eucalyptus gunnii

[georgiesgirl]

Hi.
I have one of the above in the garden.It was planted about 3years ago and is 12foot tall.I intend to keep it about that height.
Over winterthe root ball to the tree has been disturbed, and there is quite a bit of movement around the base.
Any ideas on the best way to deal  with the tree.
Regards
Anne

[georgiesgirl]

[Steven]

Unfortunately,eucalyptus are shallow rooted and wind rock can expose the rootball very easy-mine a few years ago did the same.

You will need to stake it to keep the tree firm in the ground,but keep the stake very low down.This way,the top of the tree keeps moving in the wind and it encourages it to put down more roots to anchor itself in the soil.Lean,the stake at 45 degrees into the wind,hammer into soil-then attach the strap to tree.Cut any excess timber from post afterwards to neaten it up and also stops you walking into it!

Keep an eye on the strap though and loosen it off every so often so it dont cut into the trunk when it grows.In a few years,you may be able to remove the stake when its firmly anchored.

ps.Mine is 5 years old and taller than my house!

[Mrs Ava]

Oh marvelous!  I have eight seedlings in pots in my greenhouse!  I already have a family of pandas in my bamboo grove, now looks like the koalas will be moving in the make a meal of my gum trees!  I do believe you can cut them back quite hard, almost copicing them......^{she says hopefully....}

[georgiesgirl]

Thanks Steven for the advice, shall be staking tree today.
I had'nt realised how shallow rooting they are.
I use my eucalyptus tree mainly for screening, it does the job well.
My neighbour thought she had lost her eucalyptus after a very cold winter,but it grew again from the base and is enormous.
regards
anne

[Gardenantics]

Dear Anne.

EJ was right when she said you can cut them back as a copice, this could solve the wind rock now, and give you even better screening in the future, it also encourages the nicer juvenile leaf shape. E. gunnii is a very large growing tree.

Brian

[Plocket]

Hi! My Euc Gunnii kept blowing over so I copiced it at about 4ft last summer. It is now lovely and bushy above the trunk and hasn't fallen over once, even with the winter winds.

[tim]

Glad for that advice. We put ours in last year, & it has doubled its height.

So here are the first prunings.