Eucalyptus Tree dying off after pollarding??

[Julie123]

A year January I had my huge beautiful Eucalyptus tree reduced due to being to close to house. 

Sadly, it seems to be dying off.

I may have made a mistake in allowing it to have such a harsh reduction..

Anyone hopeful that it may recover this year ? 

Many thanks! 

[Botty Cough]

Dig it out and burn it.

They never die ....😁

[Mick Dempsey]

It is a gonner I’m afraid (well it’s pretty much gone anyway)

You have a bit of regrowth there but that amounts to nothing.

It will have to come out at some point.

[peds]

If you really want to keep it, snip it right back down to the ground and see what happens. If it's dead you can either remove the stump or not bother, if it gives a last gasp of regrowth and then dies it's still easy to deal with, if it puts some effort in then in a few years you'll have your tree back. 

 

Last ditch attempt. 

[tree-fancier123]

I wouldn't cut it down - the washing line is on there, that greenery on there is still making sugars for what remains of the plant - it wasn't a reduction at all, more of a crown removal

[Dan Maynard]

I don't know where you are but round here so many eucs have just turned up their toes this winter you wouldn't be able to say whether it's anything to do with topping it or not.

 

We have done a few removing the dead stems above, see what happens with the regrowth in a few years.

[Chris at eden]

That isn’t really a pollard although it is often what tree owners want when they ask for a pollard. It’s been topped.  Topping is not great for trees and although trees often grow back you are kind of rolling the dice.  Pollarding is done from when trees are small and on a regular basis. The cuts are small and become occluded forming the bolling over time.  This means they become resistant to decay and they are not site for entry of pathogens.  It does not take much energy to occlude them and you are not removing much stored energy in the small branches removed. 
 

Yours has lost a lot of stored energy from large branch removals and the wounds are too large to ever successfully occlude. Plus, they are quite prone to frost damage so pruning in January may not be the best time.   

You could try decompaction and mulching to improve the rooting area but it’s a long shot. And Enerbite injections to give the top a boost. That’s an even longer shot as trees have to be actively transpiring and the more the better. Yours only has a bit of leaf area. 
 

Chris 

 

[krummholz]

What was the trigger for meriting such a harsh reduction other than being too close to the house? Just curious

[egghead29]

There's a good chance that this tree was on the way out anyway, or at least about to struggle. The very cold snap in November 2022 damaged a lot of eucalyptus here in Scotland. 2023 was just watching a few of them slowly die off as the damage was realised. 

[Silverhooker]

Looks like it is a goner to me. Chance to remove and replant with something native.

[Stere]

Quote

If you really want to keep it, snip it right back down to the ground and see what happens.

 

 

I did that to one a few yrs ago when the  top that was 100% dead looking., its 30ft high now with multiple stems

 

Grown over  6ft a yr