WHERE TO PLANT : The ideal
position is usually on the south-east, south or south- west side of a feature or structure
which can provide some shade. This can be a house, fence or existing trees. Try to provide
half day Summer sun and afternoon Winter sun if any. Avoid areas subject to excessive
winds, limed or alkaline soils, competitive tree roots and badly drained areas. Make sure
that you have sufficient depth of soil to accommodate the root ball and that there is
enough room to accommodate future growth.
 SUMMER
SUN: Most Camellia varieties prefer shade for at least half of the
summer day. Camellia sasanqua varieties and some of the firm foliaged Camellia japonicas
will take sunnier positions and still perform well provided the summers are not too harsh.
Some summer sun is necessary for good growth and flowering. Shade can be provided by
buildings and walls. Shade can also be provided by trees as long as their roots are not
close enough to compete for food and water. Shade cloth enclosures also provide excellent
shade for Camellias.
WINTER SUN: Direct morning sun
in winter is to be avoided. Flowers and buds covered with dew will be scorched by the
early morning sun. Double flowers which have had their outer petals burned in this way may
not be able to open. Mid afternoon winter sun is the most advantageous.
WIND: Exposed positions
subject to hot summer winds should
be avoided. Camellias are shallow rooted and winds can dry out the top layer of soil.
Strong winds can also damage blooms.
DRAINAGE : Good drainage is
essential. Soil for Camellias should not be wet or boggy for any length of time. When
planting, the hole should not be dug into a layer of clay. The clay would stop water
draining away and the hole would fill with water drowning the roots. Mound soils over
shallow clay layers to give sufficient planting depth.
ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR CAMELLIA
JAPONICA:
ASPECT
Camellias are basically shade
loving plants. The flowers of most varieties need sun protection, particularly in the
early morning while the flowers are wet with dew. This is because the droplets of moisture
will act as tiny lenses under the rays of the sun and burning of the petals will result.
Afternoon sun does little damage, except on particular varieties, which prefer protection
all day. The plants themselves are quite tolerant of sun and suffer little more than
paling of the foliage to lighter green. However, the foliage will burn in sun if
sufficient water is not available to replace that lost from the leaves through
transpiration. An ideal position therefore, is one which will provide protection from the
morning sun over the winter months.
SOIL
A rich, light, well drained loam
containing plenty of humus is ideal. Most soils can be made suitable for Camellias with
the addition of various soil conditioners. Sandy soils will need their moisture holding
capacity increased with the addition of peat moss and or compost. On the other hand heavy
soils need to be broken down. Peat moss and or compost will also help to do this. It is
essential to avoid areas where water gathers in pools. In these cases sub-soil drainage
must be installed. Soil depth can be as shallow as 45cm provided roots can spread sideways
as the plants mature. Camellias like a soil pH reading of 5.0 to 5.5. Most Sydney soils
are around this level but if in doubt this should be checked.
WATERING
More attention to watering is
needed during spring and summer. Constantly moist soil is necessary at this time to ensure
maximum formation of flower buds and to prevent bud drop at flowering time. However be
careful not to overwater. Rapid drying out of the shallow root system can be minimised by
mulching with peat moss mixed with old cow manure. During winter one good soaking per week
should be quite satisfactory except in abnormally windy weather.
FERTILIZING
The main time to fertilize is in
early spring when the growth buds are starting to swell. We recommend the use of a soluble
fertilizer such as Aquasol at three weekly intervals from late winter to early spring. In
early October a more balanced fertilizer with less nitrogen is desirable, applied lightly
to moist soil and thoroughly watered in. GREENGOLD PROFESSIONAL Camellia and Azalea Food
is excellent for this use. This can be repeated in January. Do not fertilize after the
flower buds have formed unless the plant obviously needs it.
PLANTING
Take care to plant at the soil
level existing in the container. Plant in a wide shallow hole of improved (see under SOIL)
soil, firm in, and water thoroughly to exclude all air pockets. Particular attention
should be given to watering during the first summer when the plant is becoming
established.
INSECT PESTS
- White or brown scale - spray with
YATES SCALE GUN as directed.
- Aphids - these sometimes appear on
the new growth. YATES BUG GUN, or BAYTHROID spray will control them.
- Caterpillars - these often attack
the new growth. They can be controlled effectively - again YATES BUG GUN, or YATES MAVRICK
used as directed.
- Red Spider - occasionally these can
cause a problem. FOLIMAT, or HORTICO KELTHANE, or Monsanto TRIUMPH used in accordance with
the directions, should clear these up.
DISBUDDING
Some varieties have a tendency to
produce multiple buds on growth terminals. To ensure blooms of quality and size these buds
should be reduced to one or two per stem in January or February.
DISEASES
Root rot is one of the very few
diseases that affect Camellias and can be prevented by provision of good drainage.
FONGARID used as a drench can help to save the plant but the drain must be improved. On
some varieties a virus occurs which causes yellow blotching of the foliage. This is a
harmless virus, the foliage variegation being the only effect.
TUB CULTURE
Many varieties of Camellias are
suitable for growing in tubs. The main consideration is to select suitable potting
mixture. A well balanced mix, such as AMGROW POT AND PEAT should provide good drainage as
long as the pot is set slightly clear of a flat surface to allow the flow away of water
draining from the pot. Remember to be careful when watering as pots dry out very rapidly
in hot weather. However watering in winter can be overdone. Evaporation may dry out the
surface soil but as the plant is dormant and using little water the subsoil stays moist.
Don't overplant! Small plants placed in larger pots than required have large areas of soil
not being used. This soil stays moist longer will cause root rot to develop. Potted plants
are restricted in their search for food therefore regular light applications of soluble
fertilizer are desirable, say once a month, to keep your plants healthy.
Additional
notes by courtesy of Yates - visit Yates current pages at Greengold on the Internet
Camellias on the Cheap
Denerley Woolley is a supremely successful gardener, although his
success is made a little easier by the fact that he lives in what he terms "God's own
country", just a few kilometres from the NSW south coast town of Nowra. Here, in what
has traditionally been dairy territory, the soil is peaty and the rainfall, except when El
Nino is at its worst, is usually reliable.
Denerley and Coralie seem to be able to grow just about anything
they fancy, but the most breathtaking part of their garden is the plantation of more than
800 camellias, many of which Denerley has propagated himself. Denerley is renowned for his
propagation skills and he regularly achieves a 100% success rate with his camellia
cuttings.
Denerley's methods are straightforward and he is always willing to
share his knowledge with others. In fact, the last time I spoke to him he had just held a
day-long class in his garden on camellia propagation.
Denerley's Tips For 100% Success With Camellia Cuttings
The First Dip
Cut 150 mm long cuttings in the cool of the day and immediately put
them into a 3 litre ice cream container. This should be filled with water to which has
been added some plant hormone, such as Yates Kelpak Seaweed Extract (containing the
naturally occurring root hormones, cytokinins and auxins). Leave the ice cream container
somewhere cool until you're ready to pot up the cuttings.
Remove Leaves - Take each cutting, shake off the excess
water, and remove all the leaves except the two top ones. If these are very large, cut
them in half. The theory is that, by reducing the size of the leaves, you'll cut down on
water loss from the cutting.
Scarring - Scrape the bark at the bottom of the cutting using
a sharp pair of secateurs. Take a narrow strip down either side of the bottom centimetre
to the base. The new roots will form on the sides of this scarred area.
The Second Dip
Dip the end of the cutting into some Clonex Purple Rooting Hormone
gel. "I've found the gel is better than the old cutting powders," Denerley says,
"Because it sticks better to the base of the cutting." Clonex also has additives
that will help prevent diseases from developing.
The Pot
The next step is to put the cuttings into the potting mix. Denerley
makes his own but, if you prefer to buy something ready prepared, it's comforting to know
that Yates Seed Raising Mix has been formulated specifically for striking cuttings, just
as much as for growing seeds. Yates Seed Raising Mix contains microfine Nutricote
controlled-release fertiliser (one of Denerley's favourites), which will supply the young
plants with all the nutrients they need.
Inserting the Cuttings
You can use a pencil to make holes in the top of the mix. Denerley
keeps a small wooden butcher's stake just for this purpose, but a pencil would do just as
good a job. Put the prepared base of a cutting into each hole and firm the mix around it.
Rooting Time
Dunk the whole pot in water, lift it out and let it drain. Denerley
then leaves his pot (uncovered) on some concrete in the shade and waters it twice a day.
Checking
Check for root formation after about six weeks. Denerley does this
by giving one of the cuttings a gentle exploratory tug. If it feels firm, he knows that
the roots are developing well.
Once they're showing plenty of good new growth, he pots each baby
camellia into its own pot, where it can continue growing until it's ready to plant out.
Another sprinkling with Nutricote at this stage will supply nutrients for this important
period. |
