Problums with a EUCALYPTUS GUNNII tree?

Question

hi, i have a EUCALYPTUS GUNNII tree and over the last cpl of months the leaves at the bottom of the tree have started turning red and falling off the top of the tree is still fine and still growing but the red leaves are slowley creaping up the tree to... im worried that is i do nothing i will have no leaves left, first the tree was in full sun, then i moved it to partial shade but its still happing, the tree is also in a pot but is watered regurely

Answer 1

Sounds like its pot bound to me.

All trees will go through a shedding process under stress or without enough energy to sustain itself.

Either plant it in the garden, move it to a bigger pot or give it a h**l of a feed and water.

Answer 2

This is a natural process of the tree.It discards old leaves as it grows new ones at the top.Is the pot too small and is the water draining fairly quickly from the pot.The tree will not die but grow upward at expense of bottom leaves.If you want a lush type tree then it has to go into a moist part of the garden that drains well.The more stress it has the more the red process occurs

Answer 3

Its leaves turning red could just be indicative of some shock or stress that it's had or is having,  similar to leaves in autumn time that lose their green colouring, but will display reds etc, before eventually falling off.

The cause of the stress could be anything from suffering from the freezes during winter, it being too confined, or funning short of nutrients, and not being able to support all of its growth, mainly putting its energy into new growth.

Eucalyptus gunnii is generally winter hardy in the UK, though they occasionally suffer from severe free freezing damage,  and smaller plants after often more susceptible than larger mature trees.  Another factor to bear in mind is that you plant wants to become a huge tree,  potentially to 100 feet tall,  and it will naturally lose some of its lower growth over time - I think you're saying here that is more rapid, and substantial than just its natural progressive growth though.

It should be fine in full sun,  though I don't know your location,  as it is a natural plant species from Australia and will grow in somewhat brighter locations than the UK, for example.  Your relocation of it may add a little extra stress, and for now I'd consider feeding it,  and repotting it if it is pot pound too.   Potentially allow it to have more sunlight, so that it can photosynthesise as fully as possible.

Eucalyptus gunnii can have their height maintained through pruning,  and this does encourage the juvenile rounder blue leaves, rather than the oval greener mature leaves.  If you intend to keep it as a pot grown plant,  you could consider pruning it in future,  though I wouldn't do this now, as this would add extra stress to your plant.

They don't generally suffer from pests and diseases - there are no koalas here, not that I'd consider them pests! - so I think this problem relates to the culture that it is had over the past year or so.  If you've had it a relatively short time,  some of this issue may be related to treatment that it had prior to your ownership of it.  

Overall, it should respond to being fed and grow well if its roots are not restricted - which would inhibit the leaf growth that it can support.  You're watering regularly, so I assume that you're not overwatering it.  For now, some more of your TLC  should help it regain its strength.

Hope this helps.  Good luck!  Rob