A Dead Eucalyptus in the PNW
The first thing, of course, is to get as much of the eucalyptus and it ROOTS dug up and removed. Later there will be sprouts from the viable eucalyptus roots. Be prepared for this and spray with a glyphosate product, such as Roundup. Follow the label, and try not to spray anything by the sprouts.
Now what to plant? First, buy enough compost to cover that area at least 3 inches deep. Apparently compost is easy to buy in the PNW. Don’t settle for leaf mulch or anything less than compost. Eucalyptus can exude plant-retardant stuff. So the 3 inches of compost provides a nice planting bed ABOVE the eucalyptus stuff.
How about a nice tree to shelter the house from the sun the way the dead tree did? A tree that is fast growing and fairly disease-resistant is the NATIVE dogwood, readily found at many nurseriesin the PNW. Make sure it’s the NATIVE dogwood, don’t settle for anything less. Buy one that’s about 2 feet tall. It’ll grow quickly into a tree. Dig a nice BIG and WIDE hole, fill with a mixture of that compost and and soil, and the dogwood, of course. As you fill in the hole, pour water gently in to settle the soil. Add more mixed compost and soil, water. Repeat until full. Then firmly mash down all around the trunk with your foot, compressing the soil. Add more mix and water. Repeat until full. NEVER fertilize. This is a native tree and should be just fine as is. For about a year (or less), add a bucket of water a week, if it doesn’t rain. Taper off with that much water as the tree grows. The tree needs to send out roots to get its own water supply.
How about something nice in the area where the eucalyptus overshadowed everything? Sword ferns grow very well in the PNW, both in the sun and in the shade. So you can plant a bunch in the sun around the baby tree, and the grown up tree will provide shade for them in later years. Irises will work until shaded out. They are planted basically at soil level; so the roots will be happy in that 3 inches of compost. That 3 inches of compost will allow you to plant annuals nicely. Any big plants might need the same soil and hole treatment as the tree.
The first thing, of course, is to get as much of the eucalyptus and it ROOTS dug up and removed. Later there will be sprouts from the viable eucalyptus roots. Be prepared for this and spray with a glyphosate product, such as Roundup. Follow the label, and try not to spray anything by the sprouts.
Now what to plant? First, buy enough compost to cover that area at least 3 inches deep. Apparently compost is easy to buy in the PNW. Don’t settle for leaf mulch or anything less than compost. Eucalyptus can exude plant-retardant stuff. So the 3 inches of compost provides a nice planting bed ABOVE the eucalyptus stuff.
How about a nice tree to shelter the house from the sun the way the dead tree did? A tree that is fast growing and fairly disease-resistant is the NATIVE dogwood, readily found at many nurseriesin the PNW. Make sure it’s the NATIVE dogwood, don’t settle for anything less. Buy one that’s about 2 feet tall. It’ll grow quickly into a tree. Dig a nice BIG and WIDE hole, fill with a mixture of that compost and and soil, and the dogwood, of course. As you fill in the hole, pour water gently in to settle the soil. Add more mixed compost and soil, water. Repeat until full. Then firmly mash down all around the trunk with your foot, compressing the soil. Add more mix and water. Repeat until full. NEVER fertilize. This is a native tree and should be just fine as is. For about a year (or less), add a bucket of water a week, if it doesn’t rain. Taper off with that much water as the tree grows. The tree needs to send out roots to get its own water supply.
How about something nice in the area where the eucalyptus overshadowed everything? Sword ferns grow very well in the PNW, both in the sun and in the shade. So you can plant a bunch in the sun around the baby tree, and the grown up tree will provide shade for them in later years. Irises will work until shaded out. They are planted basically at soil level; so the roots will be happy in that 3 inches of compost. That 3 inches of compost will allow you to plant annuals nicely. Any big plants might need the same soil and hole treatment as the tree.
posted by GatorPerson at
9:48 PM
1 Comments:
Yeah! Thank you!!!! Although I despair of getting the roots out. I just don't think it's possible, as big as that thing got and as little cash as I have remaining.
And no replanting of trees or bushes, that left unattended, become monster trees! The yard just isn't big enough. (And I still have two monster evergreens in my side yard. Fortunately, they're healthy.)
There is still a dwarf weeping cherry in that corner of the yard, and I'm leaving it in place. The only problem with that tree is it 'weeps' over the fence and blocks the sidewalk behind the house. Necessitating a two block walk to get behind my house and trim it back. And I'm lazy.
So is my handyman, because all that eucalyptus detritus is still cluttering my backyard. I'm beginning to think he's going to leave it 'til it "seasons". Sigh.
But good to know roundup will work on new growth attempts. I suspect I need to start buying that stuff by the crate. Huh. Much to think about here. Obviously, the veggie bed isn't going to be expanded in THAT direction.
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