On Jan 7, 3:06*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 1/7/2010 1:07 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:



On Jan 7, 10:28 am, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 1/6/2010 11:18 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

At the back of my property , *near a block wall giving on an alley, *I
had some pittosporum *put in, oh maybe 6-7 years ago? *They have grown
very , very tall - maybe over 20 feet *-- practically reaching the
phone/elec lines. *Will this plant l take judicious topping, so it
will become bushier -- more of a privacy screen -- instead of tall &
skinny?

The landscaper's chart reads "pittosporum crassifolia", but when I
looked it up, it said only 8-10 ft. tall, but this is much more, so I
am somewhat confused.

In front of the pittosporum *(away from brick wall, toward house)
there is Erica, which has also grown much taller than it's "supposed"
to. *??

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

Persephone

I have P. tobira on the side of my house. *It will grow above the eaves.
*About every 4-5 years, I renovate them by cutting them to about 2-3
feet. *Even the bare branches will develop new shoots.

I cut mine in the spring. *Because we do get some nighttime frosts, I
don't want to promote new, tender growth in the winter. *As soon as I
have finished cutting, I give each plant a generous dose of
high-nitrogen fertilizer to push the new shoots.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

OK David, thanks for the info. *In my area (SM beach) we don't
get frosts, so I'd feel safe cutting back now. *I asked at Armstrong
and the employee said don't worry if the book says 8-10 feet
and yours is more; there's too much variation.

A little surprised about high-nitrogen right after cuttting rather
than
wait till "spring". * Does this mean the plant is really not "dormant"
at all?
I would want to upset it if it was "resting" -- or DO they "rest"?

Yes, broadleaf evergreens do have a dormant period in the winter even if
they don't lose their leaves. *I feed right away because I cut my
Pittosporum in the spring. *If you cut now, wait until early March
before feeding.

OK, Tx.

Any info on Erica?

I have E. canaliculata 'Boscaweniana', a heath commonly called
"Christmas heather" although it's not a true heather. *I planted it
because my daughter is named Heather, but true heathers will not grow
well in Mediterranean climates.

Mine is E. canaliculata Rosea.

It prefers a lean soil (i.e., low in nutrients); the soil should be
acidic and always somewhat moist but never wet. *Apparently it does not
compete well with other shrubs or trees. *I had one in front near where
the property line meets the public sidewalk, very near to my neighbor's
Italian cypress. *My Erica struggled for years. *It always bloomed and
put out new growth, but it never reached its potential of growing 18 ft
high and 10-12 ft wide. *Actually, it never got more than 4 ft high and
3 ft wide after some 20 years.

Whereas my Erica is almost as tall as the Pittosporum, despite
years of benign neglect. I need to make it a little LESS bushy,
as it is pushing into the lemon tree. I will be careful about
pruning per your recommendation to consult Sunset.

I replaced it with the same variety but in the center of my front lawn.
*There, it competes only with ground cover -- pink clover (Persicaria
capitata). *After only two years, the 1 gallon plant is now slightly
over 5 ft tall and still growing. *It's also in full bloom right now.

Sunset says to shear away spent flowers. *However, you should not cut a
branch below the last green foliage. *As with some other plants
(especially some conifers and plants in the mint and salvia family), a
bare branch will die.

I strongly recommend that, if you garden west of the Rocky Mountains,
you really need Sunset's Western Garden Book, from which I got some of
the above information.

I do have it; would help if I'd consult it! Thanks for heads-up

Persephone

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary