Surely you have heard of Eucalyptus gunnii. Its maintenance is quite easy to respect and more and more people want it in their garden because of its characteristics, in particular the “bluish” aspect of its leaves.
You want to have a Eucalyptus gunnii but you don’t know what it needs to be happy? Do not worry because we are going to give you all the keys so that you know it.
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Eucalyptus gunnii: essential care
As you know, Eucalyptus gunnii is considered a tree. It is perennial, so it will keep its leaves all year round. and it can also reach 25 meters in height.
Most striking are its leaves, which are rounded and with a certain shade of blue. In addition, in summer it can surprise you with a white bloom that always occurs in the middle of the branches (not in all of them).
But, to achieve this and above all grow well, you need to know how to provide the care you need. And that’s what we’re going to see.
Location
Although Eucalyptus gunnii may be sold to us as a houseplant, the truth is that his ideal place will always be outside. It needs direct sun, although it is true that if you live in a very hot area it could be placed in partial shade.
This you can have both potted and planted directly in the garden. In fact, this second option is better since it will be able to grow much better. Of course, keep in mind that he must be in a place where there is nothing within about 10 meters around. And it is that it develops quite long, thick and strong roots that can put any structure in danger.
If you have it in a pot you will control the growth much more, but you will have to be more aware of it.
In the event that you cannot put it outside, always bet on a place with as much light as possible, with many hours of sunlight. or even with the possibility of having direct sun.
Temperature
In this aspect, you should not worry. Eucalyptus gunnii is a tree that it tolerates frosts down to -14ºC as well as heat, being able to behave well even at 40ºC.
Therefore, if you have it outside, you will have no problem keeping it there all year round.
Substrate and graft
If you buy a Eucalyptus gunnii in a store, it is very likely that the soil is not very loose. But that’s really what you need. The best is one mixture between universal substrate and perlite, since it will provide a light and fertile soil but it will retain water at the same time as it filters it.
In the case of a transplant, obviously if you have it in a pot, it will be every 2-3 years. In this way, the soil must be renewed so that it continues to obtain all the nutrients it needs.
If what you want is to move it from a pot to the ground, do it in the spring, this is the time to make changes to this plant (either change the pot or plant it in the garden ).
Irrigation
One of the concerns of Eucalyptus gunnii is irrigation. And this is where most people can go wrong when it comes to caring for them. Therefore, we will try to explain it to you as well as possible.
Eucalyptus gunnii has two different irrigations:
- the winter onewhich can usually be once a week or less (if it rains often you may not even need to water it).
- the summer one, which is done every 2-3 times a week. More if you are in a climate with high temperatures.
The trick that some follow to know whether to water it or not is to see if the plant needs to be watered or is not in the soil layer. If the first layer seems dry and the next layer seems dry when you move it, you will need a little water.
In pots, the need for water will be greater than when planted in the garden.
Humidity
Another important point is humidity. We said the tree should be in full sun and outdoors as ideal, but what about humidity?
In some publications it is said that it should have a minimum of humidity, and others that there is no need to worry. In this case, we recommend in summer, and always at the beginning or end of the day, if it has been very hot, spray a little water on it. But nothing else. If you’ve had it for a while you’ll need to be a little more aware of it, but once it settles in you won’t have a problem.
Subscriber
Yes, as part of the care of Eucalyptus gunnii, you need a fertilizer during the spring and summer months. The best are the liquids, which you will mix with the irrigation water. But if he’s also low in nitrogen, so much the better, because he doesn’t like it too much.
Apply it every 2-3 weeks and you will see that it will thank you.
Cut
Here it goes a little according to tastes, uses and the space you have. As we have already told you, it is a tree capable of growing up to 25 meters in height, which means that it can develop many and very long branches. So if you want to control it, you will need to prune it in late winter and early spring.
If you have it in a pot you will be able to control it much better, but be careful because there will come a time when it will have to grow and change pots.
Plagues and diseases
As a good eucalyptus, pests and diseases are there. Among the pests ants are one of your deadliest enemiescan kill her in no time.
In general, it is quite resistant, but problems with certain fungi, root rot or insect attacks can affect them too much.
Multiplication
The Eucalyptus gunnii is always propagated by seed. It is advisable not to plant several in the same pot, but to plant one in each one better because in this way you will have better results.
Approximately in 1-2 months they will have sprouted. If they don’t, they may not have been viable and you’ll have to try again.
As you can see, the maintenance of Eucalyptus gunnii is not complicated at all and it is a tree that can give you a very beautiful decoration. Do you dare to have some at home?