Eucalyptus CAMALDULENSIS

Eucalyptus CAMALDULENSIS - River red gum, Camaldulensis eucalyptus, Murray red gum.

Eucalyptus is a tall tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). The trunk is straight, and its diameter can be up to two meters (6.6 ft). The bark is smooth, light gray, sometimes appearing in other colors, with the outer layer peeling off and hanging on the trunk and branches. The root is robust, drawing water effectively from the soil and drying out everything around it. The leaves are narrow, turned edge-on to the sun, so the tree does not cast much shade. Flowers are positioned on a short pedicel in leaf axils. The fruit is a capsule with seeds. It begins blooming in October in its fifth year of life.

River red gum is a tree with a dense crown, reaching up to 60 m (197 ft) in height and a trunk diameter of up to 4 m (13 ft). The bark is smooth, shedding, dull white or ash-colored. Juvenile leaves are opposite, in 3–4 pairs, petiolate, glaucous, lanceolate, rarely ovate, with a leaf blade 6–9 cm (2.4–3.5 in) long and 2.5–4 cm (1.0–1.6 in) wide. Adult leaves are alternate, petiolate, lanceolate, acuminate, sometimes falcate, with a leaf blade 12–22 cm (4.7–8.7 in) long and 0.8–1.5 cm (0.3–0.6 in) wide, dull green, thin, with distinct venation, and numerous, oblique, diverging lateral veins.

Umbels are axillary, 5–10-flowered, on peduncles 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long; flower buds are ovoid, 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.2 in) in diameter, acute or horn-shaped, with a conical or beaked operculum that is one and a half to two times longer than the cupular calyx tube. Anthers are obovate, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, with a small, globular gland. Fruits are hemispherical or broadly top-shaped, 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.2–0.24 in) in diameter.

Option 1: Seeds are sown in shallow pans or boxes in a mix of sod soil (1 part) and sand (1 part). Sowing is carried out to a depth of no more than 5 mm (0.2 in). In certain species, seed germination is light-dependent, so they are not buried in the soil, and the pan is covered with glass. Particular attention must be paid to watering, as seedlings perish easily from excess moisture. They are frequently affected by damping-off. Seedlings begin to appear around the seventh day at a temperature of 18–20 °C (64–68 °F). Upon the emergence of a pair of true leaves, seedlings are pricked out individually into 7 cm (2.8 in) pots. Soil mix composition: sod soil - 1 part, humus - 1 part, sand - 1 part.

Option 2: Eucalyptus is sown year-round. Sowing soil should be light; a day before sowing it is watered thoroughly, seeds are mixed with sand and sown on a slightly compacted surface. Sowings are covered with 0.5 cm (0.2 in) of sand, misted, and covered with non-woven covering material such as spunbond or with glass. Seedlings emerge 20–30 days after sowing. The glass is removed from sowings after the first true leaf appears. For more uniform germination, cold stratification for one month at a temperature of +4 °C (39 °F) is recommended.

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The small tree needs steady, very bright light and is not afraid of direct sun rays. Even if placed on an east-facing windowsill, the bush will experience discomfort. A south window, or at least southeast or southwest, is ideally suited for eucalyptus. During the cold season, supplemental lighting must be provided, yet the bush should still receive direct sunlight for about 6 hours each day.

An optimal temperature regime must be provided for the plant, and this is where the main difficulty lies. Such a tree reacts very negatively to high air temperatures at any age. Even in summer, coolness should be maintained - around 18 °C (64 °F). To achieve this temperature regime, the room will have to be ventilated frequently. In winter months, the eucalyptus should be moved to a cooler place (7–15 °C / 45–59 °F). If the room is warmer than 16 °C (61 °F), the plant may simply perish, especially if cared for incorrectly. For the plant to develop normally, a flow of fresh air must be ensured. Indoors, even regular airing will not be enough. Thus, in summer, a window should be kept constantly ajar, or the plant can be moved to the garden or balcony. A warm draft does not harm the eucalyptus, but it must be protected from cold drafts. It is important to remember that in home conditions, the plant can suffer severely from any misstep. If the foliage withers, new leaves will not grow in their place. They drop easily even from minor errors in care.

In summer, the plant needs generous watering. Some time after watering, be sure to drain water from the drip tray. The potting mix is moistened only after its top layer dries slightly. With the onset of autumn, watering should be reduced, allowing the substrate surface to dry out slightly more. The tree reacts poorly to water stagnation in the potting mix. However, an even greater danger is drying out the root ball even halfway down the pot. This causes upper branches to wither and leaves to shed. It is recommended to water the soil mix in the pot with melted snow or rainwater. Its temperature should be close to room temperature. Indoor eucalyptus tolerates any ambient humidity level. Note that both wiping the leaves and spraying them with an atomizer can be harmful. To clean dust from the leaf blades, give the plant a gentle shower.

Specialized fertilizers for bonsai or eucalyptus are best suited for feeding this plant. If they cannot be found, a complete fertilizer for foliage plants with low nitrogen and phosphorus content can be used. The plant is fed year-round: in spring and summer - twice a month, and in autumn and winter - once a month. The manufacturer's recommended dosage should be halved.

Since the plant is slow-growing in containers, it does not require restrictive pruning. To achieve the most striking crown, the plant is not pruned at all; it should develop naturally. If necessary, the crown can be trained into a desired shape using systematic pruning, pinching, shaping, and trunk baring. This plant is suitable for creating topiaries, standards, or bonsai. Pruning is carried out in spring, while pinching is done in summer as needed. The tree does not suffer from pruning; it tolerates shortening shoots by half their length.

A complete potting mix with aerating additives and peat is suitable for eucalyptus. To make the substrate more porous, it is recommended to mix it additionally with sphagnum moss, vermiculite, perlite, or coarse sand. A thick drainage layer must be placed at the bottom of the pot. Repotting is carried out only in cases of extreme necessity, when the root system becomes cramped in the pot. The roots should be visible emerging from the holes at the bottom of the container. Repotting is done by gentle potting on, keeping the soil ball intact. Elaborately shaped pots decorated with paintings or decoupage are ideal only as room decor. The tree needs a sturdy pot made of natural materials. A moderately sized container is well suited. When repotting, the new container should be only 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) wider across than the old one. When potting a young bush, the volume of the container should exceed the size of the root ball by only a few centimeters. If the bush grows too rapidly, root pruning and reducing the container volume are carried out. This curbs crown growth. After repotting, handle the tree very carefully. The repotted bush should not be watered for 4–5 days. Resuming watering should be slow and cautious. The substrate is only slightly moistened until signs of full adaptation after repotting are observed.