How to Grow a Gum Tree

Choose a place in the garden that gets full sun to half shade. Prepare the planting area well by digging in Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.

Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the plant from the container.

Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down. Form a raised or doughnut shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed.  Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes.

Mulch around the base with organic mulch, keeping it away from the trunk.

Feed in Autumn and Spring with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser to ensure strong root development.

Most Gum Trees do best when planted in the ground, however, there are dwarf varieties such as the 'Mini' Corymbia ficifolia. Gum Trees also make incredible bonsais too.

Choose a pot that is at least twice the size of the selected plant. Position in the garden that receives full sun to half shade.

Fill the pot with a quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter.

Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots.

Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Water in well.

Mulch around the base with organic materials, keeping it away from the trunk.

Feed in Autumn and Spring with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser to ensure strong root development

Gum Trees generally need little to no pruning. You can prune off anything that is dead, diseased or damaged. If pruning to a specific shape, avoid pruning more than a third of the total foliage.

If the soil is dry it is likely to be a lack of water. For small trees, give the tree a deep watering.

Trees that are under stress (particularly from drought and heat stress), or under attack from Borer, will ooze out sap.

For large trees, it is impossible to feed or water to overcome this issue. For smaller trees less than 3 m, you can apply a wetting agent such as Yates Waterwise Soil Wetter, and give the plant a deep watering.

There is no treatment for Borer other than improve the health of the tree to improve resiliency. Feed with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improve & Plant Fertiliser.

If after heavy rain, or overwatering, you notice your Gum Tree leaves are quickly curling, going yellow and may even be falling off, it is likely the tree has a Root Rot (Phytophthora). Flowering Gums (Corymbia ficifolia) are particularly susceptible to Root Rot.

Best thing to do is to avoid overwatering, and plant in very well-drained soil. You can also apply Yates Anti Rot Phosacid Systemic Fungicide to help build up the plants defences to the disease.

Many Gum Trees have juvenile and adult foliage. This means when the trees are young they have round foliage, and when they mature, the leaves grow long a slender. So it's normal for the tree to do this.

You can prune the tree to help maintain the juvenile foliage. Pollarding (keeping the trunk and cutting of the rest) and coppicing (cutting the tree to near ground level) are two techniques to help achieve this. This is NOT suitable for all Gum Trees, especially grafted and Flowering Gums (Corymbia ficifolia).

For small trees, spray with Yates Nature's Way Citrus & Ornamental Spray.

Gum Trees, especially Flowering Gums (Corymbia ficifolia) are susceptible to Powdery Mildew.

Make sure the plant is getting plenty of sun, and avoid overhead watering (wetting the leaves).

To treat small trees, spray with Yates Lime Sulfur.