Advice
Camellia bud drop
There are many reasons why apparently healthy camellias may drop flower buds. Where an excessively large number of buds have formed on the bush the small, immature ones are shed. This is particularly the case with the double-flowered types.
Exceptionally
low winter temperatures may also be a cause of bud drop, especially
with tender cultivars. Some camellias bloom so late in certain
areas that the new vigorous growth if shoots in spring causes
many buds to abort. In other cases, where plump, apparently
normal buds drop it is usually due to excessive feeding, applying
nitrogen fertilisers too late in the season, of the result
of a period of drought.
Lack of water during the period of flower bud initiation and early development, from July to September, of just a day or two may be sufficient to cause a check in growth. Deprived of water the cells forming the flower stalk fail to develop fully. The resulting malformation creates a point of weakness which may give way following frosts in early autumn or later, when the flower buds begin to swell in spring.
Container-grown camellias are particularly vulnerable to bud drop, as are camellias planted against walls or close to trees. Should dry weather prevail in late summer or early autumn, water thoroughly to ensure deep moisture penetration. It is far more beneficial to water copiously once a week rather than to apply smaller quantities more frequently. A thick mulch will also help to conserve soil moisture, as will the incorporation of later quantities of organic matter when planting.