Burlap won't help at this point. The sapsucker damage is severe and has obviously caused lots of damage. I still have doubts about botrytis being a problem. It's an air borne fungus and not that difficult to control. I was in the path of Hugo (I lived in Beaufort for over 20 years), and am well aware of some of the problems caused by the flooding. Phytophthora was a major disease issue for a long time. This fungal disorder is a soil borne disease and can be rampant when the soil stays saturated for long periods of time. Botrytis is a fungal disease of the soft tissues of plants, usually non-woody plants. We see it on some vegetables, annuals, a few perennials, and on the flowers and new foliage of roses and a few other woody plants. It is also called Gray Mold. As I said, I have never observed it on Pittosporum. If I had, it would be on the flowers. If I any say (which I don't), I'd like for you to have the problems identified properly before using Safari on this plant. From what I've seen and here, this pesticide won't be of any benefit at all and an environmental cost. The active ingredient in Safari is a neonicotinoid, a family of systemics that once absorbed by the plant, can be transported to the nectar and pollen of the flowers. This, of course, causes problems for pollinating insects which are highly attracted to the very fragrant blooms of pittosporum. I'm curious as to what 'dredging the soil' means in regards to your plant. Perhaps you mean 'drenching'?

Discussion Posted by Eduarda 10 - Portugal I love berrying shrubs. They are so useful and look so lovely in Winter. So, what are the berrying shrubs that you have, love to have and have to have? Ill start with those I have. - Hollies - ilex aquifolium, JC Van Toll, Golden King, Aureomarginata - Nandina domestica - Firethorn - my privacy edge separating me from the road - Viburnum tinus - some blue berries are already showing up - Callicarpa - the purple berries are wonderful at this time of the year - Pernettya - pink and white berries - Cotoneaster horizontalis - Ruscus - Hips in rosa gallica officinalis and versicolor, Heritage and Veilchenblau What else am I missing for my Winter garden? Eduarda __________________________________________________ Follow-Up Postings: RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: TheGardnr z6 MA Ilex verticillata __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Eduarda 10 - Portugal (My Page) Right! I love it. If only I had a source to obtain it! I´ve never seen it offered for trade in Portugal... Eduarda __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Herb Victoria, B.C. Cotoneaster franchetii. Grows to between 2 and 3 meters tall and has LOTS of orange berries. I've just added a picture of ours to the Hortiplex database. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Teri2 6/7 TN (My Page) Ilex crenata (a fast growing boxwood look-alike) is used extensively for sheared hedging here. What most people don't realize is that if you lay off the shears when it flowers in spring, you'll be rewarded with a crop of dark blue berries that will have mockingbirds hopping all over those hedges come winter. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Eduarda 10 - Portugal (My Page) I didn´t know that about ilex crenata - thanks for letting me know. Another one I´ve never seen in Portugal, sigh... Eduarda __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: bahia SF Bay Area (My Page) Acmena smithii(purple) Arbutus unedo(red) Cestrum aurantiacum/elegans/nocturnum(white or red) Clerodendrum trichotomum(turquoise) Dianella ensifolia/intermedia/tasmanica(turquoise to deep purple) Duranta repens/stenostachya(golden yellow) Helmholtzia glabberrima(white) Heteromeles arbutifolia(deep red) Hedychium gardnerianum(orange seeds) Mahonia aquifolium/lomariifolia(blue) Pittosporum tobira/undulatum(deep yellow to orange) Symphoricarpos albus(white) Syzygium paniculatum(purple) Not all of these have berries in winter, but all of them do have seasonally showy berries/fruits. It also pays to be careful with berrying shrubs, as the fruits may be exceptionally attractive to birds, and cause problems if spread into wild lands. This is a real problem with some Cotoneaster and Hedera species in California. It may be safest to use plants that can't get established from seed/or aren't quite hardy in your climate, rather than things that can/are... I would look for plants that come from climates with the opposite rainy season to yours, or that are known as noninvasive in your region. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: dirtydave 8 (My Page) I live in Seattle, which has a mild, maritime zone 8 climate not too unlike northern Portugal. All the berrying plants mentioned in the opening list do well here. Here are a few more: Aucuba japonica Sarcococca confusa Ilex cornuta __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: rebow 6 Philly (My Page) beautyberry with its purple berries and winterberry with red ones that last all winter. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Eduarda Z10 - Portugal (My Page) I have beautyberry (callicarpa americana) and this year I´m keeping my fingers crossed it will be a real beauty, since it has grown quite a lot since last year and the berries are already forming! I love winterberry, but unfortunately I have never come across it in Portugal. If anyone knows of any mail order company in Europe from where I could import it, I would be eternally grateful. TIA Eduarda __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: luseal z 6-7 PA I used to plant many butterfly bushes, but not anymore. I removed at least ten of them(all) and planted three iridescent purple/blue VITEX. They look like butterfly bushes except they are prettier. The leaves are more beautiful and the spiky flowers, more lush and vibrant than a butterfly bush. I planted them in different beds and use they as a small tree. I pruned all the lower branches so I could plant under them. Unless you want a full bush( which is beautiful, if that is what you want) do not shear this shrub. Stratically prune it like a fine tree and you will be rewarded with a small 5 foot flowering tree/shrub. It needs full sun. (Did you have a sweltering hot summer in Portugal as all the other European Countries had?) __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Eduarda Z10 - Portugal Luseal, your suggestion sounds lovely, but unfortunately this is yet another plant I´ve never seen offered for sale in Portugal... I need to have a word with my favorite garden centre and see what they can come up with. We are indeed in the middle of a terrible heat wave. 13 out of the 18 districts which build up the country have been (and still are) under uncontrolable fires and most of the country´s forest has been devastated. 14 people have already died. Thousands of people have lost their homes, burnt to the ground. The government has declared a state of public calamity. Honestly, I cannot remember a more afflicting Summer. And the temperatures are still at over 110 F for we don´t know how many more days to come... __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Iowa_Jade 5a I was reading a book on the Lewis & Clark expedition and read about a description of Symphoricarpos albus or Snowberry. They mentioned it was good for steep banks and erosion control. That is one of the main reasons that I would be interested in same. They mentioned the birds only ate it if they were REAL hungry. All parts of the plant are poisonous, except to birds. Any other choices you might reccomend? Thanks! __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: shrubs_n_bulbs z8/9 UK Symphoricarpos berries are not poisonous, they just taste really bad, that's why the birds leave them. They used to be used as a last-resort food source in winter. They can cause vomiting if you eat enough. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: jeff_al 8 AL (My Page) No one has mentioned skimmia japonica. have a look at joe's photo from the garden photo gallery. now, what in the world is a guy in alabama doing on the winter garden forum? *lol* __________________________________________________

For mounds, I understand your point. But mounds usually take a larger width to allow for that gradual sloping down. I have a very narrow strip to work with. So if you were forced into using sharp vertical walls to contain the raised bed, with the bottom open to the native soil, how wide and tall would you make it for Pittosporum Tobira?

What's coating the lava pebbles ls fines. I get it without fines. And GG is correct - rock is not a component of soil per se. I grow many plants that are native to very rocky or poor soils - Australians, succulents and conifers primarily. Maybe the term term 'substrate' is better! In order to grow winter-dry plants here (waaayyyy out of their normal rain pattern) I must keep their roots as dry as possible, which means planting on mounds with a high rock/pebble component. Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek is apparently redoing their beds with a significant component of rocky substance. I have found that the conifers do well in this mix, too. The Pittosporum is likely much less fussy and doesn't mind the wet feet as much. I have successfully been able to overwinter succulents( that rotted in past) because of the soil mix that I now use. FWIW, I now plant all of my container conifers (mostly those that are still too small to plant out - the jackrabbits are vicious) in cactus mix. I would imagine that woodland plants or any that prefer a richer soil would not like this, but the Japanese Maples do fine, as do the Ginkgo, oaks, etc etc. Westes I think that GG is also correct that you are likely overthinking this. The Pitts should be ok with almost any of the choices.