Planting is Simple.

Think carefully about where you want to plant your eucalyptus. They do not like root disturbance and are very difficult to transplant once established. Look up before you plant. Do not plant under overhead wires unless you intend to keep them coppiced. They grow at a fast rate and will very quickly become a problem in this sort of position.

Clear the surface of the soil of grass and weeds for an area of 60cm diameter either by hand or with herbicide. Eucalyptus do not like competition from grass and weeds whilst they establish. Once planted be very careful using herbicides as the drift from the spray can easily damage the young plants and also the bark of older plants.

If the ground is very compacted just ease it loose with a fork, it is not necessary to dig the soil over.                                                                     

Soak the rootball well for 15 to 20 minutes to ensure it is moist right through.

 Dig a hole just a little larger than the root ball. Do not lift the tree by its stem!!  This may tear the fine roots around the collar resulting in instability later on. Carefully place the plant in the hole so that it rests at the same level as in the pot. Back fill the hole with the soil excavated. Do not use any sort of soil improver such as peat, compost etc. as these can act as a barrier to water movement  exaggerating waterlogging in the winter and drought in the summer. The roots need to grow as quickly as possible into the surrounding soil to ensure good anchorage. Water the plant in well and apply a thick mulch to the surface around to suppress weeds and conserve moisture. If weeding is necessary be careful not to hoe deeply around the base as a large proportion of the roots are just under the surface. They should not require further watering except in very dry years but will undoubtably benefit  from supplementary watering. 

If you have a problem with browsing animals use some sort of tree guard. I use a 30cm tubex tree guard which I find gives good protection against smaller animals ( rabbits, field voles)  and gives physical support against wind whilst allowing enough movement for the trunk to build up reaction wood. It is usually not necessary to stake small trees using this system.

I produce my small plants in 17cm deep root trainer pots to ensure a strong fibrous root system ready to produce a burst of new growth when planted out.  The plants are in these pots for between 6 and 12 months depending upon species.

   I also produce bigger plants to about 2 metres in special air rooter pots of 7.5 litres and 20 litres. These have been specially designed to produce strong fibrous root systems ready to burst into new growth as soon as they are planted. Trees are grown for up to 3 years in these pots producing strong thick stemmed plants. They are regularly pruned to keep them bushy and are kept on a drip irrigation system with liquid feed to ensure adequate nutrition. Trees at this size do need staking whilst they establish.

   For plantation work, I also produce 12cm and 20cm Rootrainer  stock. These are planted at 15cm to 35cm tall depending upon species at about 5 to 6 months old. If you are interested in these please contact me. These are produced to order and I require at least 7 months notice.

There are many designs of root trainer pots on the market. The basic idea is that the roots are encouraged to grow and be air pruned at the base and in some designs the sides of the pots. This encourages the production of new root hairs along the length of the existing roots resulting in a dense fibrous root system with large reserves of starch (energy) ready to burst into new growth when planted out.

For production of my small plants I use 17cm root trainer pots. These pots are held off the ground on heavy duty mesh in order to stop the roots growing through into the ground. The design of these with grooved sides is such that the roots are directed to the bottom of the pot where they exit through a mesh and naturally die back due to air drying. This encourages the production of new roots and new root hairs along the length of the existing roots and thus a very fibrous root system.

I produce larger plants in 7.5ltr and 20ltr ‘Superoots Air-Pots’(www.superoots.com) This system has specially designed pot walls which blocks the lateral movement of roots and encourages the production of a dense fibrous root system. The base is a grill held off the ground by the pot walls although I also place these off the ground on a heavy duty mesh as the very vigorous roots of eucalyptus can occasionally cross the air barrier and grow into the ground beneath.

My forestry stock and incidentally all my container stock are started in ‘Rootrainer’ (www.rootrainers.co.uk) cells of either 12cm or 20cm according to species. Again these work by directing the roots to grow down with no spiralling and as they exit the base they are air pruned stimulating the production of new fibrous roots.

Eucalyptus resent disturbance of their roots and are particularly prone to becoming pot bound with congested spiralling roots when grown in traditional round pots for any length of time. When planted out in this condition, tall leggy plants can take a long time to establish and are not usually stable and often, eventually succumb to winds.

What is the ideal size?

 The ideal size to plant is between 30cm and 50cm with a strong root system. Planted in spring or early autumn with sufficient moisture, these will establish quickly and strongly, growing up to 2 metres in their first year depending upon species.

Should I stake?

  It is usually not necessary to stake them at this size and any wind movement will cause a natural build up of reaction wood thus strengthening the trunk. In very windy sites it may be necessary to use a short stake attached low down (about 30cm) to prevent too much rocking at the base which may tear the roots around the root collar leading to later instability. I use a short (30cm) tubex protection tube which gives enough support against winds and also some protection against small animals and cold in the first winter.