Eugenia plant is one of the best plants for topiary. It has very dense evergreen foliage, you can easily give it any shape you want. You can grow it outside and make Eugenia topiary. I have this plant in the hall near my new furniture.
If you are interested in Eugenia topiary then you are at the right place. Because today we will discuss how to grow and maintain it in different environments.
Let’s start
About the plant
Eugenia topiary is an evergreen plant with very dense foliage. In natural growing conditions, it can grow up to 20 feet tall. The indoor Eugenia plants do not grow more than 4 feet tall with 2 feet spread.
The large tree varieties have a total spread of 12 feet if you do not give them desired shape.
An indoor Eugenia plant can easily live up to 40 years under a normal caring routine. The good news is this plant does not need much care and maintenance.
It only grows 10 to 12 inches long in a year.
Eugenia topiary care techniques
Caring for and maintaining this plant is quite easy and simple. It can tolerate sunlight and indirect bright light. Humidity is not a big concern for it. It needs good protection from cold weather.
Light Needs
Eugenia needs full sun to grow properly and to achieve good height. The color of the foliage depends on the amount of light that it absorbs. In low light conditions, it does not grow tall and only develops fewer leaves.
If you are growing it in your outdoor garden then find a sunny place for it. If you live in very hot weather then arrange some shade for it in the afternoon. Or the leaves will turn yellow in color due to the hot sun rays.
In normal weather, it is good for the plant to expose to the full sunshine for the whole day.
For indoor growing eugenia plants you must have a south or west-facing window. Because even their small size variety needs full sun for at least 6 hours per day.
In a low-light environment, it shows leggy or stretchy growth. Do not use grow lights to grow it they are not useful in growing Eugenia plants.
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Potting Soil
Eugenia topiary is native to tropical regions so it needs potting soil that drains fast. To make your normal potting soil suitable for it just add some parts of sand to it. Do not use your garden soil and sand together. This formula will not work for container-growing eugenias.
To gain the best results use the following potting soil formula.
1 part compost + 1 part loam + 2 parts fine sand.
The compost will give it nutrients and the other 2 substances will increase the draining power of the soil. Also, make the soil lightweight and fluffy.
Watering
Moderate watering is recommended for beautiful eugenia. You should not plant it in soil that turns wet and become soggy when watered.
Medium watering is the key to success when you have Eugenia topiary in pots.
You should also avoid the dry soil in the plant pot. Because when the soil turns dry the plant will also turn dry and yellow. Once the leaves turn yellow there are no methods to turn them green again.
In winter, do not water your plant until the few inches of soil become dry.
Always use fresh clean water for watering. The water must be free from heavy minerals and metals. Rainwater is the best for this plant. If you store rainwater then you can use it for watering all your container plants including eugenia.
Fertilizing
Balanced fertilizer is recommended for the occasional fertilizing. The salt build-up is the general problem in container-grown eugenias. The main cause of this issue is overfertilizing or not diluting the fertilizer before use.
Only use fertilizers if your plant does not produce dense growth. If the size and foliage of your plant are good. Then this means it is getting all the nutrients from the soil. In this case, do not fertilize it or it will result in an overdose of nutrients.
Remember that the overdose of nutrients will result in partial loss of plants. Firstly, the leaves will turn yellow then shred and your plant will die.
Note: Do not buy any special type of nutrient bottle for your plant. General-purpose liquid fertilizer is best for Eugenia plants.
Temperature & Humidity
Those living in zones 10 to 11 can grow this plant outside without worrying about the weather. Because the soil, water and growing conditions in these USDA hardiness zones are perfect for the plant.
In other zones, you can also grow eugenia plants outside. But bring them inside before the first frost. This plant cannot survive in cold weather.
Growing them in pots and putting them outside and bringing them inside in winter is key to success.
Repotting
Repotting is required when the plant grows bigger and the pot becomes small. Root suffocation is another sign of repotting. At the time of repotting change the soil of the pot. Add organically rich potting soil.
After repotting give some water to it and your plant will thrive again.
Repotting is also required in case of overfertilization. The overdose results in slat build-up in the root zone. This contaminates the potting soil and your plant starts dying. So, it is necessary to change the soil after every 2 years.
Propagation
Summer is a nice time for Eugenia topiary propagation. The easiest method of propagation is starting it from the softwood cutting.
Cut the 6 inches long softwood stem of the plant. Then plant it in a small size container. Then cover the pot with a plastic bag. Make sure the plastic bag does not touch the stem. Water the potting soil to keep it moist and place the pot in a warm place.
Lift the cover once a day for a good flow of fresh air.
It will take 30 to 45 days depending on the variety of Eugenia topiary plants for developing new roots. Once your plant produces new tiny leaves you can transfer them to the big pot or in the outside garden.
Conclusion
Eugenia plants are good for landscaping or for patio gardening. Give them the perfect design and they will make your interiors or exteriors beautiful.
As long as you give proper care to your Eugenia plants, they will continue producing green dense growth. Make some styling plans before growing them.
