Hi, Two separate problems here. #1 - I confess - I smuggled a bajillion seeds back from Tasmania three years ago. Of all the seeds, one is alive now. A three foot tall Snow Gum tree named Oz. It has been in my tropical plant room in the winter, and spends summers by the pond in a pot. We are in Boise, Idaho. High desert, humidity in the 30's in the summer, USDA zone 6-7. Blazing sun all summer, 8 inches of precip. per year. We flood irrigate from March through October. My tropicals usually are under a 70% shade awning in the summer. I think (hope, pray!) this tree is old enough to stay outdoors year round. How do I do this? Just stick it in the ground and pray? Any good tips on preparing it? Caring for it over the winter? It is an evergreen variety. #2 - I have a pineapple guava tree bought from a mail-order tropical nursery. The first one I had never made it through the winter (Got down to 5 degrees. Lit. said the tree was good to 5 degrees). I am afraid to put this one out for the winter. Can I just keep it as a greenhouse plant and bring it indoors in the winter, or does it need a dormant period? I already have banana, coconut palm, fig palm, and other things that "can't grow in Boise" indoors. But I really don't know how to move former houseplants "out" for the winter!!! Thanks for any help! Carolyn
Snow gums are usually happiest at about 3000 ft and above. At least the ones I know here in Victoria. The Tassie ones may be different. The following picture is from the true alpine area. The ones I know grow at the very top of a mountain outside Melbourne and their bark is white and they are fairly stunted. As you go down the mountain there are the very tall mountain ash and ferns on the wet side and the stringy bark in the drier areas, http://www.ernmphotography.com/Pages/Bark/Bark1/pages/914_2.html http://www.australianalps.deh.gov.au/publications/edukit/veg.html Paragraph "Subalpine Woodland" Liz
