Ever versatile, Pittosporum makes an excellent hedge or specimen plant. Our selection of Pittosporum hedging includes what has become, perhaps, the most widely planted variety in UK gardens – Pittosporum tenuifolium (pictured) – along with three of its most popular hybrids.
Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegata’
Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Garnettii’ (v)
Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Elizabeth’ (m/v)
Whichever variety or varieties you choose, prepare the ground as follows. (These guidelines are exactly the same as those detailed for Beech and may be considered Standard Practice).
HOW TO PREPARE THE GROUND
Preparing the ground properly is essential and a little extra time and care will pay dividends:
1. Dig a hole with a garden fork to twice the depth of the fork removing all weeds, rhizomes and any large stones or other detritus. (Keep small stones as these are good for drainage – and don’t plant if the ground is frozen!)
2. Fill the furrow with water and allow it to drain (unless planting in mid-winter)
3. Remove the Pittosporum from their containers and plunge into a bucket of water for a short while to drive out the air
4. Add organic matter, such as garden compost, and rake in a general-purpose fertilizer
5. Place your hedging plants into the furrow with the top of the pot at soil level, back fill and firm with your heel to ensure good contact
NB: How near to a fence or wall can I plant a hedge? As a general rule allow an absolute minimum of 45cm though, to be on the safe side, 60cm would be advisable – and wider if you are planning on letting your new hedge grow to a height of two metres plus.
In our next posts, we’ll look at the individual varieties in more detail.
View Our Recommended Hedges
