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Eucalyptus gunnii
happycottontail
Posts: 394
in Plants
Below is a pic of my eucalyptus, planted last summer. As this is its first full year in my garden I'm wondering how much I should trim it - if at all? It's about 6' now. I've heard that pretty new coloured foliage will come if you cut the tree back in Spring, but would you recommend it, and if so, how much should I remove?
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I think you need to make a decision soon. This is either a tree,(big). Or you cut it back to base to make young growth yearly. Trimming bits off won't result in a nicely shaped plant
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thank you nut. If you enlarge the pic you will see that at present it has one main (vertical) branch with a support cane behind it, and a secondary, shorter one. When you say cut it back to base, do you mean at a point just below where the secondary branch begins, or lower than that? Approximately how many inches above the soil line should I make the cut? Will it grow up to its present height again within a year?
There is one in next doors garden, the previous people planted in and it was like yours. The next people don't really garden and have just left it and after about 11 years it must be at least 40 foot! Don't be tempted to let it grow on, it is a tree of the wild bush of oz, and since we don't get forest fires to control growth, prune you must.
A benefit of this is that all stems cut off can be used in floral arrangements and the young growth smell - yes of eucalyptus and discourages midges and mosquitos.
Mine which is about 20 years old is cut back every year. The original chop cut the plant back to about 2 feet high. The plant produced branches from that point and I cut the main branches back every year. It's in a dullish spot here in the NE so it takes it's time to get growing each year. Once it does it really grows away. I'm not saying this is how to treat them but it works for me. The pruning swine put through the shredder smell lovely.
I thinks it's a very good way Bilje unless you want a tree
and the way to get the nice leaves hc
In the sticks near Peterborough
I don't have a big enough yard, else it would def have a gum tree growing in it - I just love the smell of the tree, and the feel of the bark. Make me a bit homesick though
Bilje, I have horrible visions of you feeding pigs into your shredder
Thanks for the advice though - you too georgie!
Mike, I think you are in the minority here! So I'm going to have to go with the chop it lobby. It's a narrowish border, backed by a neighbour's fence, so I can't afford to let it romp away.
Verdun, thanks for the tip about fertiliser.
Mike, it will naturally sort itself out to be a b.......y great tree, and quickly.
Most people haven't got the space for that or the money for the tree surgeon when it's leaning over the house
In the sticks near Peterborough