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Landscape Design Master Gardeners California Gardening

New Pittosporum silver sheen dying

2 years ago

Hello,

I live in inland Los Angeles (North Hollywood) and have a new silver sheen hedge planted. All the plants are on drip emitters. Half of the hedge is dying. This plant was professionally planted and irrigated. They are willing to replace the dying plants, but my concern is if we don't determine why they are dying, the same thing will happen. The plant is supposed to tolerate the amount of sun it receives in the current location. Worried it's simply too hot and sunny on this side of my yard. I've attached pics of the problematic are as well as the side where they are establishing quite well. Please advise!

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Comments (6)

Ginger Chew
Original Author
2 years ago
This side doing well
Sara Malone Zone 9b
2 years ago
Sure looks like it burned up. I don't plant any woody plants at this time of year for exactly that reason. The root ball is simply not robust enough to take up enough water and drip irrigation is notorious for not working well for new plantings. They should be able to take full sun although I find that even here (and I am not as hot as you are) most things prefer a few hours of shade. IF you want to replant these, I'd wait until autumn and in the absence of rain, augment with water from a hose. Make sure to saturate the entire root ball. FWIW we just had our first hot spell and had two days of 100 degree heat and even established plantings showed some burning.
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Greenman this is a reply to you you wrote a note just above what I am about to write. Mine has a silver sheen, and the leaves when I got it from Michael Vassar had the sheen not just on the skin but on the leaves as well. I will go out and check my out again tomorrow, I don't remember the growth rings on the stem. I only reply at night so can't look at the plant. I do have two I believe, one is more stressed the other one is growing in open run. Greenman please show me a picture of those leaves, I think the leaves are different as well. I can send you a piece of mine so you can compare, no need to return it if you are willing. Norma
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hoovb: I'd like to see that post if it's still available . Mine reached probably over 15' in less than 2 yrs from 5 gal containers in zone: Salinas CA, Monterey County. ( I think it's zone 9 or something, there's no clear map on line as it turns out or info otherwise, unless sub-business card size zone maps are what everyone else is using, and they're all blurry at that - I long for the days of the Sunset Western Garden book, no problem learning my growing zone there. ) Anyway, they were supposed to do "up to 3'/yr" so since they stated out 30" to the tips, I thought in 3 yrs my neighbor's yard would have privacy from my second floor windows. Instead they got to over 12 feet in one year this is the only photo I can find, Dec 5, I'd planted them Mar. 7 Point is: Now I need to prune, they're encumbering the paths.
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see section one at this link: https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub welcome the the forums... perhaps you should attack this from the other direction.. show us the spot.. and let us off suggestions of what to plant,... if interested start a new post.. add big city location.. soil type.. drainage issues if any... and any other information which might help us.. help you .. ken ps: central valley means nothing to this MI boy...
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
There have been a lot of reports in recent years, both here and elsewhere online, remarking on the decline and death of Silver Sheen across much of CA. Apparently, this cultivar in particular is very sensitive to root rots. And more during the summer months, when irrigation is most common and soils are likley to stay moist overnight. I am not saying this is what's going on with yours but it is a possibility worth exploring.

Pittosporum 'Silver Sheen' Sudden Death
Sara Malone Zone 9b
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Interesting. mine are all fine and they border my holding area which gets overhead watered every other day. and i have clay soil. OPs look fried to me.
socks
2 years ago
Maybe wait until fall to redo. Interesting link, gardengal.
Ginger Chew
Original Author
2 years ago
Lost the entire hedge. Will replace with green hopseed which is more sun and heat tolerant

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