How to revive pittosporum in big trouble?

[Harperj1]

My pittasporium are 4 mitre heigh and I have noticed one tree is brown , twiggy and dead , the tree next to it is starting to turn brown too .

i have been away so m6 husband has been looking after watering and with this hot weather I’m not sure if they are over or under water but I know they are in big trouble where do I start . Could it be root rot or some diseases .

[EricL]

Hello @Harperj1 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us and thanks for sharing your question about your Pittosporum tree. 

There could be any number of reasons that your Pittosporum are in ill health. Can you please tell us a little bit more about your plant's history. How often do you water it? When was the last time you fertilized it? Has there been any chemical spraying in the neighbourhood? Has there been severe weather in your area? 

Any information you can share about your tree would be very much appreciated. This will allow us to give you a better diagnosis. Can you also please post a closer photo of the branches and a photo of the leaves both top and bottom.

Eric

[Harperj1]

Hello Eric and thanks you 

they are probably 5-6 meter high and get watered with retic twice a week, it’s been a very hot summer here in Perth .

i put them in a Sandy soil 11 years ago as little plants from bunning , they have always been healthy but have been losing more leaves during this summer .

As I mentioned I have been working away so my husband has been doing the watering no blame of course .

i gave them all soil wetter last week and do fertilizer.I’ve with sea soil every now and then .

what I find strange is it’s only 2-3 plants they are dying and they are next to my neigbough fence .

in one of the photos I e sen there seems to be little hard balls on the branch and the leaves are yellow and curled , some are brown and gone others are still green . I have never seen the bark split like this and peel off in places 

hope you can help I’m so grateful 

[EricL]

Hello @Harperj1 

Thanks for that extra information about your Pittosporum, I've not encountered branch splitting like that either and the fact that it is only affecting three of your trees is a bit of a mystery. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Noelle, @mich1972 and @Adam_W for their recommendations.

In the meantime, can you please post a photo of the growth on the branches and a photo of the curled leaves as well.

Eric

[Noelle · Accepted solution]

Hi @Harperj1 

I have pittosporums along two fence lines and have, over the years, experienced much the same as you.  Leaves dying, trunks peeling and splitting etc. These symptoms have been worse during very hot summers when we have had water restrictions and it has not been possible to keep up enough water to the trees to maintain their health.

The burned / brown areas on leaves is due to sun scorch and lack of water. Pittosporums need one or two deep soaks weekly - your retic system may not be giving sufficient moisture to soak deeply into the soil.  The trees affected may be adjacent to trees on your neighbour's side of the fence which are 'stealing' moisture from your soil.

Once trees start to split badly as in a couple of your photos, diseases set in and the trees are pretty much doomed.

The knobbly bits appearing on the stems?  Not sure what they might be but I'd suspect they are caused by disease or insect damage and the tree is developing scar tissue to cover the damage.

Pittosporums also don't live for ever - as they age, they start to develop all sorts of symptoms like bark peeling and branches splitting. It may be that yours are reaching the end of their useful lives in your specific conditions.

[Harperj1]

Thank you Nolelle , it sounds like you are right I, not sure they have been getting enough water and maybe it’s only affected the 2 plants as maybe the retic wasn’t as strong there.

i will cut back the dead  branches and start a good watering plan .

i appreciate your time and feed back thank you