Problems With a Wheeler's Dwarf Pittosporum

Pests

• Green-bodied aphids, brown to white scale, web-spinning mites and powder-coated mealybugs attack the "Wheeler's Dwarf" pittosporum's leaves. These sucking pests pierce individual cell walls and extract the liquid, leaving behind sticky, mold-attracting excretions and collapsed, discolored tissue. Prevent the population of these pests from increasing by acting immediately once you discover their presence on your plant. When sprayed with water, small populations of aphids and mites wash easily off of foliage. Spray mealybugs, scale and heavy infestations of aphids and mites with 2 tablespoons of neem oil diluted in 1 gallon of water. Reapply the spray every seven to 14 days until the pests disappear.

Leaf Spot Disease

• Leaf spot occurs in the "Wheeler's Dwarf" pittosporum as a result of a fungal infection caused by improper watering. Consistently wet leaves, especially during nighttime hours, create a perfect environment for fungal spores to multiply. This disease causes irregular marks that appear yellow, brown or black on the surface of the leaves. Always water your pittosporum during the mid-morning hours to allow the foliage time to dry before nightfall. Severely infected specimens require treatment with a fungicide; however, some fungicides cause a pittosporum's leaves to drop, so read the label carefully before application.

Cultural Problems

• Overwatering a "Wheeler's Dwarf" pittosporum will prevent oxygen from penetrating the soil, resulting in rotting roots and stems. Prevent rotting tissue by planting your pittosporum in fast-draining soil and withholding water until the top 1 to 2 inches of the soil becomes dry. Pittosporum branches crack and die back when exposed to freezing temperatures. Locate your plant in a protected area to minimize exposure to cold temperatures. Covering the plant with burlap or sheets before a freeze will protect its tender stems.

Other Problems

• A "Wheeler's Dwarf" pittosporum produces white flowers in the spring. These blooms develop into hard seed pods that contain sticky orange or red seeds. Once ripe, the pods open to expel the seeds, which stick to whatever surface they touch. To prevent the seeds from creating a mess on walkways, driveways or patios, locate the pittosporum at least 5 feet away from these hardscapes or cut off spent flowers each year to stop the seeds from developing. This plant's branches also break off easily when brushed up against. Avoid planting pittosporum in areas where children and pets play freely to prevent unnecessary breakage.