Eucalyptus tree

HI - i am new to the board i hope someone can offer me advice. I have had a eucalyptus tree in a pot for approx 3 years. It is about 4ft high. However it has become very straggly with growth only from one branch from the main trunk. How do i prune it to make it bushier and more attractive. I am scared of cutting it right back as it only has the one branch!

 

Hi Green
How big a pot is it in? What position is it in & what sort of potting medium are you growing it in? NB Eucalyptus develops a "lignotuber" Just below ground (in very old specimens this can protrude above ground) which can grow quite large & acts as a storage organ for water & nutrients & is the reason why they can be so hard to dig out of the ground!)Eucalyptus usually respond well to a hard prune - I hack mine back in April & it responds well- does take a while to re-shoot but puts on a good 2m in a season (though mine is in the open ground about 5m tall & about 8-9 years old)Check out the link below for more info on growing Eucalyptus in pots
http://www.angelfire.com/bc/eucalyptus/eucgrowing.html#15

[ April 14, 2005, 01:53 AM: Message edited by: Bayleaf ]

 

Thanks a lot. I have picture of the bedraggled item. I do not know if you can post pictures here. If you saw it you may change your mind. Any chance of having a look????? Much appreciated
Rebecca

 

Hi Rebecca
Yes you can post pictures on here - check out the members gallery on this site for how - look forward to seeing it :eek:

[ April 14, 2005, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: Bayleaf ]

 

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fOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS HOPE IT HAS WORKED!!!!

 

That doesnt seem right. Try again - why isnt it showing as a hyperlink???????

 

whoopee!!!!!! Look at the poor specimen

 

Its growing upwards instead of outwards (unlike myself) ha ha

 

Oh dear, best cut it right back,looks alive, best time now, they usually always shoot from base again,looked it had suffered in earlier days...give it good feed weekly and plenty of water, they are rather thirsty plant,it will be back I'm sure.

 

Yes like ladybird says,

It looks like that branch has now taken over as the leading stem, alternatively chop it a foot or so from the top to encourage further branching out and scrape some of the compost off the top of the pot and replace with fresh compost or repot (has it been in the same pot for 3 yrs?)

 

Thanks a lot. It has been potted on once i think. It was lovely when i bought it but then after a hard winter at the foot of the snake pass it just didnt seem as healthy.
Last year i didnt do anything to it as was expecting so it got neglected. Looks like its going to get a haircut! I would like to plant it in the garden. Am i best doing that before its makeover?????

 

my eaucalyptus has lots of dead leaves after the harsh winter. Still a few green leaves at top. It is about 25 feet tall. This week it has lots of small bushy leafy shoots/branches coming from the trunk at just above ground level.
What do I do? Leave the tree as it is, or have the top and side branches lopped and let it start again from these new branches? Please can anyone help me?