How to Grow a Pittosporum Indoors

Put your pittosporum in a bright spot, such as a south-facing window with a sheer curtain. If there is no curtain on a south-facing window, move your pittosporum about 4 to 8 feet from the glass to avoid sunburning its foliage.

Plant your pittosporum in well-drained potting soil for best results. This plant does best when the soil drains quickly and does not easily hold onto moisture. Mix indoor potting soil with an equal amount of coarse sand or use a growing mix specially formulated for succulents.

Grow your pittosporum at indoor room temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F during the day and 50 to 60 degrees F at night. Although they will grow at normal room temperatures, pittosporum will fare much better when the nighttime room temperature is slightly cooler than the daytime temperature.

Water pittosporum sparingly. If it grows in a pot less than 6 inches in diameter, water only when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. If the pot is larger than 6 inches in diameter, water it when the soil feels dry 1 to 2 inches below the surface.

Check your pittosporum for signs of aphids, scale or mealybugs. These pests are often accompanied by a sticky, honeydew-like substance on the leaves and the area beneath the plant. Although pittosporum is rarely affected by insects, the insects can hitchhike onto the plant when you bring it indoors for the winter. Inspect the plant thoroughly before bringing it indoors and spray it with horticultural oil spray if any of these pests are present.

Fertilize pittosporum weekly with regular water-soluble, indoor houseplant fertilizer during the growing season, from spring through fall. As with other houseplants, withhold fertilizer during the short days of winter when growth slows. Resume feeding when active growth begins as the days lengthen in late winter and early spring.