Charlie Wilkins answers your gardening questions — Leylandii dieback, Crocuses and Pittosporum
Life & Style

Charlie Wilkins answers your gardening questions — Leylandii dieback, Crocuses and Pittosporum

Unfortunately, a total weedkiller was sprayed in error on our neatly-clipped Leylandii windbreak.

Already it has started to turn brown. If I keep watering and feeding the hedge will it recover?

I’m afraid not. There’s really nothing you can do but to replace the entire hedge. If it is short, extra-large plants can be bought as replacements but these will cost you.

Spring field with crocus flowers Spring field with crocus flowers

I was impressed with a huge planting of crocus in a nearby lawn this spring.

How do I go about creating something similar?

Buy the variety in the colour you want in September. Then drive in a spade to 3 to 4 inches in the lawn, ease up the clod on its hinge, and stick a few corms in. Replace the sod then repeat as many times as is necessary. Crocus tommasinianus is particularly good. They will be delightful come the spring.

Pittosporum Tom Thumb Pittosporum Tom Thumb

My pittosporum bush is dropping leaves all over the place this past fortnight or so.

What can I do to stop this? Is my plant going to die? The variety is Tom Thumb.

All the pittosporums drop a portion of their leaves in June and yours is only behaving naturally. New leaves will soon push out so there’s no need to worry.