Eucalypts VHT117

Become an expert in Eucalyptus.! Learn about Eucalyptus: their identification, culture (propagation, soils, landscape uses, feeding), and uses. Throughout the course you build both a knowledge of the group as a whole, and of the range of species you can identify. Eucalypts are today widely grown throughout the world, despite the fact that they are predominantly an Australian native plant (Note: There are only a small number of species which occur naturally outside of Australia). In many countries Eucalypts are used extensively as a forest tree, for land rehabilitation or even as an ornamental plant. There are more than five hundred different species of Eucalypts, varying from relatively low shrubby plants to massive tall trees

There are Eucalypt varieties which will suit most temperate, sub-temperate or tropical climates, and some which will adapt to most soil conditions.

In California, Eucalypts have been growing so widely for so long that they are thought by some locals to be an American native. In Italy farmers use Eucalypts as windbreaks around their paddocks.

The English sometimes use attractive blue foliage Eucalypts as bedding plants amongst annual flowers and as indoor plants. Eucalypts have been used for land reclamation in desert areas and the Israelis have found certain varieties of River Red Gum to be an ideal plant to grow in salt contaminated soils.

Lesson Structure There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Review of the system of plant identification, general characteristics of the group, information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs etc.)
2. Culture
   • Planting, staking, mulching, watering, pest & disease, feeding, pruning, protection from wind, salt air, etc.
3. Propagation
   • Methods of propagating this group of plants.
4. The most commonly grown varieties.
5. Other important groups.
6. Lesser grown varieties.
7. Making the best use of Eucalypts
8. Special Assignment. On one selected plant or group.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school\'s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Describe the classification of Eucalypts.
• Discuss general cultural requirements for growing Eucalypts.
• Propagate Eucalypts.
• Differentiate between identifiable characteristics and cultural requirements in a number of commonly cultivated Eucalypts.
• Discuss characteristics of a wider range of Eucalypt species.
• Describe commercial uses for a range of different Eucalyptus species.
• Plan the establishment of a collection of different cultivars of Eucalypts (eg. Gums, Mallees, Tall Trees, Short Trees, Dryland Species), suited to growing in a specified locality.