In this blog, I will teach you how you can grow your own Eucalyptus from seed. Success guaranteed! let’s go!
Eucalyptus is everywhere! At every wedding florist and on every Pinterest board. And no wonder, the beautiful gray-green leaves fit perfectly into today’s bouquets. The branches give a nice airy effect and are perfect foliage. In addition, most varieties also smell wonderfully fresh. At the end of the season, you can dry stems upside down for dry flower bouquets. Say no more, eucalyptus is a must-have for your (flower) garden!
How to sow eucalyptus seeds
Eucalyptus is best sown indoors in the spring or summer. When you discover this gem in the fall, you can also sow it outside in the fall, but I’m not a big fan of this myself because of our cold climate. When your seeds arrive make sure you store seeds in the fridge! If you get your seeds from a professional seed shop like Seedaholic or Chiltern seeds they also keep the eucalyptus seed stock in the fridge.
Sow the seeds in small trays indoors on seed starter soil that is hardly moist. The ideal germination temperature for Eucalyptus is 21 ° C. Do not cover the seeds because the seed needs light to germinate. Place the seed tray or pots in a propagator to retain moisture. Germination usually takes around 14 days, but it can also take longer. If germination has not yet taken place after 4-6 weeks, it can help to put the seeds in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks. This often gives the eucalyptus seeds the extra boost to start germination. Do not water your seedlings from the top. I have killed many eucalyptus seedlings before discovering this! Only water seedlings from below.
Transplant seedlings to larger cell-size trays when they have 3 to 4 true leaves. The plants do not like root disturbance. It is important that the seedlings are in bright light as they are outdoor plants. Plant seedlings out by mid-summer to their permanent position or in large pots. If your winters are cold you might want to keep them in your greenhouse for their first winter.
Frost-resistant eucalyptus varieties for colder climates
The eucalyptus varieties that I sow and we offer can withstand our mild winters. Extremely severe frost can be a problem for young plants. You can better protect your young plants with a non-woven cloth or bubble wrap. I like to use eucalyptus silverdollar for flower arrangements and as dry flowers. The other variety, eucalyptus boxwood is great to grow in pots.
Normally Eucalyptus is a tree. Green branches at the florist are often the young shoots of a tree. If you want to use the plant for cut foliage, or do not prefer a large tree, you can prune it back thoroughly. Pruning will make the plant more beautiful and full of side branches without having a giant tree in the garden. I also like to grow eucalyptus in large pots because they are wintergreen and look fantastic in a winter garden pot arrangement around the house. If you are looking for some plants in pots display inspiration I highly suggest Claus Dalby from Denmark. But be careful, am sure he will make you want to buy all the terracotta pots at your local garden center!
I hope you now have the confidence to grow your own eucalyptus from seed! If you have any questions feel free to contact me, send a message on instagram, or comment below.