Is there any saving it?

linsay_1 · April 2023

Eucalyptus gunnii has suddenly turned brown with spots. We’ve had quite a harsh winter this year in scotland, is there any way of saving it?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/4a/yexsvhkp1m3r.jpeg

AnniD · April 2023

Have you tried the bark test (scraping a bit of bark with yourr fingernail) ? If there is green underneath, there is still hope.

Even here in South West England my eucalyptus leaves are looking quite sick.

Fairygirl · April 2023

There's another current thread re eucalyptus - I think many look like that this year. They prefer wetter/milder conditions, but lots of plants have suffered from the December freeze/thaw conditions, especially after a milder than normal autumn which was also wet. Perfect scenario for a lot of damage to all sorts of plants, especially the fleshier ones.
There's some eucalyptus near me that have suffered, as in this thread.
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1071836/can-these-be-saved#latest
They aren't ideal long term in containers, unless pruned regularly too. They want to be huge trees.

I'm surprised you think it's been a cold winter here though @linsay_1 - in the north east/west maybe, but no worse than any other year. Apart from the spell in December and the other one at the start of March, I think it's been another mild one here.

Balgay.Hill · April 2023

Really mild winter here too. Mostly grey and wet.

Cambridgerose12 · April 2023

It was very cold in Cambridge. We had a fall to -13 degrees for a few days, which has killed a lot of things that weathered hard winters in previous years. I have lost most of my lovely agapanthus.

bcpathome · April 2023

I lost all my camellias! Horrid weather I’m devastated.

Nanny Beach · April 2023

Fairy,I was also going to say we didn't have a bad winter here either. Bit of snow in December, couple of frosts. Phillipa Drew says that we are getting 0c, tomorrow morning and -1c, the next. It's blooming windy here (normally,South downs,sea/wind tunnel)

Fairygirl · April 2023

We normally get fairly persistent frosts [varying from the usual minus twos and threes, down to minus 8, 9 or beyond] from about October onwards @Nanny Beach - around 50 to 60 upwards, as I said on a different thread, and the snow is usually from the end of the year and through until about now - our coldest part of winter, but the higher temps means it's been rain/sleet rather than snow, and we've then had ice rather than the frost when it's dipped again.
It's the swings from one extreme to another though - that's what's caused the problems for many plants. Those swings have been much greater than normal.

I suppose it depends what people think is 'cold' though. 0/ minus 1 here last night, but I barely noticed that- we'd just say it's a bit chilly

Balgay.Hill · April 2023

We've had plenty of frosts and snowy days. When i said it had been really mild, i meant for this area, as it is usually weeks of consistent minus temps.

Busy-Lizzie · April 2023

It was cold in Norfolk, down to -9°, and there was snow about 3 times.

Fairygirl · April 2023

Indeed @Balgay.Hill. We've only had a couple of falls of snow, and you'd barely notice them - a couple of inches at most, and not hanging around. It's been rain/sleet because it's been warmer than usual. I'd much rather have snow. That couple of cold spells in December and the beginning of March still don't make it a cold winter as far as I'm concerned because Oct/Nov were very mild as well. The saving grace is that the heating's hardly been on!

Last year was consistently mild right through. It was the first time I'd ever seen Skimmia flowers open and been able to smell them, simply because it was so mild at the time they were opening. They usually just stay closed then die off. Couldn't understand what the scent was every day when I was out, until I twigged.

Is there any saving it?

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