Cut out any suckers at the base of the plant.Fertilise the plant two weeks after pruning, using an all-purpose fertiliser to stimulate growth. Pittosporum is also prone to fungi infestations that cause swollen galls and dieback on stem tips. Overgrown Pittosporum are usually very woody and lack many leaves on the inner branches, so the plant may look quite bare, for a brief period of time, until the new growth begins to emerge with warmer weather. Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. You can prune it as far back as to 12 inches in height or to whatever height you want it as long as it's at or above 12 inches. Cut either of these down to a lateral branch inside the canopy of the shrub whenever you see them. She has been published on various websites, specializing in garden-related instructional articles. Cut them flush to each specimen's main trunk.Shape and prune the pittosporum tree immediately after flowering. Hedge trimmers cut through stems and leaves indiscriminately, and so no need exists to cut near a bud.Prune Japanese pittosporum immediately after they finish blooming, if flowers are desired the following season. How to Trim Overgrown Boxwoods. From compact, dwarf varieties to shrubs growing up to 40 feet tall, pittosporum can be used as a specimen plant, part of a foundation planting, as a hedge or a screen. Prune affected stems back to 6 inches past any damage. Pruning pittosporum. If your boxwood has become overgrown, all you'll need is a pair of sharp, clean pruning shears or loppers. Often used as a hedge, the shrub can be kept at any height you like -- depending on how much you like to use your pruners.Variegated pittosporum can reach 8 to 12 feet tall and 12 to 18 feet wide when planted in full sun to partial shade. Variegated pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira "Variegata") is a fast-growing shrub to small tree grown for its attractive white-edged, oval leaves. Pittosporums produce their new shoots in whorls of four or five branches, one of which becomes dominant. It is an evergreen plant native to southern Japan and China and has a rapid growth rate until it reaches around 3 metres (10 feet). Use a pruning saw for branches greater than 1/2 inch thick and bypass shears for those narrower than 1/2 inch. Trim back all overgrown branches to the desired length after flowering ends in midsummer. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." Take the stems back individually, making the cut 6.5 mm (1/4 inch) above a healthy growth bud, which is visible as a swelling under the wood.Cut the side shoots back at least 5 cm (2 inches) after you have removed the height. The variegated form has attractively mottled white and gre Grant recently earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management with a hospitality focus from South Seattle Community College. As a florist plant, the shrubs are cut nearly to the ground each year to harvest the long stems for use in cut-flower arrangements. How to prune overgrown pittosporum Pittosporum is a versatile shrub that rarely needs pruning. ymv13 Posts: 5. Dear Neil: We have overgrown pittosporum and nandina plants. Remove the branches back to the nearest healthy wood or the main trunk. But however, where I am may be lost.” Pittosporum (Pittosporum spp.) It needs frequent pruning to keep its size in check, especially when young. Consequently, wait for the end of the blooming in spring to prune the pittosporum. Pittosporum is a versatile shrub that rarely needs pruning. Use loppers to remove one-third of the heaviest wood in the centre. The shrub does produce small, fragrant white flowers in mid-spring, followed by red seed pods. Shear them in the summer, beginning in their second or third year, cutting new growth back by one-half its length and leaving the shrub narrower at the top than the bottom. Never at the end of winter, or its spring-blooming would be compromised. ), we cut back every other year to get more of those extra bright fresh stems that we grow them for, so we might delay the cutting until late August. Old variegated pittosporums that have become leggy, too tall or misshaped are rejuvenated by cutting them back to a low, woody framework in mid-spring. Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening. Any time you prune, but particularly when pruning diseased tissue, use a tool sterilized with isopropyl alcohol, a 10 percent bleach solution or household antiseptic cleaner. Perform this … I would cut it back in mid April - pruning before then risks new growth being damaged by late frosts.Thank you. Overgrown shrub- can I cut back safely? Annual pruning helps keep them manageable sizes.Soak a clean rag in isopropyl alcohol. Japanese pittosporum plants work well as both informal and formal hedges, or they can be pruned to resemble small trees. We have killed a row of pittosporum, we put it down to learning now and I'll tell you now so you don't make the same mistake we did a few year ago: It was January/February and I was chasing extra work, the client wanted the height of a row of aged overgrown James Stirling reduced down about 6 feet (gutter height) in one go. Pittosporum is a versatile shrub that rarely needs pruning. If it is it can be cut back to ground level if desired, it's a vigorous shrub so you can prune as hard as you like.It looks like a variegated Pittosporum to me. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden.