Question From:
Amanda Irvine in GREENS CREEK, GREENS CREEK Queensland
Nature of problem:
Will WA Native Gums grow in Gympie, QLD?
Type of Plant (if known):
Bushy Yate, WA Red Flowering Gum, Fuschia Gum – specifically, will Bushy Yates grow in the shade?
Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
Seedlings growing well – wanting to plant on property
Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
Land is quite furtile. Possibly loam; claylike in parts. Currently have specific native gum potting mix for seedlings.
How often do you water the plant:
Good dose, every 3 days (currently winter)
How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
Currently, 5-6 hrs as potted seedlings
How long since you planted it:
NA
Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
NA
Is the plant indoors or outdoors:
Outdoors
Is the plant in a pot or in the ground:
Currently pot, but want to plant in ground
What other treatments have you given the plant:
NA
Upload photo if available:
Other Comments:
G’day Burke!
I have grown some WA Native Gums from seed (a present from my sister) which have grown quite well. I am hoping to plant them around my 5 acre property for a bit of a screen (Bushy Yate) and some pops of colour (WA Red Flowering Gum & Fushia Gum). The spots where I want to plant the Bushy Yate is already shaded from other trees. I know they are quite hardy, but do you think they would survive/grow there? Any other planting information (i.e. root system spread) for any of the trees would be appreciated. For the WA Red & Fushia, I was planning on putting them on the sandy/clay edge of my dam overflow in full sunlight.
PS. You’ve haven’t aged a bit in 25 years! I used to watch your show with my Mum as a child.
Many thanks,
Amanda
Greens Creek (Gympie) QLD
Answer:
Hi Amanda, Thanks for the kind words and best wishes to your mum. Western Australian gum trees do not do all that well in coastal Queensland. No gum tree likes to grow in the shade either. I would plant all of them in full sun and hope for the best, sometimes they will do well, others not. Good luck and thanks for making me feel younger…or did I look trashed 25 years ago? Don
