How to Grow Leptospermums in the Garden
Leptospermums, more commonly known as New Zealand tea trees, are small ornamental flowering trees or shrubs that are closely related to myrtles. Native to Australia and New Zealand, leptospermums prefer warm climates, such as those found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and 10. Add these charming shrubs to your garden or home landscape and enjoy the tiny, wild-rose-like blossoms that cover their graceful branches in the spring and summer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sphagnum peat moss
- Composted pine bark
- Coarse horticultural sand
- Shovel
- Tiller or garden fork
- Garden hose or watering can
- Fertilizer
Instructions
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1
Select a planting site with full sun exposure to ensure that the leptospermum has the light it needs to flower profusely. Choose a location in your garden that consistently receives six or more hours of direct sunlight per day during the spring and summer.
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2
Prepare the soil in your garden bed to improve its drainage. Incorporate 4 inches of sphagnum peat moss, 3 inches of composted pine bark, and 1 inch of coarse horticultural sand using a tiller, garden fork or shovel.
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Plant leptospermum in the prepared garden bed. Set the plant at the same height that it was growing in the nursery.
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Water your leptospermum regularly in the spring and summer. Give the plant up to 1 inch of water per week to maintain lightly dampened, but never saturated, soil.
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Fertilize leptospermum each spring before new growth begins. Select a fertilizer that is formulated for acid-loving plants, and apply it according to the instructions on the packaging.
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Tips & Warnings
Snip spent blossoms from your leptospermum, if desired, to help it maintain a healthy and attractive appearance. The blossoms are borne on 2- to 3-year-old wood; avoid cutting back the branches unless necessary to control the spread of botanical disease.
Leptospermum are often troubled by web-building caterpillars. Control severe infestations with a carbaryl insecticide.
