We germinated eucalyptus seeds using our balancing act from the strawberries seeds experience.
The first batch of seeds was sowed on February 19, 2020, at 2.35 pm and they looked like these –
The success rate was not great, about 1%.
A tiny sign of seed life showed on the 22nd, 3 days later.
Out of 100 seeds, only one germinated.
Unique Characteristics – Stem was red from 2 days old.
The seedling grew very slowly.
It remained small until the first month.
There was no roots mass and the seedling hangs on this long thin strand of roots until the second month.
Hard wood roots base start to show in 2022.
Growing in hydro systems became challenging as there was no base for roots to latch on.
Back to 2020
Once it became more established, more leaves grew.
They are silver and green hue and when crushed, the leaves emit their beautiful scent of eucalyptus essential oil.
These plants tolerated heat very well in our climate.
In high wind, support was needed for the young seedling.
Leaf length was about 4 cm.
Leaf length was 6.4cm on July 21.
A cutting was made on April 16 for the rooting experiment.
Unfortunately, it was not successful.
The cut point of the plant did not regenerate. It remained brown.
The rest of the plant took a long time to grow again.
Lesson Learned – Let it grow, don’t mess with it! 🙂
How leaf’s bud begins
The longer the lifespan of plants, the longer they take to grow from seeds!
The plant is top-heavy and branches need support to hold it upright.
Woody Trunk begins.
A new branch starts from woody trunk.
The sapling is 54 cm topside on July 29, 2021.
It was 85 cm on October 5 2021.
Support for the tree sapling became challenging as nothing was strong enough to hold it in an upright position.
Finally it was grown half way out and supported by our windows grills.
SHORT NOTES on growing Eucalyptus
Does not transplant well
Easier from seeds than cutting
Well draining soil
Minimum 6 to 8 hours full sun
Short rooted when young, uprooted easily in strong wind
Folded leaves may be an indication of not enough moisture
5 years to establish roots for growing
Natural life cycle of trees in the wild is 250 years
Evergreen
Not cold tolerant
Toxic to dogs, cats and horses
If ingested, eucalyptus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness
Best in USDA zones 8 to 11
Commissioned Project – Seeds are from clients for tracking & observation
Not Available for Sale
Appreciate your kind advice as I am new owner of eucalyptus plant. May I know if I should put eucalyptus potted plant (with new small leaves) under direct sunlight in Singapore? I’m worried the new leaves cannot take the sun. Some of my leaves have black (Like eaten by bug), should I cut them off?
They seem to be able to tolerate heat in my environment but mine are started from seeds so there’s no change in the growing environment from the start. If it’s bought, and if it’s from a cooler climate, then there’s a need to let the plants adapt to ours. Often times, this information on how they start is not available. To be on a safe side, place in a cooler place away from direct sun exposure until you see improvement?
Thank you so much! I will try your suggestion.
Hi, so sorry to trouble you again. Really need your expertise on eucalyptus. I had placed the plant in shady area, the lower leaves dried up and the new baby leaves also turn black n curl up.
Question
1. Do I need to expose them to a few hours of direct sun daily?
2. Or did I underwater them? How often do I need to water eucalyptus?
Thanks so much for looking into my questions
Why not try and see what’s work? There’s really not much information on basic plant care if it’s a bought plant. I am learning as they grow as well to find out the ideal conditions to cultivate them.