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By Tim Daly
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Throughout our area, camellias are grown and have attractive dark green leather like broad leaves and are evergreen shrubs. They bloom prolifically during the winter and spring months and are highly prized for their showy flowers. The flowers come in many types of colors and forms on all of the varieties. More than 2,300 different varieties are registered with the American Camellia Society. The Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) is the most common, and it grows to a height of 6 to 12 feet with a spread of 6 to 10 feet. Because they are evergreen shrubs, they are capable of great beauty throughout the year, even after they bloom. Given the proper care and maintenance, Camellias can last for many years, even centuries.
Another variety is the Sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua). Their heights can vary from 2 to 12 feet tall and their dark green, shiny leaves are smaller than the Japanese camellias. The plants bloom during the fall months, and their flowers range from white to pink in color and are 2 to 3 inches wide.
Camellias are slow growing plants and many in the landscape can be quite old. Sometimes it can take a century for camellias to reach 25 feet in height. The sasanqua camellias grow somewhat faster than the japonicas. They have many practical uses in the landscape and since the shrubs have the potential to grow large, they are often used as specimen plants, and screens. But their most important ornamental feature is their beautiful, showy flowers.
The fall months are the best time of the year to plant camellias and other ornamental trees and shrubs. As the weather gets cold, their top growth slows down but the roots continue to grow. The plant can be better established by the following spring and summer, and can handle the stresses of the hot, dry weather better since they have a more developed root system. Camellias need to be planted in well drained, rich organic soil. Avoid planting them in areas where trees with shallow roots will compete with them for nutrients and water. Japanese camellias should be planted in areas of partial shade since full sun will cause the leaves to sun scald or turn yellow. However, sasanquas are more tolerant of higher amounts of sunlight and can be planted in full sun. Both thrive and produce better, more abundant blooms when planted in areas that are sheltered from the sun and high winds.
They need to be planted at a shallow depth. Install them the same way other shrubs and trees are to be installed. Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. Place it in the hole at a depth where the top of the root ball should be slightly above the soil level. Avoid planting it too deeply since this could possibly lead to root rot. Fill in the hole and cover the soil with a two to four inch layer of organic mulch such as pine straw, pine bark, or cypress mulch.
Camellias prefer a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 but can tolerate a lower pH. Apply fertilizer with high nitrogen content in the spring and then in the fall, apply one that is low in nitrogen and high in potassium in the fall. Use slow release forms of fertilizers since they are taken up by the plant easier. Once the plants become established, their fertilizer needs diminish. Excessive fertilizations need to be avoided and burnt leaf edges and leaf drop can be an indication of excessive fertilization.
Camellia plants require adequate water, especially while they are becoming established. However, older ones that have been in the ground are able to get by with less water.
Be aware that flower buds sometimes drop off the plants and it is often natural for them to do so. Often camellias produce more buds than can become flowers and they shed them. Environmental conditions, such as extreme heat and drought, will increase bud dropping and will result in blooms of an inferior quality.
The best time for pruning is in the late winter or early spring after flowering. For heavy pruning, do so between the middle of February and early May. However, camellias generally need minimal pruning other than the occasional removal of damaged branches and shoots that detract from the desired form of the plant.
If you have some camellia plants that you would like more of, or if you see plants that others have that are of interest to you, then consider using a couple of methods of plant propagation to get new plants. One way is “air layer”, and is best done in spring or early summer. This method calls for the scraping the bark off one of the branches by a knife. Use a rooting hormone and dust the surface of the cut. Get some sphagnum or peat moss, place in a plastic wrap and secure it with twist ties above and below the ball of moss. Once roots are visible, cut off the branch and place in soil or a potted container with a growing medium. Camellias can also be rooted by cuttings. The best time to obtain the cuttings is from May to September after the tender growth hardens. Make the cut at the fifth node, where the leaf attaches to the stem. Dip in a rooting hormone powder. Place the cuttings in a growing medium such as of one-half sand and one-half peat in a plastic container with small holes in the bottom for drainage, and cover. Water the soil and keep it covered to keep the moisture in. You may occasionally want to use a mist bottle on the cuttings to keep the leaves moist. There are also more elaborate and expensive propagating systems.
Camellias do have some pest problems such as root or, which is caused by excessive watering and poor drainage, and also some insect pests like tea scale and aphids. There are chemical insecticides to treat these insect pests. For more information on pesticides, refer to The Georgia Pest Management Handbook at: http://www.ent.uga.edu/pmh/. Make sure you follow all label directions and safety precautions when using chemical insecticides.
Camellias are great shrubs to grow and they liven up the landscape with their dark green foliage, form, and colorful blooms. Proper care and maintenance will allow them to perform at their best for many years to come. For more information on camellias, go to the American Camellia Society website at: www.camellias-acs.com.
Timothy Daly is the Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent with Gwinnett County Extension office. He can be contacted at 678-377-4010 or timothy.daly@gwinnettcounty.com.
