D-plant Horticulture Offers Some Practical Advice on Growing Eucalyptus

WE have learned a lot over the last few years about growing Eucalyptus in Ireland. The winters of 20092010 and 2010-2011 defined what varieties we should grow and should not grow. The most recent mild winter has shown the potential for Eucalyptus to grow year round if temperatures are above 6C. trial plots at D-plant Horticulture in Co.wexford have shown approximately 15 to 20cm (6 to 8") of growth between October and March.

So far the biggest interest in growing Eucalyptus in Ireland for wood fuel has come from the domestic market. Plantations of half an acre upwards have been planted by individuals to supply their own 'Home Grown' wood fuel. Taking the energy value of Eucalyptus and the growth rate potential into account, a rule of thumb is that 0.6 acres of Eucalyptus would replace an annual consumption of 1000 litres of oil. with an average of 3 harvests over 24 years, your Eucalyptus crop could displace the use of 12,000 litres of oil, assuming an efficient woodburning system is in place.

This interest in 'Home Grown' firewood should sound alarm bells for the possibilities for commercial wood fuel producers and suppliers.

Eucalyptus should be fit to harvest after 8 years and will re-grow (coppice) and produce 2 more crops at 8 year intervals (a potential 3 crops in 24 years).

This system is not set in stone and the growing term can be altered to suit market prices, convenience of harvesting etc. The point is, if you need to wait until year 10 or 12 for your first harvest, the only side effect is that your yield will be higher but no more difficult to harvest. With flexibility we believe Eucalyptus could be an exceptional opportunity as a pension investment.

CULTURAL INFORMATION

Soil type: - Eucalyptus requires soil with reasonable fertility. - It will grow well on heavy soils but will not tolerate wet soils. - Soil ph 5.5 – 7 Soil Preparation: - Lightly tilled soil along the planting row will give good root establishment to newly planted trees. - Ripping can be used if desired where you have reasonable soil condition, e.g. if planting into cereal stubble. - Mounding is another useful method on wetter sites to allow good root establishment owing to the extra drainage from the elevated planting position.

PLANTING PROCESS:

- Planting time: april-june. - Plant density at 2M x 2M spacing is 2500 plants per hectare. Eu- Planting is mostly done by hand using a regular spade. - Eucalyptus plants are modular grown which makes them very easy to plant compared to other bare root forestry trees. - A mechanical planter (something like a cabbage planter) can be used but this usually means a great deal of soil preparation. - Ultimately our trials have shown that reasonably well prepared soil makes for easy planting and good root establishment.

MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS:

-Weed control in the first two years is essential. - Eucalyptus doesn't compete well with weeds as small plants in the early stages of growth can be severely stunted. - Chemical weed control with Glysophate (Roundup) works well but it is important that the chemical doesn't come in contact with the Eucalyptus foliage or stems. this can be achieved by the use of Tree Guards or a narrow strip of polythene such as silage wrap. - Pre-emergence chemical weed control will be trialed shortly and is expected to give good results. - An application of 50g of a balanced tree fertilizer per tree (not too close to the stem) has shown to improve establishment and increase vigor.

VARIETIES AVAILABLE THIS SEASON FROM DPLANT HORTICULTURE:

- E glaucescens - will coppice (15to -17) - E urnigera - will coppice (-15c to -17c) - E. rodwayi – will coppice (-13c to -15c) Suitable for wetter sites - E. subcrenulata - Will coppice (14c to – 17c) - E. cordata – will coppice. Usefull for costal shelter. (-12c to - 14c)

For More information contact: Brendan Doyle from D-plant Horticulture, Borelia, Glenbrien, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Tel: 053 9236516 Mobile 087 2861221, Email: dplant@eircom.net, www.dplant.ie

Source: braypeople - D-plant Horticulture Offers Some Practical Advice on Growing Eucalyptus

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