Camellia Care

[David1983]

Hi All! Just a quick question about trying to sort out a camellia in my garden. It was in a pot and the leaves started to go yellow so I re-planted it into the garden, using the correct compost for camellias. Since then it hasn't really done much and there are only a few leaves remaining. I have cut away the dead parts and, when I scratch the bark, it's green, which says to me that it's alive.

What's the best way to get it to grow back? Is it likely to rejuvenate this year or will it be best to prune it quite harshly?

Thanks in advance,

David

 

[Lorena]

I am wondering if you live in a hard water area and you watered your camellia in it's pot with hard tap water, which over time will not do it any good, the leaves turn yellow and drop off.

Presumably your garden soil is neutral to acid and definitely not alkaline? otherwise you will have the trouble long term.

Meanwhile to improve the plant you should water with sequestered iron such as Maxicrop which also contains seaweed extract. This will encourage the growth of dark healthy leaves on your plant and hopefully flower buds for next Spring. This is a crucial time for Camellias as lack of water now will result in few flower buds developing for next year.

 

[David1983]

Hi Lorena,

Thanks for your suggestions, I live in an area of neutral water, neither hard or soft. Soil in neutral and I dug the camellia in with the acidic compost recommended for them. I'll go and see about getting some of this Maxicrop stuff, is it commonly available - there aren't a huge amount of garden centres in my neck of the woods. In the meantime, it's only got a few leaves left on it, is it best to prune back the stalks that have no leaves? Also, how often would you recommend watering it? Thanks again!

 

[Lorena]

hi David,

If you can't get Maxicrop then there are others that are more generally available, like Miracle Gro and Phostrogen, both do feeds for acid loving plants that you just water in, you should be able to get these from more general outlets, like B and Q. I think at this time of year, and the fact your plant has suffered so, I would give it a good watering at least once a week - that's a 2 gallon can with appropriate amount of feed dissolved in the water. It's usually something like 1 teaspoon of feed per gallon, it'll be on the label. Pour around the roots and use the spray to water what few leaves there are and over the stems too. It's surprising the results you can get from this treatment.

If it was mine, I wouldn't cut any of it back at the moment, but just allow the plant plenty of time to recover and see where the new leaves spring from, then you will see if any stems above the leaves have died off and you can then cut them back to a good leaf.

Plants are resilient and given time, it should recover I think. Some patience will be needed here David. Best of luck with it.

 

[roberta1000]

I think the main thing just now assuming it's well firmed in and damp enough etc. is to leave it alone.

If it hasn't many leaves chances are it hasn't many active roots either so I wouldn't water or feed overmuch until it shows signs of getting going again. (Sorry this contradicts the above a bit ;o). Camellias take a while to let you know they're unhappy and they take just as long to pick up again so just have patience - it's likely to hang fire until next growing season.

 

[David1983]

Hi and thanks to both for you for your replies! Any ideas when it'll be the growing season again then? It was in a pot prior to putting into the ground and I thought I'd spread the roots out enough, would it be worth digging it up, spreading the roots and re-planting or is it best to leave it alone?

Thanks,

David

 

[roberta1000]

Any ideas when it'll be the growing season again then?

Where I live (Fife) we're about at the end of it for shrubs but YMMV. Grows after it flowers (which it likely won't next year) so really about May onwards.

would it be worth digging it up, spreading the roots and re-planting or is it best to leave it alone?

Depends what it was like when you transplanted it. if it was a rock solid rootball then it will take forever to get going and there's a really good chance that it will die if the ground around it dries out in the Spring so in that case you need to break it up a bit and keep it moist next year.
The real problem if it was solidly potbound is that by watering it a lot you can deter it from putting roots out for moisture and then when you stop it dies so loosening it up is pretty well essential.