I had a eucalyptus tree, which was cut back to the stump, and is now sprouting again with multiple stems. I would to see if I could take these stems and grown them on, perhaps in pots to form a hedge
How to air layer your eucalyptus stems:
- Choose your stems — pick the thickest, healthiest looking ones. At 60cm you’d work about halfway up the stem, around the 25-30cm mark
- Remove leaves from a short section of about 5cm at that point
- Wound the stem — either remove a complete ring of bark about 3cm wide (ring barking), or make an upward angled cut halfway through the stem and prop it open with a toothpick or small stone
- Apply rooting hormone generously to the wounded area
- Pack with moist sphagnum moss — a good handful wrapped tightly around the wound
- Wrap with clear plastic film and seal both ends tightly with tape or grafting tape — you want it airtight to retain moisture
- Wait — roots should appear visible through the plastic in 4–8 weeks
- Sever and pot once you see a good network of roots through the moss
Practical tips:
- Clear plastic lets you monitor progress without disturbing anything
- Don’t let the moss dry out — if it does, carefully unwrap, re-moisten and rewrap
- Do several stems simultaneously to maximise your chances