Eucalyptus

Looking after your Eucalyptus Tree

This elegant Eucalyptus tree is surprisingly hardy and will do well in a sunny spot in the garden.

Eucalyptus trees can live for decades and will eventually become a sizeable tree. They are completely frost hardy and evergreen and will do well in a range of soils as long as they have good drainage. Like most trees they don’t need a lot of pruning or care but pick a spot where they have room to grow and show off their winter foliage.

Whilst your plant is in a small pot it will need regular watering. Aim to water it heavily and then allow the top of the compost to dry out before watering heavily again. As soon as practical your eucalyptus tree will benefit from being planted out in the garden or potted up in a much larger pot. Add a top dressing of well rotted manure or other rich compost to help your plant settle in.

These plants are already over a year old and take around 10 years to fully mature.

Problem solving Your plant shouldn’t need much feeding but if you are keeping it in the small pot for a while or the leaves start to appear pale of mottled then a good general purpose feed will always give it a good boost.

Eucalyptus trees are reasonably hardy but if we do have particularly cold spells (-5C or colder) then a fleece or heavy straw mulch to protect the roots will give your plant a bit more protection especially in the first couple of years. If some of the leaves do get damaged in severe frost just prune them off and your tree will put on new growth in the spring.