Gday Stephen!
That's good news about your find: I have yet to try E. nicholii, but it can make great Euc Bonsai, as seen in
Walter's early post. The variation of size and health in Euc tubestock and young seedlings can be quite astounding. The next time I come across vigorous Euc tubestock - nicholii or otherwise - I might pick up a handful for a group-planting.
I've recently acquired a couple more Eucs myself: yet another E. meliodora (Yellow Box) and an E. polyanthemos (Red Box), both of which are endemic in my neck of the woods. These are in 150mm (6") pots, and were a whopping $4 each from the 'Need Some Love' section of the local nursery.
I've been playing with different growing/styling methods of late - and none so different as the treatment I'm giving to the Red Box. When I saw the long, thin trunk, gently zig-zagging from node to node, I immediately thought I'd try my hand at Eucalyptus Literati. (I'm sorry that for the time being, you'll have to use your imagination, as I'm only part way thru the wiring process. I promise to update once I have the thing all bent out of shape.)
There are a lot of topics I haven't even touched on in this glorified Blog, including Eucalypt Pests. This is not to say that Eucs do not suffer from pests, but more that my trees have not experienced any loss of vigour due to pests - at least as far as I know. The other day, while fondling the massive crown of foliage on my big Angophora (Cletus), I came across a young caterpillar of the genus
Doratifera, known commonly as a Cup Moth. Luckily, I saw the critter before I happened to brush up against it: Old Man FlyBri Senior touched one when I was a young un, and it took several days for the itchy swelling to subside. This little specimen seemed to be the only one in the canopy, and was doing no real harm, so I just took some pics and let him be. (I have some theories regarding leaf-pruning by caterpillars, but they are too messy to share at this point in time...)
I could go on, but it's Easter Sunday and I have to go to FlyBro's house for a lunch with some long-lost relatives from the Old Country.
Thanks.
Fly.