Eucalyptus is an evergreen heat-loving plant belonging to the Mirtov family. His homeland is Australia. Today there are more than 500 varieties of eucalyptus. All of them differ not only in appearance, but also in the way of growth. There are both tropical species and those suitable for growing in the garden and indoors. Under natural conditions, trees can reach a height of 100 m, while in indoor crops, the height can be adjusted at your discretion due to regular pruning and pinching. In addition, indoor specimens grow very slowly.
Eucalyptus leaves have a gray-green color and an ovoid shape. Over time, they become more elongated, leathery and less attractive. The plant has a strong aroma, as it contains a large amount of essential oil. Due to the content of these beneficial substances, eucalyptus is used for medicinal purposes.
Indoor lemon eucalyptus, which is a small, slowly growing tree, is best suited for growing at home. Its smell at the same time resembles lemon, verbena, lemon balm and thyme, but even more powerful and pronounced. To achieve flowering plants in pots is almost impossible.
Beneficial features
As mentioned earlier, eucalyptus contains essential oil, the main constituent of which is cineol (eucalyptol). Oil, tinctures and infusions with bactericidal, antiseptic and antiviral effects are prepared from the plant.
Phytoncides secreted by eucalyptus help cleanse the air of pathogenic bacteria and germs. In order to effectively clean the room, it is enough to put one tree in the room.
Rubbing a few eucalyptus leaves in your hands and breathing in the aroma, you can prevent colds. It should be borne in mind that chewing leaves and eating them can cause poisoning.
Eucalyptus essential oil is used for rinsing, inhalation, preparation of lotions and wet swabs. With its help, abscesses, furunculosis, phlegmon, purulent mastitis, infected chronic ulcers are treated. With erosion of the cervix, eucalyptus douching is done. A good result shows the use of the plant for rinsing with tonsillitis, stomatitis and gingivitis. For the treatment of acute respiratory diseases, tracheitis, bronchitis and laryngitis, inhalations based on eucalyptus are effective.
The uniqueness of the plant also lies in the fact that it is able to deter such annoying insects as flies and mosquitoes.
Care Features
Since eucalyptus has a number of useful properties and the ability to treat various diseases, more and more people want to have such a plant at home. However, not everyone knows the features of growing and caring for it. How hard is it to grow lemon eucalyptus indoor? Caring for a plant does not cause much trouble. The main thing is to follow certain rules.
Content temperature
In order to ensure good growth and development of eucalyptus, during the period of intensive growth and in the summer months it is necessary to maintain a temperature in the range from 24 to 26 ° C. If possible, it is advisable to take the plant out into the fresh air, as constant air circulation is very important for it. It is important to consider that drafts negatively affect eucalyptus. With the onset of cold weather, the temperature of the content is reduced to +16 ° C.
Humidity and watering
Indoor lemon eucalyptus needs moist air, especially on hot days. Nevertheless, the plant does not respond well to spraying. For optimal moisture maintenance, it is recommended to place a pot with eucalyptus on a tray with regularly moistened drainage (expanded clay, pebbles or peat).
Watering eucalyptus during the period of active growth should be plentiful. In winter, the amount of water is reduced, and the time between watering is increased. When caring for a plant, do not go to extremes. It should be understood that for it is dangerous both the drying out of the soil, and its excessive moisture. Excessive watering can lead to rotting of the roots with subsequent death of the plant.
It is recommended to water eucalyptus with settled water at room temperature.
Lighting
Eucalyptus is a photophilous plant that needs bright lighting and direct sunlight. For this reason, the tree is best placed in bright places, namely on the south, east or southeast side. Placing eucalyptus near the northern windows can cause the plant to lack light, which will negatively affect its normal growth and development. To compensate for the lack of natural light, lamps for growing plants at home will help.
In the warm season, it is recommended to take out eucalyptus to fresh air, however, it is important to consider that you need to accustom a plant to bright light gradually so as not to provoke a sunburn. In the same way, it should be accustomed to active sunlight after a period of autumn-winter rest or purchase. In winter, eucalyptus is placed in the most illuminated place.
Top dressing
During the period of intensive growth, namely from spring to autumn, indoor lemon eucalyptus must be fed. For this, mineral and organic fertilizers are optimal. Top dressing is carried out with a frequency of once every two to three weeks. In winter, fertilizer is stopped.
Pruning and transplanting
To restrain the growth of the eucalyptus tree and the appearance of new shoots, the main trunk is cut to the required length. By cutting the plant to a length of 50-100 cm, a lush bush can be formed. The most favorable time for pruning is spring. To get a beautiful and thick crown, pinch young shoots.
Indoor lemon eucalyptus at a young age requires an annual transplant. Adult specimens are transplanted every 3 years. Eucalyptus does not tolerate such a procedure very well, so it is better to transplant it into a more spacious flowerpot by transshipment, which will help to avoid damage to the root soil.
When transplanting plants over the age of 3 years, roots are pruned. Garden grease is used to lubricate the sections.
The soil for lemon eucalyptus should be quite loose. The composition of the soil, as a rule, include turf land, peat, river sand and humus. At the bottom of the pot, you must definitely put a good drainage.
Eucalyptus Reproduction
Lemon eucalyptus can be propagated using seeds. Also, apical cuttings are used for this purpose. True, they cannot always be rooted, therefore it is best to grow lemon eucalyptus from seeds that are sold at retail outlets. The seed size is small and is 1-2 mm.
The best time for sowing is the end of winter or the beginning of spring. Germination soil should be as loose and porous as possible. A soil mixture consisting of an equal amount of turf land and sand is well suited. Pots for sowing should be provided with drainage holes.
How to plant lemon eucalyptus? Seeds are sown on top of well-moistened soil, and the container with crops is covered with glass or plastic wrap. An important condition for seed germination is ambient light and a temperature of 20-25 ° C. Before the first seedlings appear, it is necessary to maintain moderate soil moisture. It should be remembered that excess moisture can adversely affect young shoots. For watering, it is best to use a spray gun. The first shoots of the plant, as a rule, appear after a week. In some cases, seed germination is delayed for a longer period.
After a pair of real petals appeared, dive. Seedlings dive one at a time in pots with a diameter of 7 cm.
Diseases and Pests
Due to its antiseptic properties, eucalyptus is almost not susceptible to disease. The main problems with eucalyptus are due to improper care and maintenance. Thus, the mismatch of temperature, lighting and humidity can trigger the appearance of aphids, spider mites and nematodes. Having found pests, it is necessary to change the care and conditions of detention, treat the plant with insecticides.
Possible difficulties
When growing lemon eucalyptus, flower growers may encounter certain problems. The main ones are stretching the shoots, the dull color of the leaves and reducing their size. All this is due to lack of lighting. To avoid such phenomena, the plant is placed in a place well lit by the sun, or lamps are used to grow plants at home.
Due to lack of watering, leaf wilting may occur. Therefore, the owner of lemon eucalyptus should adhere to the recommendations for care. Otherwise, the decorative appearance of the tree may be affected. And if the eucalyptus experiences a long drought, it may die at all.
In no less careful respect the root system needs. Transplanting the plant into a new pot, you should use a more gentle method - transshipment. This will help the plant quickly adapt to a new place and resume growth.
Also, due attention should be paid to the intensity of lighting. Excessive sun exposure can cause burns of leaf blades.