How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Podocarpus

Podocarpus is a coniferous shrub that makes a superb accent in a big border. Unfussy and dense, they’re additionally excellent hedging vegetation!

This genus of enticing evergreen shrubs and timber likes heat climate and sunshine. Whereas low-maintenance, these vegetation are sluggish to reasonable growers. Select from dwarf varieties round three ft tall all the way in which as much as 40 foot timber!

Try these care suggestions for rising stunning Podocarpus in your panorama.

About Podocarpus

Podocarpus won’t be the only option if you’re in a rush. In case you have the time to attend for them, these vegetation will reward you with an excellent noise filter or privateness display with their dense, sturdy foliage and limbs.

They’re a big group of vegetation, so the full-sized species don’t make low hedge, however there are dwarf varieties for this goal. Podocarpus takes simply to shaping, so whereas they’re sometimes grown as massive hedges, they will also be inspired into the type of a tree, and as such, some species can develop fairly massive.

This isn’t a showy plant and received’t be the principle focus of many landscapes. Nevertheless, it’s simple to develop, requires little upkeep, and makes a really good backdrop for different backyard vegetation.

Classification

Podocarpus is a genus of conifers that could be a member of the household Podocarpaceae. The household contains 19 genera of conifers, primarily native to the Southern Hemisphere. This household’s species of vegetation are native to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Africa, and Asia, with Podocarpus being the furthest north-reaching genus. 

A few of the extra frequent names for the plant embody Yellowwood and varied mixtures of the phrase pine. They’re woody evergreens, and predominantly timber, though some varieties are smaller and shrubbier and make glorious hedges. They’re primarily dioecious, with the male vegetation possessing pollen cones and the feminine vegetation creating seed cones.

Leaves

They’ve enticing foliage with traits frequent to coniferous vegetation and are most much like Yew vegetation. The foliage is kind of dense, with leaves organized in a spiral alongside branches. The leaves are flat and lanceolate with easy edges. 

The leaves are leathery, and whereas they seem as if they is perhaps very stiff, they’re really fairly delicate and straightforward to shear, so it’s common to see this plant trimmed right into a neat hedge. The foliage might be a deeper shade if the plant is positioned in partial shade and a lighter shade of inexperienced when it receives full solar. 

Propagation

Podocarpus will be grown from seeds or cuttings, with cuttings being the most typical and fascinating technique for time functions. 

Seeds

Propagating Podocarpus from seeds will be arduous, though it’s sometimes profitable. The best impediment is the germination time of the seeds.  It might probably take as much as 6 months for seeds to germinate. Soaking the seeds in salt water for 2 days can drastically shorten germination. 

Seeds want decrease temperatures to germinate, and the vary of fifty°F is right, so germinating them within the fridge is often sufficient. After soaking, wrap the seeds in moist sphagnum and place them in a sealed plastic bag within the fridge. Your seed ought to have sprouted roots by this time and will be transplanted right into a small container.

Plant seedlings in a well-draining potting combine and mist them usually to maintain them moist. The soil mustn’t dry out whereas the seedlings are establishing roots. Place your seedlings in vibrant however oblique daylight. The seedlings must be not less than 6” tall earlier than transplanting them.

Cuttings

Podocarpus is simply propagated by cuttings. Consequently, that is the most typical technique to propagate these vegetation. The method may be very easy and doesn’t take almost so long as rising them from seeds.

Take a chopping from delicate, new wooden. 3”-4” is all you want to perform this course of. Take away leaves from the underside inch of your chopping, dip the tip in rooting hormone, and place the lower finish down right into a small pot with soil that can stay moist, however the container ought to drain freely.

Preserve moisture within the soil, however don’t hold it soggy. In about 4 months, your chopping ought to have roots and will be transplanted.

Planting

When choosing a spot to your Podocarpus, account for its mature measurement. Some varieties are smaller and can be utilized as low hedges, however for essentially the most half, these vegetation want area to develop. It’s best to plant in spring or fall, as this plant wants moisture to determine earlier than the summer season warmth or dry winter climate units in. 

When planting your Podocarpus, you need to dig a gap two to a few instances the dimensions of the foundation ball and never a lot deeper. The broader the opening, the higher probability your plant has of rooting and establishing shortly. Relying in your soil sort, it could be useful to amend your soil earlier than backfilling.

When putting your plant within the gap, loosen some feeder roots that may get cramped within the nursery pot. Maintain the foundation ball at or simply barely above the encircling floor. This can make allowance for settling. Backfill together with your amended soil and construct a berm across the trunk at about 3” tall, this can assist direct water downward.

Water deeply after planting. You need the water to soak by to the foundation ball. For higher rooting, you may water your plant with water blended with a little bit of rooting hormone to encourage rooting. As a result of Podocarpus likes moisture, it’s a good suggestion to cowl the encircling earth with a beneficiant layer of mulch.

Find out how to Develop Podocarpus

It is a pleasantly low-maintenance shrub that has many makes use of within the panorama. If given the appropriate circumstances, your Podocarpus will, in its sluggish and regular method, turn into a valued a part of your panorama.

Plant Podocarpus vegetation 3’-6’’ aside when you need a proper hedge. If planting a sole specimen, give it sufficient area to unfold primarily based on the range. On the whole, the unfold of a mature shrub is 6’-15’ huge.

Containers

Dwarf forms of Podocarpus make very good container vegetation. Should you stay in any cooler zone than zone 8, that is the one technique to develop one in all these shrubs, because it must come indoors within the winter. A big container or root bag is an effective way to maintain Podocarpus as a container plant in cooler climates.

A very powerful consider selecting a container is that it should have excellent drainage. Whereas Podocarpus likes constant moisture, it doesn’t tolerate soggy roots, which may create a vulnerability to sure sorts of soil-dwelling fungi that trigger root rot. Make sure that your container has correct drainage and is barely bigger than the foundation ball of your plant.

Mild

Podocarpus will not be specific about gentle. It might probably develop completely superb in full solar or almost full shade. It should have completely different development habits relying on the quantity of solar, so take into account solar publicity when deciding in your plant’s location. 

Podocarpus received’t undergo within the shade however will develop extra slowly. As well as, the foliage might be a deeper shade of inexperienced relying on the quantity of shade.

Podocarpus grows quickest in full solar, however this can even end in lighter-colored foliage. A stability of solar and shade could also be fascinating for individuals who want to keep among the deep inexperienced shade of the leaves and see extra vital development.

Soil

Soil is one other space the place Podocarpus is versatile and unfussy. The perfect soil sort for this shrub is sandy or loamy soil that holds moisture but additionally has glorious drainage. Podocarpus doesn’t prefer to dry out fully however doesn’t tolerate soggy roots. Very clay-heavy soil could must be amended with looser, natural materials reminiscent of worm castings.

Wealthy and barely acidic are two qualities that this plant will admire. Mulching with seasoned pine or bark will hold this plant very pleased. Over time, the mulch breaks down, acidifying and including vitamins to the soil.

Water

For the primary yr, Podocarpus might be barely extra excessive upkeep the place watering is worried. The roots want moisture whereas the plant is getting established, so planting in spring or fall will give your plant the very best begin.

Through the first yr, you need to anticipate to water your Podocarpus as soon as each two weeks. Be certain that to water deeply. Watering deeply encourages the roots to develop deeper, anchors the plant firmly, and helps it tolerate drought sooner or later. After the plant is established, you’re unlikely to want to water it besides in excessive drought.

Local weather and Temperature

Podocarpus vegetation love delicate climates, which makes them good houseplants. Their measurement must be managed indoors, however this plant is happiest at temperatures between 61-68°, and who can blame it? That’s what I choose as effectively! If stored inside, this plant wants an area with loads of daylight. They don’t require a very humid setting.

Some species have higher chilly tolerance than others, however Podocarpus vegetation typically survive temperatures within the low 20s or excessive teenagers. They’re very tolerant of warmth and salt, making an ideal coastal hedge.

Fertilizer

These vegetation are fairly good at using the vitamins within the soil. So long as the pH of the soil is barely acidic, there isn’t a lot purpose to fertilize Podocarpus. That mentioned, a few of us simply have to fertilize issues. I like , wholesome development yr in my yard. If you wish to fertilize your Podocarpus, accomplish that calmly and within the spring. 

In case your soil is wealthy sufficient, this once-yearly fertilizing ought to suffice. In case you have notably sandy or poor soil, be at liberty to offer a second utility in the course of the summer season. Fertilizing within the fall will not be advisable. 

Upkeep and Care

In its first yr, there’s a sturdy chance that your plant could develop straight upwards, which is nice if you’d like a tree, however most gardeners love Podocarpus for what an ideal shrub it makes. Pruning your plant again arduous on the finish of the primary summer season will encourage again budding, which ends up in branching. Be certain that to not prune inside two months of the primary anticipated frost. 

Podocarpus may be very tolerant of shaping and arduous pruning. It’s best to not prune late within the yr in case your local weather experiences freezing climate. In any other case, pruning is okay year-round. An extended-reach pruner might be essential as a result of this plant can develop fairly massive.

Common Varieties

There are a variety of various varieties you may develop, relying in your native microclimate. Let’s check out among the hottest.

Buddhist Pine

	botanical identify Podocarpus macrophyllus
	solar necessities Partial shade
	peak as much as 40’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Buddhist Pine, additionally known as Japanese Yew, is well-known for its use as a feng shui plant in Hong Kong. It’s native to Japan and China, the place it’s a in style plant and ceaselessly boasts a hefty price ticket.

This selection is a standard bonsai tree with a fantastic development behavior and construction for indoor and out of doors use.

County Park Fireplace

	botanical identify Podocarpus x ‘County Park Fireplace’
	solar necessities Full solar to partial shade
	peak 2’
	hardiness zones 8-11

‘County Park Fireplace’ is an fascinating cultivar prized for its great color-changing foliage. This hybrid is small however mighty, given the Royal Botanic Backyard’s Award of Backyard Benefit. 

The brand new development in spring is a coral shade, which lasts into the summer season. As fall approaches and the climate cools, the foliage takes on a bronze hue and deepens additional in winter to a darkish pink.

Plum Pine

	botanical identify Podocarpus elatus
	solar necessities Full solar to partial shade
	peak 40’+
	hardiness zones 11th of September

This Australian native is a conifer, but it surely doesn’t produce cones. Quite, it produces edible seeds beloved by birds. People could make jam with them, too!

It is a slow-growing species initially, however the development picks up after a number of years. ‘Plum Pine’s’ final peak can attain as much as 40’ or taller. Of their native habitat, they develop over 100’ tall!

Weeping Podocarpus

	botanical identify Podocarpus gracilor
	solar necessities Full solar to partial shade
	peak 30’-50’
	hardiness zones 11th of September

This pretty species appears to be like like a fluffy, inexperienced cloud when it matures. The calmly drooping branches of finely textured foliage make it an exquisite panorama specimen.

Weeping Podocarpus grows as a shrub with low floor clearance however is definitely educated into the form of a tree. It’s a pleasant mid-sized tree that gives ample shade to your out of doors dwelling area.

Pests and Illnesses

Sadly, there are some pests and ailments that have an effect on Podocarpus shrubs. Most of them are manageable and shouldn’t end result within the dying of the plant. 

Podocarpus Aphids

Probably the most regarding pest that impacts Podocarpus is the one named for its host, the Podocarpus aphid. These small, pale purple bugs will stay out their complete lifecycle on the identical plant and completely feed on coniferous vegetation. A big infestation will end in curling leaves and stunted development. 

Along with depleting the plant of vitamins, these bugs depart behind a sticky excrement known as honeydew. This creates the right setting for sooty mildew to develop, which may intrude with photosynthesis.

Deal with with insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils provided that the aphid infestation is inflicting injury to the plant. A lightweight infestation sometimes received’t have an effect on the well being of the plant and is greatest managed by useful predators.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are one other group of sap-sucking bugs which will reside in your Podocarpus plant. These tiny mites are tough to see, so search for the superb webs they weave on the underside of leaves. 

To eradicate spider mites, deal with them equally to aphids. They like sizzling, dry climate and can usually present up the place their pure predators have been destroyed with pesticides.

Scale

Scale bugs are much like aphids in the kind of injury that they inflict. These small, armored bugs pierce the leaves and feed on the tree’s candy sap, leaving their sicky excrement behind. Scale has a tough, waxy coating that horticultural oil is greatest for breaking down.

Leaf Spot

A number of fungal pathogens may cause leaf spot infections. This may increasingly seem as brown or yellow recognizing on leaves.

Deal with them by eradicating affected foliage and utilizing a fungicide indicated for leaf spot ailments. Usually, copper or sulfur-based fungicides are the most typical.

Root Rot

A fungal an infection causes root rot, and its growth is almost all the time the results of overwatering or poor drainage. Podocarpus want rare watering and good drainage.

In case your Podocarpus develops root rot attributable to poor drainage, you may amend the soil or transfer it to a brand new spot with higher drainage. If overwatering is the wrongdoer, revise your watering schedule and permit the soil to almost dry out between waterings.

Fusarium Wilt

This fungal illness assaults the plant’s roots and impacts nutrient uptake. This causes leaves to show yellow and brown and in addition causes wilting and die-off.

Management of your water schedule is crucial to cut back the fungal unfold. As soon as this illness has unfold, it’s greatest to take away and eliminate the plant away from different vegetation, then keep away from planting vulnerable species in the identical spot for a number of years.

Botrytis

One other fungal illness, Botrytis blight, sometimes impacts the leaves and causes wilting, decay, and brown leaves. The perfect plan of action is to take away all affected foliage and skinny out branches to permit for higher air circulation to the plant’s inside.