Hi MM,
I don't know if this link may be of any assistance to you.
Cheers,
Dee.

Here is a link that might be useful: backhousia citriodora

Hello Mistymorn,

I've grown one in Brisbane in full sun, no problems, even with adjacent trees for competition. The only difference from yours is that it was on a slightly raised bed, in a good loose soil. Is the soil at yours a heavy clay? Maybe it is having trouble getting its roots down?

I have one now about 4m high in the Toowoomba area, not in a raised bed but with loamy clay soil and mulched. Recently it was looking a bit stressed because of the drought so I had to water it, and it has recovered.

A couple of the leaves on yours look a little yellow, is there a soil mineral deficiency? They are fairly robust trees and this should not normally be a problem, but you never know.

Otherwise I would just water it weekly, if and when you see some tip growth (which seems to be happening now), and just be patient.

Good luck,
Frank.

Hi Dee thanks for the link.

Frank thanks for that info, mine is also in a raised square meter only about 12cms high but due to the hard compacted soil I have on my block nearly all my trees are raised so I get a good mix together before I plant, adding wetta soil and gypsum the top 30cms of our soil is not too bad when it is moist but below that it is hard baked clay.

I will give it some trace elements actually I will even test the ph tomorrow, as you can see it is well mulched so I dont know why it has not been growing, could be lack of rain, but as you said tip growth is happening now, should I tip prune it soon to make it bushier or leave it till it gets a lot bigger or dont do it at all, I will try to be patient too Cheers .....MM.

Mistmorn, the hard clay base may slow it down, but just keep mulching, that may eventually loosen the soil.

I do tip prune some of my plants, but never the Lemon-scented Myrtle. It forms into a well-shaped plant all by itself and there is absolutely no need to tip prune it.

Cheers,
Frank

Thanks Frank, I will take your advice and not tip prune as it is getting to be a bushy little plant, unlike some of my Grevillea's that I have to do so often as they tend to grow a lot on the leggy side.

And I will keep mulching. Cheers and Happy Gardening.
MM.

I had a straggly weak plant for several years. I got fed up with it doing nothing, so I cut all its leaves off, repotted it in a bonsai pot and left it to see it it would do anything. That was at the begining of summer, now it has doubled in size and has lovely bronze to green leaves in a lush ball.

So if you have a poor performing lemon myrtle, prune it back to a twig. Either it will pick up its act or it will die (in my case, not a loss, as a 3 leaf plant isn't work keeping). I think the problem was some pest. Once I removed all the leaves the pest died and plant took off.

I have decided to move mine real soon, I truely feel where I have planted it is too hot.
The only time it look any way decent is in the cooler months
Also it is too close to the new Rose Bed I am going to start I think it will be better in a part shade spot.

MM
A lot of rainforest trees in my experience are slow growers in the first year or so, then......zoom,zoom. My own lemon-scented myrtle was one such and is doing very well now. Don't do anything drastic just yet as you could regret it. If you're establishing a r/f garden you might like to see mine, which has been evolving over 15 years or so and has over 100 species so far. Send me an e-m if interested. I'm also in the GC Hinterland.
Tony

Thanks Tony, I will keep that in mind...MM

We have 7 of them along our front boundary, which is north facing and as anyone would know, north facing in the open means the full belting of the sun through much of the day.
These plants have been in now for almost 4 years and they're at 3-4 metres.
They're in a clay bank, are well mulched and I suspect within 2 years will hedge as we intended.
Give them time, like many rainforest plants, if they're in the open, eventually they'll go up, up, up.
When you think what you can do with those leaves (cooking, tea) let them develop Mistymorn.

Cheers
Roy

Mine is in a shady spot and I've found it quite slow growing. It is quite crowded with lots of other plants up close and in competition. It is in a good sandy loam. At the same time as the myrtle I planted a Queensland Maple which is about 5 metres tall. The myrtle is about 1.5 metres tall. It's a nice round bushy plant but seems small for having been there about 4 years!

Another thing to consider also. Tip prune the plant, they respond well to it.

This morning Saturday seeing it is a grey day and we have had a little rain 4mm overnight
I am going to transplant it to a shadier spot Thanks every one for you input
MM.

MM, Buckhousia Citiodora being a rainforest native needs to be planted in a bed with other like plants for good results. If planted on its own it usualy grows quite slow but steady.What I have read & agree with due to trial & error (also learning from my fanatical Mum over the years),is that RF trees create a microclimate(?)of bacteria below the mulch where the surface feeding roots are. RF tree roots go out rather than down to much depth. I had a garden with 42 RF trees incl 1 Buchousia Citradora and the latter grew to 3.5m in 4 years. The one out on the neigbours footpath wich was cultivated cording to std proceedure took 10 years to reach 4m. I hope this is helpfull as I am passionate about our Rain Forest trees.

Hi Cam. Yes I moved it to that new area of the garden, where we ripped up the grass and planted about 15 more trees there is about 25cms of mulch over the whole area, most of the trees are Natives with a couple of bougainvillea in the front plus a fruit salad Frangipani that I grew from cuttings for a bit of colour......And I am pleased to say it is coming along so much better now it has not grown a lot but is a lot bushier and has just finished its first flowering so I am very pleased with it...Thanks all the same ...Cheers..MM.