Jump to a Section
Plant Overview
Share
Camellias are one of the most popular evergreen plant early flowering garden shrubs , provide a short - lived but often vivid splash of colour . As woodland plants , they arise best in light specter , although with lachrymation and manage some type will also thrive in sunnier spots .
camellia were cultivated in the garden of China and Japan for hundred before they were brought to Europe . They were first recorded in England in 1739 , when two cherry-red - floweredCamellia japonicabloomed in Lord Petre ’s hothouse at Thorndon Hall in Essex . The consideration kill the plants , but not before film editing were successfully taken .
One shortcoming ofCamellia japonicais that the flowers dark-brown and stay on the flora as they die , founder a rather unhealthy and untempting appearance . However in the 1920s , John Charles Williams cover a sturdy cross calledCamellia x williamsii . This loses its flowers by nature as it goes over . The founding of manyC. x williamsiicultivars has reinvigorated the repute and popularity of camellias in UK garden .
Read on to find out about develop and caring for camellias in the garden .
Camellia Care
camelia are easy to look after , as long as they ’re in the right-hand filth . They ’re best bought in container and the optimum clip to set them is fall .
Spring planting is also possible , though the roots will call for to be go along moist through the first summertime until well launch . If you do n’t have the ripe sort of soil , you could keep your a camellia sasanqua in a pot .
Planting Out a New Camellia
New camelia should be planted in holes around twice the diam and depth of the root - nut . Half - fulfill the hollow with ericaceous compost and a fistful of blood , Pisces the Fishes and bone . Mix this into the al-Qaeda of the fix to boost the stem to spread out into the surrounding soil .
implant the camellia at the same profundity as it was in the container . Then , gently tauten it into the earth , backfilling around it with the excavated soil . Put a stake next to the plant life to corroborate it through the first dyad of year , and use a tree tie to lightly fix the camellia to the interest . piss in well .
Camellias develop indoors , in a conservatory border or in large container , should be allowed to rest for a couple of month after flowering . They should only be water lightly and now and again , and without the covering of fertilizer . From other summer onward , give these industrial plant with a diluted liquid fertiliser fortnightly until former August .
Positioning
In their aboriginal home ground , camelia relish the protection of an open forest canopy , and this can provide some pointers when choose a good location in a garden . Shelter is crucial , and while periodic verbose conditions will do little harm , camellias hate sitting in continuous draughts . Some of the Williamsii variety will tolerate more bring out position .
Light Requirements
Camellias do best in apartially shaded attitude . If possible , choose a location where the industrial plant in shaded from the early morning Lord’s Day , but where it may get a little dappled sunshine later in the day . Camellia bud and flush are easily damaged by a compounding of nightlong frost followed by early forenoon sunlight . The aurora thaw needs to be gradual so as to protect the plant ’s tissues .
Watering
In their native Asian woodlands , camellias enjoy rain in spring and summer but then see very little from fall through to the following year . This shape can be followed with young plants to help them locate rapidly into the garden , though extended watering may be advisable in other autumn if the conditions is remarkably juiceless and tender .
Given their preference for acid soil , camellias should not be watered regularly with water faucet water , specially if the supply originates from a calcareous catchment . Rainwater is better , and awater buttis an fantabulous increase to the camelia garden .
Soil Conditions
camellia prefer free - drain weather , with plenty of leafage molding incorporated into the soil to assure good wet - retention . The best soils for the works are more or less acidic , betweenpH 5 and 6.5 , although a neutral soil can be improve by tote up ericaceous compost . camellia are rarely successful in the longsighted term on alkaline , chalky soils , even when qualify or mounded .
Do not mulch camellia with drop mushroom compost as this is alkaline and will gradually decrease the acidulousness of the dirt .
Fertilisers
Feed young camellia in natural spring and former summer for the first three or four yearswith acidic ericaceous fertiliser , such as sulfate of caustic potash or a trademark equivalent . Alternatively , utilize an organic - ground fertiliser base on seaweed . pedigree , Pisces the Fishes and osseous tissue is suitable for occasional usage on acidulous stain , but its habit should be avoided on neutral soil as it has a mildly alkaline pH.
Do not flow camellia between mid August and late January .
Re-Potting
Some types of camellia make good container plant life , and this may be the only available method for develop them in areas with alkaline soil . practice a passel that is at least 40 cm in diameter , andaloam - rich , multi - purpose potting compost , ideally John Innes ericaceous . Plants should be re - potted with fresh compost every second twelvemonth . Re - potting is advantageously done in saltation . The addition of controlled exit fertiliser pellets will void the pauperism for further feeding for the eternal sleep of that season .
Container - grown plants will require lacrimation with rainwater at least twice a hebdomad in warm weather , specially those in smaller pots .
Plants in pots can be kept out of doors between May and October , and the pots enclose in house of cards - wrap or brought under methamphetamine for the relief of the year . Container flora are more susceptible to frost damage than those in the garden so the pot should be brought into a coolheaded conservatory , porch , or a protect lieu by the star sign from November until April .
Pruning
camelia do not ask regular pruning , though established George Bush can be shaped by trimming off undesirable shoots directly after flowering if necessary . Some agriculturist choose to get rid of stems from the bottom 25 cm or so of the main stem to keep the branches open of the ground , and crowded Vannevar Bush can be thinned to help ventilating system through the remotion of any thin or pitiable emergence .
Pruning any later in the year peril removing vernal flower bud and thus reducing the number of flowers the following year .
If an overgrown camelia need to be renovated , hard spring pruning is usually safe , though it may take a few seasons for the plant to produce heyday again .
Looks Good With
Camellias look their best whengrown in an informal woodland garden setting . Whilst we do n’t all have the space to replicate the amazing camelia collections of Exbury in Hampshire and Mount Edgcumbe Country Park near Plymouth , the principles can be translate to a smaller scale display under garden trees or in a sundry shrub margin .
Traditional companions includesmaller magnolias , rhododendrons , azaleas , Daphne , forsythia , witch hazeland Japanese maples , all of which prize the shady condition and acidic soils . Inter - planting with drifts of former unfolding reason layer plants such as bluebells , hellebores and lungwort is also efficacious , feign the rude structure of the camellia ’s native woodland nursing home .
Camellia Propagation
Camellias can be propagated fromsemi - advanced cuttings , hardwood slip and from cum .
Propagating Camellia From Semi-Ripe Cuttings
These cut should be exact in leap . Take astrip of barque from the radix of the cuttingand drip the wounding in hormone rooting compound .
Propagating Camellia From Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood cutting are guide in autumn or winter . The carving should be plunged into pots of ericaceous compost , well water and covered with supported plastic bags . They ask to be kept dampish until rooted . This may take up to three months .
Propagating Camellia From Seed
Some types of camellia will at times produce seed pods , especially the individual varieties . These postulate to stay on the plant until ripe and splitting , whichmay not be until October . The flowers will almost sure as shooting have been cross - pollinated , so the seedling will not be lawful to the parent plant ’s characteristic .
Collecting and growing camellia ejaculate is not simpleand it can take six years or longer for the plant to flower . Patience and honorable fortune is require as the resulting flower may prove to be disappointing .
Common Camellia Problems
camellia are capable to a variety of problem , particularly if they are growing in suboptimal conditions .
Environmental Factors
Like many evergreen plant plants , they arevulnerable to wordy , cold-blooded or cockeyed weather , and can brook wind scorch , sappy oedemic tissue paper or a coating of algae on the leaves . dusty or verbose conditions can also set off bud drop at sure time of the year .
Leaf yellowing and general hapless outgrowth is usual where plants are grow in neutral to alkaline soils .
In rural garden , young plants may need to be protected , asthey seem to be considered a delicacy by lapin .
Pests
Camellias can attract a miscellany of pests , include camellia shock absorber scale and aphids . Container grown plants are vulnerable to vine weevil , and plants should be check for radical equipment casualty before purchase .
infestation of aphids and scale louse can moderate to the formation of sooty mould on the honeydew that they excrete onto the leaves . This should be pass over off as it inhibits light getting to the folio , though it will not cause farseeing - term harm . The insect infestation should becontrolled by spraying pesticide or an organic alternativeto avoid reoccurrence .
Diseases
Camellias can spring up diseases such as Camellia yellow mottle computer virus , camellia gall andPhytophthoraroot rot , and they are susceptible to honey fungus .
Camellia scandalmongering mottle computer virus causes creamy - yellow blotch on the leaf , though it generallydoes not adversely affectthe plantin other ways .
Camellia gall is because of a fungus and is declarative of wet condition . It broadly speaking impacts just a very little dimension of folio on the plant . The affected leaf becomes egotistic and turns livid . While unsightly , it does not cause the industrial plant a serious problem . Affected parts can be picked off and destruct .
Perhaps the most commonly encountered disease is petal blight , which first gives the petals a hoary show , and then the whole flower browns and dies . The flower falls to the ground and becomes a source of succeeding contagion , sometimes several years after as the fungus can lie in inactive for some time . Affected flowers should be hoard up and burned .
Camellia Varieties
There are many thousands of varieties of camellias available , some of which have been around for several hundred years , and some of which are very late initiation that are still being tested for reliability in the garden .
Some urge varieties number from theCamellia japonica , Camellia williamsiiandCamellia sasanquagroups . These are listed below . All of them have the RHS Award of Garden Merit .
Camellia Japonica
Japonicas have been cultivated for a thousand age or more and were the first type of camellia to be import to Europe . They do well in quick areas when protect from strong winds and early morning Dominicus . Their flowers are generally produce in a curt but outstanding flush in March . They tend to be shy flowerers when young , but provide an improving spectacle after four or five long time .
The net peak depends on the cultivar , with most grow to between 2 m and 3.5 m. Most do not grow well in container .
One of the peony - material body flower shrubs , this cultivar has a compact , upright habit . The complex pick peak uprise to 7 cm in diam and have wan pinkish margins .
This potent growing but compact 5 m tall camellia has tumid , rich scarlet , semi - double , 12 centimeter diam peak with bright yellow-bellied stamens in other leap .
‘ Grand Prix ’ is a vigorous , upright , intermediate - sized shrub with pendulous ramification . It has bright red , semi - double flowers to 13 cm across . It grows equally well in border and container in the south of England , and it responds well to preparation as an espalier .
‘ Alba Plena ’ is a slow - acquire , upright evergreen shrub with unusually pale green foliage and flat , medium - sized , stately , double bloom from March to April . The petals are white , and their denseness imply that the stamen do not show .
‘ Carter ’s Sunburst ’ is a medium - sized to large , upright and compendious shrub with blush - pink flowers to 12 centimetre in diam , striped deeper pink and vary from semi - double to formal paeony - way double on the same industrial plant .
‘ Bokuhan ’ is an unusual midget camellia with very drear , glistening folio and 5 cm , windflower - similar bloom with dark reddish outer guard petals and a compact and sharply contrasting lily-white petaloid pith . It grows to a metre in height .
Camellia Williamsii
The williamsii hybrid varieties are more late and the popular showy cultivars have been developed largely over the last 50 years . They are full stalwart in almost all parts of Britain . They produce a sequence of peak from early March to late April .
Williamsii have a more just mannequin than japonica and are less susceptible to wind harm . Most grow to a maximum altitude of 2 m.
Most varieties are quite free florescence , although some ask sunshine to mature their bloom bud .
‘ Debbie ’ is a 4 m grandiloquent , potent growing shrub with pinkish blousy flowers in March and April . It is hardy down to -10 ° ampere-second .
‘ Donation ’ is one of the most popular camellias because it is particularly firm growing and free flowering . It has semi - treble pale pink flowers from tardy February through until April . In the open it will reach a superlative of up to 4 yard , but it can be grown in a container and pruned to a well formed shrub of 2 grand stature and spread .
This is one of the safe option for the more northern part of Britain , as it is hardier than most and has been grown successfully in inhuman area since its introduction in the other 1940s . It has single , pale pink flowers .
This variety has unusual flowers comprising shining white outer petal around a frilly lump of pale chicken inner I .
Camellia Sasanqua
Less well cognize in the garden than the other two types , the sasanqua camelia flower in early winter and some are more or less sweet . Only a few varieties are easily usable andthey will only grow successfully in garden in the south of Englandas the flowers are well damaged by freeze and inhuman winds . However , sasanquas make good container industrial plant and they can be brought into a freeze - free position for the winter , meaning they can be grown in sheltered spots across a much spacious expanse . Most grow well under glass .
Most cultivar arise to a top and circularize of around 2 m.
‘ Crimson King ’ is hardy down to -5 ° C and does well slightly further northward than other sort , and with a little have intercourse upkeep it will flower from October to November in most normal winters as far north as the Midlands . It has exclusive , deep ruby flowers with spectacular golden stamen and a slender fragrance .
This variety rise to 3.5 MB and has a open shape that is ideal for grow against a wall . It will hold a few point of frost after flowering but it is in world confined to the Confederate States of America of England . It has individual pink blossom that are slightly scented .
‘ Jean May ’ bears delicate , semi - threefold , pale pinkish flower with an orange center from recent October to early December . It has a semi - upright and open form and will achieve 3.5 m in height .
Larger when fully originate than most other sasanquas , ‘ Narumigata ’ grow into a 6 m bushy Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . It has single , white flowers with a pinkish soupcon from October to November .
FAQs
hoarfrost is the most likely case , specially if the plant gets the other sunup Lord’s Day . Some types are more susceptible than others to this job , so you may wish to re - consider the planting position and cultivar .
Flowers can also turn brown and shine early due to fungal diseases such as grey mould and camellia petal blight .
How useful was this post ?
snap on a star to rate it !
Average rating4.4/ 5 . Vote count:11
No votes so far ! Be the first to rate this post .
As you found this Emily Post utile …
