Container Eucalyptus
Hi! Here’s a short tutorial on our container-grown eucalyptus. We grow them year after year in 7-gallon pots (Size #7 at the link). We use a lightweight planting medium (ProMix) and a slow release fertilizer (Osmocote 15-9-12, 3-4 month).
Here is our routine:
Plants are grown and used for foliage up until about mid to late December. (Wait until branches are about a pencil width thick to harvest.)
Cut off all side shoots and lower stalk to a few inches above the soil surface in December. Look to leave eyes on the lower part of the stalk where new growth will sprout from. Store plants in a cool dry place, but do not let them dry out completely or be over-watered. Our plants are kept around 45-50F in December and January.
After Valentine’s Day we loosen the soil on the surface, add a small handful of the Osmocote fertilizer, work it into the loosened soil on the surface, and begin watering more regularly as the plants start to bud and leaf out. The temperature in the greenhouse increased in the spring to 55F at night and about 65-70 during the day.
Around June, the first stems can be cut, but we harvest sparingly early on to allow more growth for later in the season.
We started our eucalyptus from seed from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. You can also begin with pre-grown plugs, or multiply a current stock through rooting cuttings of your own.
Hope this video is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers.