Question
hi,
  we recently purchased a tea tree plant, which is about 5 inches high.
we live in england, and were just wondering how to look after the tea tree properly, eg: when to water, whether it is an indoor or outdoor plant, and where to keep it. i have tryed searching on the net for answers but as yet have not found anything.
your help would be greatley appreciated.
thankyou, you guys do a great job!
chris wood.

Answer
Dear Chris:

Thank you for your question.  Your tea tree plant (Melaleuca alternifolia) is a native of Australia.  Seeing as how the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in London, I would suggest that you treat it as a house plant.  The plant is actually listed as being hardy down to 0 degrees C.  You should keep it outside until you are getting close to a frost date, then bring it inside.
In the wild, your tree will grow as high as 7 meters with a branch spread of 5 meters.  I'm sure that you will not want it to get that big.  I would start it out in a pot approx. 1 foot in diameter.  Put about 1 inch of gravel in the bottom of the pot for drainage and fill the rest with a good quality potting soil.  Water the tree deeply after transplanting.  Only water the tree after that when the soil is dry to a depth of three inches.  I can't find much on light requirements in any of my references, so I would give it filtered sunlight.  It's relatively easy to tell when a plant gets too much sunlight because the leaves fade and have a "bleached" color.  If you follow these guidelines, give your plant about a month to settle in.  By that time it will either continue to look healthy and possibly show some new growth or you will notice negative changes.  If your tree takes a turn for the worse, email me directly at the address listed below.  Good Luck!
David F. Balshukat
[email protected]