Comments on: Eucalyptus caesia "Silver Princess"

By: admin

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:57:01 +0000

Best bet is to take a sample to a garden centre for a professional diagnosis. My guess is you’ve had a lot rain lately and the soil is boggy? Always plant Silver Princess in a position where excess water can drain away. They tend to like it a little drier. Too much water makes them susceptible to problems.

By: Debby Wall

Debby Wall — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:12:07 +0000

Hi – great web site with fantastic information. I have 3x SP planted 18 months ago, that have just taken OFF, Im excited to see many flower pods coming but Im concerned about black circular spots on the leaves on the lower 1/3 of the 3-4m trees. Some trees have more spots than others. They look fabulous otherwise. Do I need to take any action regarding these spot? BENTLEIGH = Victortia Melbourne Sth East suburbs. Many thanks

By: admin

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:32:56 +0000

Hi Ted Mine is putting on growth at the moment in Melbourne so you could prune now if you wanted to. The Silver Princess is suited to quite harsh pruning so it is up to you. You can prune it to shape or however you fancy.

By: Ted

Ted — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:28:57 +0000

What time of year is best to prune Silver Princess and by how much should be taken off?

By: admin

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:58:09 +0000

It might be best to consult with a local gardening expert on this one. For my way of thinking though, pests normally attack plants that are sick or not doing too well. Therefore, the insects may not be the real problem but rather the result.
One of the commonest problems I’ve found with the Silver Princess is giving it too much water and planting it in badly draining soil. Therefore I’d also have a look under the ground as well.

By: virginia

virginia — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:01:11 +0000

My caesia is 5 years old and doing well. It has lumps on the trunk. I have been cutting them out, as I was told they were caused by insects, they now have exuded resin. More lumps are appearing. Should I be cutting them out or is this normal for caesias

By: michael

michael — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:48:03 +0000

I’m growing 2 SP alongside each other, but one has the same problem identified by Jenny – all leaves except for the newest growth get a reddish-brown speckle which then spreads through the entire leaf. I’ve taken leaves to a couple of nurseries but they couldn’t offer any solutions. I was hoping Jenny might have found some success that you can report back to us?

By: admin

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:01:42 +0000

The Silver Princess will always do better in the ground than a pot. The guy who sold it to you was correct it should do well in Arizona as it’s natural habitat in Australia is similar to Arizona. Therefore I would plant it in full sun in a well drained soil and sit back and watch it grow. You may have to water it for the first summer or two until it’s established but after that it will be self sufficient.

By: Lori

Lori — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 02:51:58 +0000

I bought this tree at the Arizona Desert Botanical Garden. The guy said it would do well in AZ, however reading the other posts makes me wonder. I currently have it in a large pot on my north facing covered patio. In its current location, it doesn’t get directly sunlight but there are no other trees or obstructions of light in my back yard. What recommendations do you have to ensure my tree does well.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:11:00 +0000

Firstly there is no guarantee the SP will always grow upright but if you’ve already got a straight one you’re off to a good start. I’ve found the best way to increase the growth rate of natives in to plant them into a light (ie not compacted) soil. This will allow the roots to establish and grow a lot freer through the soil. Your soil sounds like it is ideal but if you don’t mind going to the extra effort, cultivating the soil will help. The irony is that small plants in tubes often out grow larger much larger plants in larger pots. The reason why is many larger plants are root bound within the pot and require some root pruning to remove roots that have coiled around the inside of the pot. When ever I buy a plant I always make sure the roots are healthy and haven’t out grown their pot. For me the most important part for the health of the plant is what’s below the ground. Get that right and your well on your way to a healthy and happy garden.