The genus Eucalyptus (Latin Eucalyptus L'Her.) Unites about 500 plant species belonging to the Myrtov family. Representatives of this genus grow in Australia, the Philippine Islands and New Guinea, several species are found on the islands of the Malay Archipelago.
Plants belonging to the genus Eucalyptus are evergreen, rarely deciduous, large trees and shrubs. They are referred to fast-growing breeds. The eucalyptus trunk has an easily detached cortical layer. Leaves are all-edged, simple. Their location depends on the age of the specimen. So, in young plants the leaves are sessile, located opposite. In adult eucalyptus, they are sessile or on petioles, alternate. The shape can be lanceolate, oblong or round, ovate. The venation is diverse, the color of the leaves is green, bluish. On them there are numerous glands containing essential oils. Flowers form umbelliform, corymbose or paniculate inflorescence without perianth. At the time of opening the flower, the cap disappears. Stamens are many; white, yellow, red color.
Eucalyptus is considered a valuable plant; their wood is used in construction as a tanning agent; their leaves and shoots serve as raw materials for obtaining essential oils, which is widely used in medicine, perfumery and cosmetology, industry.
Eucalyptus is a plant-health in areas with high soil moisture, as they absorb and evaporate water in huge quantities. These plants are valuable in the greening of settlements, representatives of the genus are in the collections of botanical gardens. So in the collections of botanical gardens, in cool greenhouses grow such species as Eu. pulverulenta, Eu. resinifera, Eu. robusta, Eu. leucoxylon, Eu. Sideroxylon, Eu. obliqua, Eu. viminalis, and others.
Care instructions
Lighting. Eucalyptus - a house plant that grows well in bright places, can carry the direct rays of the sun. You can grow the plant next to the windows of the south direction. Oriental and western windows are recommended to place eucalyptus in the most lighted places. In northern windows, the plant will feel a lack of light for normal growth and development. In the summer, eucalyptus should be placed in open fresh air, but to a more intensive level of illumination it is necessary to accustom the plant gradually to avoid sunburn. Similarly, it should be accustomed to direct rays of the sun after the autumn-winter period or the acquisition of a plant. Be sure to place the eucalyptus in the lightest place in the winter.
Temperature regime. In the warm season, the eucalyptus plant requires a temperature range of 24-26 ° C, in autumn it is necessary to lower the temperature to 16-17 ° C. Provide the plant with a constant influx of fresh air, but do not allow drafts.
Watering. From spring to autumn, water should be watered abundantly, as the top layer of the substrate dries. Use soft, room temperature water for irrigation. In autumn, watering should be reduced, watered gently, but do not overdry the substrate. At this time, water the eucalyptus when its substrate dries 1-4 cm deep. The exact depth of drying will depend on the size of the pot. If the hibernation is warm, watering should be carried out more often.
Air humidity. Eucalyptus is a plant that loves high humidity, but, on the other hand, it does not apply to spraying. It is recommended to provide him with high humidity, placing a container with eucalyptus on a pallet with moist peat or expanded clay.
Top dressing. From spring to autumn, top dressing is carried out with complex mineral fertilizers with a periodicity of 2-3 weeks. Winter should not be fed.
Bloom. Growing in the open ground in the climate of the subtropics, the eucalyptus blooms for 2-10 years of life. The exact age of flowering varies from species to species. Eucalypts, located in the greenhouses of northern latitudes and growing like pottery and kadak culture, do not blossom, although it grows intensively.
In winter, the eucalyptus comes to rest. At this time, the plant should be kept in a bright room at 16 ° C, watered with caution.
Eucalyptus is decorative due to its foliage. You do not need to prune shoots every year. For a beautiful formation of the crown, you should pinch the young shoots.
Transfer. Young specimens of eucalyptus are transplanted every year, adults - every 2-3 years. The latter, however, require an annual renewal of the topsoil. The substrate for eucalyptus may be of the following composition: turf ground, humus earth, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. Be sure to make good drainage at the bottom of the tank.
Reproduction. Eucalyptuses reproduce by seeds. Smaller seeds reach 1-2 mm in length. They are sown during the period from January to February in a bowl. To do this, use sod land and sand in equal proportions. Seeds are immersed in the ground by 5 mm. In some species of eucalyptus, the germination of seeds depends on the light. In this case, they are not immersed in the soil, and the bowl is covered with glass from above. Be careful and careful with watering: with excess moisture, sprouts quickly die. Very often they are affected by a black leg. Seedlings appear approximately on the seventh day under conditions of a temperature regime of 18-20 ° C. When a pair of real leaves appears, the seedlings are seeded one by one in 7-centimeter pots, while using an earth mix of the following composition: turf ground, humus and sand in equal shares.
Difficulty of care
- Do not expose the indoor plant to the sun after a long period of cloudy weather, as well as from a place with diffuse light, otherwise the eucalyptus will get severe burns. Accustom the plant to bright light gradually.
- With lack of light, the stems of the eucalyptus are stretched, the leaves become shallow and lose their former color. Be careful when watering the plant: it does not like drying, and does not tolerate excessive moisture.
- Do not allow drafts, eucalyptus does not tolerate them, air stagnation in the room is also not desirable.
- Pests: aphids, spider mite.