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Hi team, We had a fire at our house (caused by neighbours and luckily there was minimal damage). Unfortunatily, part of our pittosporum hedge was burnt. I need help with how I can revive this. Photos attached. I am pretty sure it is pittosporum. Many thanks,
Hello @shalen
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your pittosporum.
I’m really sorry to hear about the fire. That would have been a very stressful experience, so it’s good news that the damage to the house itself was minimal. From the photos, it does appear to be a pittosporum hedge, likely one of the common hedge varieties that responds reasonably well to hard pruning.
The good thing about pittosporum is that it is generally quite resilient after fire, provided the main trunks and root system are still alive. In your photos, the outer growth is clearly burnt and dead, but several of the main stems look intact, even if they are heavily scorched. That gives you a decent chance of recovery, especially if the plants were otherwise healthy before the fire.
The first step is to do some fairly decisive pruning. All obviously dead, blackened, and brittle branches should be cut back to living wood. When you make a cut, look for wood that is green and moist inside rather than dry and brown. Don’t be afraid to cut hard if needed, as pittosporum can reshoot from older wood. It may look quite bare for a while, but leaving dead material in place will only slow recovery and can invite pests or disease.
Once pruning is done, give the hedge the best possible conditions to regrow. A deep watering to settle the roots is important, followed by consistent watering over the next few months, especially if conditions are dry. Adding a layer of organic mulch around the base, kept a little away from the trunks, will help retain moisture and support soil health. If the soil hasn’t been heavily disturbed by fire or cleanup, a light application of a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring can help encourage new shoots, but avoid overfeeding while the plants are stressed.
Over the coming weeks, keep an eye out for new growth along the trunks and lower branches. Pittosporum often reshoots from below damaged areas, sometimes quite low down. If you see fresh shoots emerging, that’s a strong sign the plant is recovering. If some sections fail to reshoot after a full growing season, those individual plants may need replacing, but it’s worth giving them time before making that call.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
