Why is my eucalyptus drying up? If you are asking yourself this question, it is because you have already noticed symptoms in your tree that indicate that something is not right. You don’t have to panic, but you can’t delay the performance too long either, because the more time passes, the worse it will be.
Fortunately, there are many cases in which this phenomenon can be reversed. Your tree may not show its best appearance for a while, but after applying the appropriate remedies you will notice that it begins to improve little by little. Let’s see what we can do!
Why is my eucalyptus drying up? The main reasons
The eucalyptus is a tree native to Australia, where it finds a perfect environment to grow thanks to the high humidity in that area. However, over the years it has become popular in many other countries around the world.
You can have it at home without having to have a large garden, because It is a tree that also adapts well to growing in pots.. In fact, this is the most recommended way to grow it, because this way you prevent its roots from absorbing the moisture that other plants also need.
Whether you have it planted in the ground or in a pot, you may notice that it appears to have a dry appearance. With leaves that tend to yellow and fall off. This is indicating to us that something may not be quite right, so we have to take action and give our tree the specific care it requires at this time.
lack of irrigation
If I wonder why my eucalyptus is drying up, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is not getting all the water it needs.
we are before a tree that requires a lot of water. Surely, much more than any other tree you have at home. Therefore, if you want it to look beautiful, watering must be abundant.
the eucalyptus needs to receive between two and three liters of water about three times a week. If the area in which you live does not receive regular rain, you will have to start watering more often.
In case you have to go on vacation for a few days, nothing will happen to the tree. Leave it well watered and it will last 10 to 15 days, although as soon as you return you will have to add water. However, if you don’t leave completely calm, you can always leave the house keys with someone you trust and they can water the tree at least a couple of times during your absence.
If the problem has been a lack of irrigation, as soon as the eucalyptus receive water regularly should start to improve. As long as it has not been excessively dry and it is already too late.
pests and insects
The “bugs” are another of the reasons that make our eucalyptus present a dry and worn appearance. Nothing happens because there is some fauna around the tree, what’s more, this is healthy and is good for the entire ecosystem. The problem arises when the presence of insects becomes a real plague, because they affect the life of the eucalyptus.
The good thing about pests is that you can see them with the naked eye, and it is not difficult to kill them. For a start, remove the leaves that are already yellowed. The rest clean them with a mix water with hand soap. This is effective against fungi and insects.
In the event that the eucalyptus have aphids, you can use specialized chemicals, or also a mixture of neem oil (an organic insecticide that you can easily find online) and baking soda. This does not harm the tree and kills all insects.
Do you remember when we were analyzing why my eucalyptus is drying up and we were talking about the lack of watering? Well, be careful with this. If you water the tree excessively, you will be increasing the chances that it will fill with fungus, or that colonies of insects such as mosquitoes appear around it, which love humidity. Therefore, water what is necessary, but do not abuse.
recent transplant
When we move house we all take a while to adapt to the new environment, and the plants and trees do exactly the same. After the transplant, it is normal for your tree to be a little “out of place”.
During the first weeks it is common for it to present a slightly withered appearance, even for some of its leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Continue taking care of it as you have always done if with those care you managed to make it healthy and beautiful. In a few days it will start to come back and it will look as good as ever.
Spring as a cause that explains why my eucalyptus is drying up
Taking a tree forward requires time and effort, which is why we all get scared as soon as we notice something is wrong. However, there are processes that are normal in the life cycle of plants, and the only thing we can do is let them happen.
Eucalyptus is a broad-leaved evergreen tree. It does not run out of leaves, but during the spring these types of trees usually lose some of their leaves. These turn yellowish and then fall off naturally. If this is what happens to your tree, don’t worry, it’s a completely natural process that is necessary for new leaves to sprout.
When this happens, carefully check both the leaves and the trunk to make sure there are no signs of a massive presence of insects or fungi. If everything is fine, and the soil has the necessary moisture, then nothing is wrong with the tree, it is simply going through one of its life cycles.
When in doubt “why is my eucalyptus drying up?”, you have already seen that the main causes are:
- Lack of irrigation.
- pests.
- recent transplant.
- Normal life cycle due to the arrival of spring.
So you just have to do some simple research to be aware of what is happening, and you can fix it quickly. How is your experience with eucalyptus being? Share it with us in the comments section!
