Advice
Camellias
General cultivation
Camellias
are some of the most well-known and widely grown winter
flowering shrubs, providing a vivid splash of colour when
the garden could otherwise look rather drab and washed out.
Being ericaceous plants camellias require an acid soil. If
your soil isn't acid then consider growing your camellia in
a container. Tap water tends to contain too much calcium for
camellias, so you will need to adapt your
irrigation water to help keep your plant healthy.
Pruning
Being an early-flowering shrub camellias flower on their previous season's growth. This dictates that pruning should be carried out immediately after flowering, following the advice given for balanced evergreen shrubs.
Propagation
Camellias
can be readily propagated by taking
cuttings. In good summers seedpods can sometimes be produced
by plants. Although the resulting seedlings will take 6-8
years to flower and be of unpredictable quality many gardeners
like the challenges of seed propagation. So if you want to
try seed propagation here's how:
Wait until the seedpod is ripe which will be indicated by it splitting open (usually late Oct - early Nov). Each seedpod can contain 2-3 seeds - only use the viable seed (these will be about pea-sized). Sow immediately into individual 9cm pots of ericaceous compost, water in with rainwater and place in a cold frame or against a wall in the shade. Seedlings should emerge in spring.
Problems
Non-flowering
Bud drop
Windscorch on evergreens
Oedema
Leaf yellowing
Algae on leaves
Pests
Diseases
Camellia
leaf blight
Camellia
petal blight
Camellia yellow
mottle virus