On 2014-01-27 18:36:22 +0000, Bob Hobden said:

"Sacha" wrote

Charlie Pridham said:

"Sacha" wrote in message
Charlie Pridham said:

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
Does anyone grow an Italian Cyprus (cupressus sempervirens)?
I had one once, grown from seed, but at about 18 inches. It was moved
by a gardener friend and it didn't survive. Nor did he!
You may remember I was asking last year about what to plant to hide
the lamp-post which has been put up outside my garden.
A friend has offered me a eucalyptus, which is about 10 feet tall and
in a pot, so would be ideal. I had one there before, and a year before
they put in the post, I cut it back, hoping for regrowth.... but it
died!
However I saw a cyprus in a catalogue. advertised as sold at about 3
feet high, and wondered a) how long would it get to 6 ft fence height
and above, and b) would it be hardy?
Sorry,----- long winded!



Do be careful if you accept the "Gift Horse" of the Eucalyptus as they
often become unstable in wind unless planted as very young small
plants, you would certainly need heavy duty staking above what may
appear enough!

Istr we had a discussion on here some time back about Eucalyptus that
have been in a pot for too long. Was it along the lines that they're
particularly unstable because they never establish a good root system,
having been in a pot a long time?


That's the general view, although of course there are always
exceptions! and I have had a 12 footer blown flat to the ground, been
dragged upright, chained back to a wall and 10 years later was stable
enough to remove the chain, only to have the next winters cold kill it
stone dead in a single night.

Personally I would never plant a Eucalypt more than 2 feet high and
have found 6 inch seedlings normal go away the quickest overtaking the
bigger trees by about year 3 But I do of course live in a windy place
and my experience is coloured by that.

In a former walled garden, I had one, not planted by me that was
propped up by a y-shaped piece of old tree trunk. It still made
spirited attempts to hurl itself to the ground but never quite made it!

Neighbour has one planted by a previous owner, when young it blew to a
45° angle but refused to be pushed upright so the owner cut it off just
above ground level. It then quickly made a new single growth from the
roots and is now a rather tall superb straight tree and has survived
all that the winds have thrown at it.

Perhaps that cutting back encouraged it to make more root. They're
certainly very quick-growing, too.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk