Planting, cultivation, flowering and care

Presentation of pittosporum

What light and exposure are ideal for pittosporum?

Generally speaking, pittosporum needs to be installed in a warm and sunny location, as well as sheltered from the prevailing and cold winds. If you live in an area where winters tend to be harsher, you can install it against a south-facing wall.

Certain varieties of pittosporum, such as Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegatum’, can be grown in shade or partial shade, but their habit is then less compact.

What is the ideal temperature for pittosporum?

Pittosporum is a chilly shrub that prefers mild, warm temperatures to develop well. This means that it is only possible to cultivate it in the ground in regions where winters are quite mild and where temperatures do not drop below -5°C.

Among the different species of Pittosporum, one of the most cold-resistant is Pittosporum heterophyllum. Anyway, if you live in an area where winters are very severe, it is best to grow your pittosporum in a pot so that you can shelter it as soon as the cold arrives. Furthermore, when choosing the species of Pittosporum you want, be careful about its hardiness.

Watering pittosporum

The pittosporum knows how to be satisfied with dry soil, but like all plants, water is necessary for its development.

• If you grow your pittosporum in the ground: remember to water it regularly, once a week during the summer, during the first years after planting. Once established, you can only water it during prolonged periods of drought.
• If you grow your pittosporum in a pot: It is necessary to water it as soon as the soil is dry on the surface. It may be necessary to increase watering frequency when temperatures are higher.

Whether you grow it in a pot or in the ground, always make sure to avoid any stagnation of water, because your pittosporum would not resist it.

What types of soil and fertilizer for pittosporum?

Earth

Pittosporums are quite accommodating since they can be grown in any type of soil, as long as it is well drained and not too calcareous. However, it grows optimally in rich, deep soils. Let’s take the different cases:

• If the soil on your land is rather heavy and retains humidityplan to add sand to the soil to lighten it and promote drainage.
• If the soil on your land is poorconsider adding compost to enrich it with organic matter.
• For growing in a potthe ideal substrate is a mixture of garden soil, sand and compost in equal parts.

Fertilizer

It is possible to add each year, in autumn or winter, organic manure directly at the foot of your pittosporum. This will promote its development and flowering.

Planting and repotting pittosporum

Cultivation in open ground

To plant your pittosporum in the ground, proceed as follows:

1. Dig a hole 2 to 3 times the size of the root ball.
2. Install a drainage bed at the bottom of the hole.
3. Position your pittosporum in the hole, making sure the collar is flush with the surface of the soil.
4. Fill the hole with a mixture of soil, sand and compost.
5. Pack, then water thoroughly.
6. Do not hesitate to install mulch around the base, this will allow the soil to remain fresh.

If you plant several plants, for a hedge, for example, space them about 1 meter apart.

Pot cultivation

For growing in a container, pot or planter, it is necessary to choose a container of suitable size to that of your pittosporum. To promote drainage, choose a terracotta container with a perforated bottom, and don’t forget to install a bed of clay balls or gravel at the bottom of it.

How to propagate pittosporum?

Pittosporums can be propagated by seed or cutting.

Sowing

If you already have a pittosporum, it is possible to harvest the seeds when the capsules, usually red, open in late fall.

You then just need to sow under a cold frame and install everything in a bright location, but without direct sunlight. You will have to wait between 1 and 2 months before the first shoots appear. During this entire waiting time, make sure to always keep the substrate slightly damp.

Cutting

A solution to save a little time is to take cuttings in summer. You can proceed as follows:

• During the month of July or August, take 15 cm cuttings from the end of semi-lignified branches.
• Place these cuttings in pots previously filled with a light, moist substrate, this can be special seed compost.
• Cover your buckets with a cover or plastic.
• After a few weeks, you will have the pleasure of noticing new leaves.
• It is then time to transplant your cuttings into pots.
• Wait until the following fall to put them in the ground.

How to prune pittosporum?

The size of the pittosporum is not essential. However, it may prove necessary to contain its growth, give it a certain shape, etc. If you decide to prune your pittosporum, be careful not to do it at the end of winter, because you would compromise its flowering and you would deprive yourself of the fragrance of its flowers. It is recommended to intervene in mid-summer at the end of flowering.

Maintenance of pittosporum

It is a plant that does not require any special maintenance. Depending on the region in which you grow it, it may simply be necessary to protect your pittosporum during the winter. You can use a winter veil or install it in a bright, unheated, but frost-free room.

Species and varieties of the Pittosporum genus: there are a very large number of them

The genus Pittosporum has no less than approximately 200 species such as:

• pittosporum abyssinicum,
• pittosporum heterophyllum,
• pittosporum tenuifolium,
• pittosporum tobira,
• pittosporum tubiflorum,
• etc.

Certain species in turn come in different varieties, some of which are dwarfs, such as:

• Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’
• Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’
• Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Midget’
• etc.

The 5 points to remember about pittosporum

• It’s a very decorative shrub which will easily find its place in a pot or in the ground to decorate a balcony, a terrace, a path, a flower bed, etc.
• Easy to growHowever, it fears too cold temperatures and it will be necessary to check beforehand that the hardiness of the species or variety chosen is suitable for your region.
• It requires little maintenance and allows you to bring a touch of greenery all year round.
• Among the numerous species of pittosporum, some are characterized by magnificent looking foliage, whether because of its color or its color associations.
• Her spring flowering in the shape of bells diffuses an orange blossom scent.