf and along stem and sprig . Since they have no natural piranha in the U.S. , chemical pesticides may be the only option if your cheesewood becomes infested .
Pittosporum are versatile , audacious shrubs with beautiful flowers . you may keep them in containers , plant them along fences or garden borders , or implant them in other areas of your G . Now that you love how to by rights manage for these shrub , you ’re quick to get down planting your own !
