NOTE: In this article, New Zealand tea tree and Leptospermum scoparium may be used interchangeably; in fact, Leptospermum scoparium is the botanical name for New Zealand tea tree.
The New Zealand tea tree is an evergreen shrub with small, prickly, needle-like leaves that are aromatic when crushed. The plant has showy single or double white, pink, or red blossoms in the early summer. The flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators.
Manuka honey, a popular honey for various uses and alternative medicine, is produced from the honey that bees gather from the plant. New Zealand tea tree is fairly easy to grow and is resistant to most pests and diseases.
Why does my Leptospermum scoparium roots have rot?
Root rot on your New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium) can be dangerous if left untreated. In order to keep your plant alive, we strongly suggest that you follow our advice if the signs start to show: blackened and mushy roots.
Why does my New Zealand tea tree have gray mold spots?
Gray mold spots are a type of fungus that is found a lot in flowers, and spreads quite rapidly. If you notice brown (or gray) spots, it is probably this fungus. Don’t ignore these symptoms, as they may end up killing your plant.
Our Solution
The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Leptospermum scoparium. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.
Why does my New Zealand tea tree have leaf spots?
This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for New Zealand tea tree owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.
Why are my New Zealand tea tree leaves turning yellow?
This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.
Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:
Here are some signs of yellowing caused by the many deficiencies on the Leptospermum scoparium in question:
- The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
- Yellowing between leaf veins is another sign of iron shortage, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are initially affected.
- Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
- Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
- A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.
Our Solution
You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.
Is my New Zealand tea tree sunburned?
It is simple to determine whether your New Zealand tea tree (your Leptospermum scoparium) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.
The leaves of your New Zealand tea tree can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.
To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.
Why are my New Zealand tea tree leaves turning brown?
Most of the time, leaves of a New Zealand tea tree that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.
Should I leave my Leptospermum scoparium in direct sunlight?
No! Don’t leave your Leptospermum scoparium (or New Zealand tea tree) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.
Our Solution
As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your New Zealand tea tree in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.
Why are my Leptospermum scoparium leaves drooping or wilting ?
In most cases, this happens when your Leptospermum scoparium lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.
An easy way to know if your Leptospermum scoparium is lacking water is to under-weigh its pot, if it looks light, it means that the soil and the roots are probably quite dry, and therefore need water!
Our Solution
If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the New Zealand tea tree right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.
This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Leptospermum scoparium
Water Occasionally
Your plant needs water to survive, but it’s crucial to balance the amount and timing of watering. As we previously mentioned, overwatering could be catastrophic for your Leptospermum scoparium.
You can tell if your plant needs water by touching the soil; if it still feels damp, it’s usually preferable to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Leptospermum scoparium is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Leptospermum scoparium close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your New Zealand tea tree Dust-Free
This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.
For your New Zealand tea tree, this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.
Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!
Keep drainage in mind
If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.
In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)
